Peter
Antonio Soave is a dedicated, focused musician. His life aspirations
include the desire to develop, to the fullest extent possible, the musical
talents he was born with, thereby furthering the recognition and
acceptance of the accordion family of instruments.
Peter was born in the U.S. on March 4, 1964, to parents recently
arrived from Italy. His earliest memories are of Italian music played on
an accordion, and he insists that by age three, he was certain of his
life's work. When he was five, his Mother and Father finally allowed him
to begin lessons.
He used a piano accordion, which is to Americans the most familiar
accordion type. He discovered jazz as a youth, using as mentors both
accordion jazz greats such as Art Van Damme and Leon Sash, and also great
musicians such as Davis, Bird, and Diz. He quickly broadened his horizons
to include classical music of many composers; he has deepened his
classical ambitions and skills over the intervening years so that his
chief musical interests now are classical.
By age
sixteen he began to enter international accordion competitions and quickly
learned the limitations of his instrument. The piano accordion had been
superseded by an instrument called the bayan, which was being
used by most of his competitors. So Peter, with the coaching and support
of his instructor, Lana Gore, decided to switch instruments. This meant
relearning both the left and the right hand keyboards and adding 50% more
range for the right hand and 300% more for the left. The bayan enabled
Peter to extend his repertoire to include compositions which were
impossible to play on a piano accordion.
And, of course, Peter Soave returned to Europe playing a bayan and
swept the competitions. Four times.
Peter Soave has
long been fascinated and inspired by the innovative compositions of
Argentinean Astor Piazzolla. He arranged Piazzolla's music for his bayan,
performed it at every opportunity and included two Piazzolla selections on
his first CD, Pride and Passion. Recently Soave decided to interpret
Piazzolla as authentically as possible and is now performing with the
tango accordion called the bandoneón, the instrument Piazzolla used.
Peter performs extensively in both the United States and Europe. His
recent schedule included concerts with the Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Phoenix
and Detrois symphonies and with the Ohio Chamber Orchestra. He has
completed a recording of the Piazzolla "Tango Sensations" with the Klima
String Quartet of Zagreb and a recording of the Piazzolla "Concerto for
Bandoneón and Orchestra" with the Moscow Philharmonic.
Peter believes that musical ability is a gift given to us by a greater
force. He was blessed, he says, with more than an average amount of that
gift and he is extremely thankful that it was recognized and nurtured in a
positive manner. More and more international critics recognize Peter Soave
not only as a unique talent in the concert field but also as the premier
bandoneón and accordion virtuoso in the world.
