Accordion Icons

November 2, 2021

So this year while we were in Ontario for our yearly pilgrimage for All Saints Day, I stopped by one of my friends there and in that process, met 2 more Accordion community icons.

Walter Ostanek and Boris Borgstrom

Walter Ostanek and Boris Borgstrom

Walter Ostanek and Boris Borgstrom

Walter Ostanek and Boris Borgstrom

Back row: Keith Anderson and me, Jerry PH
Front row: Walter Ostanek and Boris Borgstrom

So let me briefly introduce the people in the pics, just in case you don’t really know who they are…

Keith Anderson, one of the best accordion repair experts in North America and a heck of a good accordionist himself!
Walter Ostanek, international polka king… ’nuff said
Boris Borgstrom, wonderful accordionist and the man who wrote/provided a ton of material for the Free Bass accordion, and who’s works are still being used even today internationaly. His works cover nearly 50% of all needed materials for the accreditation exams at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and also now with other institutions in North America!

All three of these very humble and unassuming people are quite literally of Elvis level fame in our accordion community and I cannot say enough good things about each one of them!

What a great way to spend a few hours on a weekend before the long trip back home to Montreal.