The city will host a rare, large-scale accordion performance in May as 36 musicians from 12 states gather for a four-day music conference culminating in a public concert that organizers say will challenge long-standing perceptions of the instrument.
The San Diego Accordion Extravaganza Concert will take place Saturday, May 16, at 2 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Community Center. The event marks the first time the long-running accordion gathering has been held on the West Coast, following previous editions in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Branson, Missouri.
Organizers Kim and Dan Christian, the touring duo known as Squeeze Play, said San Diego musicians helped inspire the move.
“We had a few accordionists come from San Diego to Albuquerque last year, and they mentioned San Diego would be a great place to hold the event in 2026,” Kim Christian said.
“This has allowed us to invite more players from the West Coast to play with the group.”
El Cajon was selected for its arts-friendly reputation and cultural diversity.
The event comes at a time when audiences are increasingly drawn to niche, experiential live performances. Organizers say online video has helped spark curiosity about instruments many people have never experienced in person.
“Audiences are becoming more interested in unique and niche live music experiences because they can see more unique acts online and wonder what it would be like to actually hear those instruments live,” she said.
The central goal of the concert is to change perceptions of the accordion; an instrument often associated with limited or outdated stereotypes.
“The accordion has been stereotyped in the past, but most of that age group is not the young generation of listeners now,” Kim said.
Audience reactions, she said, are often immediate and enthusiastic: “We often hear people say things like ‘I thought that I didn’t like the accordion until I heard you guys play!’”
The concert will be split into two parts: The first half features Squeeze Play performing a high-energy set spanning jazz, classical, swing, Latin, and pop influences, including arrangements tied to Stevie Wonder and film composer John Williams.
The second half brings together the full accordion orchestra, a group of musicians who spent months preparing virtually before traveling to San Diego for final rehearsals.
Coordinating 36 musicians across 12 states has required extensive planning, but technology has made the collaboration possible.
“It is a lot of work coordinating 36 accordionists from 12 different states, but since the Internet makes meeting with people across the world possible, it is a lifesaver for us,” they said. “We had many Zoom sessions going over the pieces for the concert and recorded all of the songs on YouTube so participants can practice at home.”
The final program is designed to highlight the instrument’s range, featuring music from films including Robin Hood, Superman, Aladdin, and Mary Poppins, alongside works by Stravinsky and Aaron Copland.
“We hope that first-time accordion concertgoers will take away a sense of amazement, awe, excitement, and newfound respect for the accordion,” Christian said.
