Guy Klucevsek

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Guy Klucevsek (February 26, 1947 – May 22, 2025) was an American accordionist and composer known for his fusion of polka, minimalism and experimental music. He began playing accordion at age five and later studied at the California Institute of the Arts. Klucevsek taught at Glassboro State College before emerging as a figure in the Downtown New York experimental scene. Over his career, he composed over 100 works, released more than 20 albums, and collaborated with artists such as John Zorn, Tom Waits, Laurie Anderson, and Bill Frisell. He was also active in cross-cultural collaborations and contributed to several John Williams film scores. In 2010, he received a United States Artists Fellowship. He stopped touring in 2018 due to illness and died in 2025.

Life and career

Klucevsek, who was of Slovenian heritage, was born in New York City on February 26, 1947, and raised in New Jersey and outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.<ref name="Grove">Template:Cite encyclopediaTemplate:Subscription required</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> At the age of five he began playing the accordion after seeing a performance by Dick Contino on television. He studied accordion with Walter Grabowski who eventually introduced him to the more difficult free-bass accordion. This allowed Klucevsek to play straight from piano music without transcription.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref> In high school he formed a Slovenian polka band and played tuba in the school band.<ref name=":0" /> After graduating from high school, he matriculated to Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he earned a BA in 1969. He pursued further studies at the University of Pittsburgh and graduated with an MA in 1971. He then attended the California Institute of the Arts where he was a pupil of Robert Bernat, Harold Budd, Gerald Shapiro, Morton Subotnick, and James Tenney.<ref name="Grove"/>

In 1972, Klucevsek joined the faculty of Glassboro State College now (Rowan University) where he taught until 1976. He was a member of Relâche, a chamber ensemble based in Philadelphia, from 1980 through 1990.<ref name="Grove" /> He moved to Manhattan in the 1980s where he was involved in the Downtown experimental music scene and first met his long time collaborator John Zorn.<ref name="Grove" /><ref name=":1" /> His first album, Blue Window, was released in 1986.<ref name=":0" /> Over his career Klucevsek composed more than 100 pieces, released more than 20 albums and collaborated with Dave Douglas, Bill Frisell, Laurie Anderson, Maureen Fleming, Tom Waits and others.<ref name="Grove" /><ref name=":0" /> He was also a founding member of the international group Accordion Tribe.<ref name="Grove" /> Klucevsek also participated in cross-cultural collaborations including with Basque accordionist Kepa Junkera, oud player Rahim AlHaj and Japanese composer Teiji Ito.<ref name=":0" />

Klucevsek worked on John Williams's scores for several Steven Spielberg films, including The Terminal, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and The Adventures of Tintin.<ref name=":0" /> In 2010, Klucevsek won a United States Artists Fellow award.<ref>United States Artists Official Website Template:Webarchive</ref> With a string quartet and Renée Fleming, he performed “Danny Boy” at John McCain's funeral at the Washington National Cathedral.<ref name=":0" />

He stopped touring in 2018 due to illness and last publicly performed in 2022. Klucevsek died at home in Staten Island on May 22, 2025, at the age of 78, after battling neuroendocrine cancer for nearly ten years.<ref name=":0" />

Musical style

While Klucevsek's music sometimes fits within traditional polka styles it moves far beyond this into experimentalism and minimalism.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Klucevsek was influenced by Flaco Jimenez and Nathan Abshire which led him to look to integrate his Slovenian-American heritage into his avant-garde music.<ref name=":1" /> His polkas would often be in minor keys and played at great speed rather than the genial pace and major key of traditional polkas.<ref name=":1" /> Klucevsek was reluctant to label himself and his style but thought of himself as a composer rather than an accordionist.<ref name=":1" /> His music was unique in employing the accordion in jazz and improvisational music.<ref name="Grove" />

Discography

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As leader

  • Blue Window (Zoar Records, 1986)
  • Scenes from a Mirage (Review, 1987)
  • Who Stole the Polka? (Eva, 1991)
  • Flying Vegetables of the Apocalypse (Experimental Intermedia, 1991)
  • Polka Dots & Laser Beams (Eva, 1992)
  • Manhattan Cascade (CRI, 1992)
  • Transylvanian Softwear (John Marks, 1994)
  • Citrus, My Love (RecRec Music, 1995)
  • Stolen Memories (Tzadik, 1996)
  • Altered Landscapes (EVVA, 1998)
  • Accordance with Alan Bern (Winter & Winter, 2000)
  • Free Range Accordion (Starkland, 2000)
  • The Heart of the Andes (Winter & Winter, 2002)
  • Tales from the Cryptic with Phillip Johnston (Winter & Winter, 2003)
  • Notefalls with Alan Bern (Winter & Winter, 2007)
  • Song of Remembrance (Tzadik, 2007)
  • Dancing On the Volcano (Tzadik, 2009)
  • The Multiple Personality Reunion Tour (Innova, 2012)
  • Teetering On the Verge of Normalcy (Starkland, 2016)

With Accordion Tribe

  • Accordion Tribe (Intuition, 1998)
  • Sea of Reeds (Intuition, 2002)
  • Lunghorn Twist (Intuition, 2006)

As sideman

With Dave Douglas

With others

Sources

References

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