TU Today

Kalin Kirilov, Professor in the Department of Music, presents his sabbatical talk on Friday, November 15, 3:00pm. The title of his presentation is “Balkan Accordion.”

The music of the Balkans is diverse and complex. Due to the geographical location of the Balkan peninsular, a crossroad between Europe and Asia, Balkan music exhibits an immense variety of scales, modes, asymmetrical meters, dense ornamentation, and a unique modal harmonic system which has no analog in the world. By focusing on the music of renowned accordion performers, my presentation will trace the process of harmonic expansion, the incorporation of improvisation in folk music performances, and the gradual formation of a unique Balkan chord-scale harmonic system. During my presentation, I will examine the important role of the accordions in the Balkan “harmonic revolution,” share music from my sabbatical CD album, and provide live demonstrations of Balkan music on a digital Roland accordion.