Joseph Petric

Joseph Francis Petric BM, MA
Joseph Petric with Accordion (2018)
Background information
Born	(1952-10-08) October 8, 1952 (age 68) Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)	Concert Accordionist, Musicologist, Author, and Teacher
Instruments	Accordion
Years active	1979–present
Website	josephpetric.com

Joseph Francis Petric (b. October 8, 1952) is a Canadian concert accordionist, historian, author, and teacher.

Born in Guelph, Ontario and raised in Acton,^[1] his father took him to his first accordion lesson at age five. He continued informal studies with local teachers until 1968 when he entered Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music. After completing a Bachelor of Music at Queen's University at Kingston, he moved to Toronto in 1975 and completed a degree in musicology at the University of Toronto (1977). He settled in Toronto and gave official Washington (1986) and London (1986) concert debuts; these performances placed him on a trajectory to become the first concert accordionist to make his living solely from concertizing internationally. His commitment to the creation of new artistic equities for audiences and musicians arose from his understanding of the accordion as a post-colonial interpretive medium a perspective that allowed a rebalancing of the institutional and cultural power dynamics of the accordion art.

Formation[]

Education[]

Petric began his studies at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music (1968–77) and completed a Bachelor of Music at Queen’s University concurrently (1971–5). He subsequently achieved his Master of Arts in Musicology (1975–7) at the University of Toronto. Upon completion of his musicology degree in 1977, he studied performance privately at the Staatlich Hochschule für Musik Trossingen, West Germany with Hugo Noth, and jazz at Humber College Toronto (1981–2). Petric’s interpretations are informed by his study of the ideolitic nature of classical instruments, such as in early music and authentic instrument performance practice. Supported by a Canada Council Senior Artists B Grant, Petric studied interpretation with early music instrumentalist Leslie Huggett (1992–8), harpsichordist Colin Tilney (1997–2010), and Haydn forte pianist Boyd McDonald (2009–15).^[2]

Technique[]

While Petric’s career operates on the margins of institutional traditions, his predilection and respect for the humanities and musical precursors informed his use of the accordion as a “decoder” of diverse musical languages.^[3] One example of this is Petric’s unique accordion sound production modelled on classical Italian operatic technique using the lower, middle, and upper body. Perfected between 1977 and 1985, this technique garnered instant critical acclaim by Canadian and international media.^[4]

Repertoire[]

Commissions[]

Commissioning new works has been a salient focus throughout Petric’s career, and to date his list of commissions includes more than 330 works.^[5] In addition to creating new equities with emerging and established composers, these works are among the earliest examples of the accordion’s post-colonial de-codings.^[6] Between 1986 and 2004 these included pieces with electronic platforms for new music societies—many of which were performed in programs curated for general audiences years before their widespread use in concert halls. They include innovative computer stochastic programming, live digital delay systems, electroacoustic CD playback, interactive software, sound processing, techno-chamber, live computer systems, and MAC patch software developed with members of the Canadian electroacoustic community are all present in Petric’s commissions. His collaborators included the Canadian Electronic Ensemble, ACREQ, the McGill Electronic Studio Montreal (with composers Bengt Hambraeus and Alcides Lanza), and the University of British Columbia Electronic Music Studio, among others.^[7]

Petric is the first accordionist to embrace the idea of a concerto-led career. His 20 concerto commissions are unique in the canon for their unprecedented diversity of musical languages and resultant artistic equities. These include concerti by Peter Paul Koprowski (1994), Howard Skempton (1996), Brian Current (2009), Denis Gougeon (2004), Omar Daniel (1998), and David Mott (2019).^[3]

Re-Creations[]

Informed by his musicological training and innovative technique, re-creation through adaptation and palimpsest have been an integral part of Petric’s post-colonial career trajectory.^[8] This was the result of a personal ethic that destabilized hierarchical distinctions between ancient and new music, which was welcomed by contemporary audiences’ demands to experience the old and the new at the same time.^[9] Working from the peripheries of vernacular and classical traditions, the “decoder accordion” iss Petric’s artistic medium of choice to reimagine musical works across vast temporal and cultural expanses.^[10] Petric has integrated his “re-telling” of works by Jean-Philippe Rameau, Domenico Scarlatti, Antonio Soler, Johann Sebastian Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Maurice Ravel, and Béla Bartók into carefully curated programs with new commissions for general audiences.^[2]

Performing Arts[]

Petric’s performance career began within the cultural and conservatory contexts of the accordion. By the early 1980s it was clear that his performances had moved beyond orthodox traditions and his work had entered a distinctly post-colonial trajectory, forming a decentered concert art that draws inspiration from a diversity of sources.^[11] This transformative period included the mastery of multiple musical “languages,” among them: free improvisation, comprovisation, electroacousticism, multi-media, theatrical works, and the emerging “languages” of techno-chamber (with computer and software), the post-colonial concerto, and the demands of rhetoric in the art of palimpsest.^[12]

Touring[]

Petric’s touring schedule has brought him to festivals and concert halls across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Touring was an important platform to launch his new artistic equities. His performances have been welcomed at prestigious venues like IRCAM (Paris), Tanglewood Music Festival, Kennedy Center, The Berlin Philharmonic Chamber Music Hall, Disney Centre, Israeli Opera at Tel Aviv, Jerusalem Festival, and Tokyo Spring.

In Canada, Petric has also performed at The Music Gallery, Quebec Contemporary Music Society, Montreal New Music Festival, Musique Actuelle SRC, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, McGill Festival, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Festival Bic (St. Fabien Québec), Québec New Music Festival, VICTO Festival (Victoriaville, Québec), Upstream Concerts (Halifax, Nova Scotia), Winnipeg New Music Festival,Newfoundland Sound Symposium, and the Vancouver New Music Society. International venues include the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK), De Yjsbrekker (Amsterdam), MusikHaus (Vienna), Siljan Festival (Sweden), Hohenems Schubertiade, Belfast Festival, and Bournemouth Festival.

His extensive tours from 1991 to 2011 included numerous return engagements across Canada, Europe, and Scandinavia with Musique Royale, Debut Atlantic, Encore Atlantic, Prairie Debut, John Lewis Partnership (UK), Jeunesses Musicales, Columbia Artists USA, and Sweden’s Reikskonzerter and Camerata Roman. In 2019, he gave performances with tenor Christopher Pregardien and Pentaèdre at Wigmore Hall and Manchester Northern College of Music.^[2]

Artistic Management[]

Petric’s extensive touring has been facilitated by the concurrent support of international managements from 1986 to 2011 including MGAM Toronto, RCPA Toronto, Columbia Artists New York City, Sarah Turner Communications Paris, and NCCP London. During this period Petric gave 50 to 75 concerts annually. By 2018 Petric began an informal collective with graphic designers, marketing directors, and musicians in a re-launch of artistic equities that reflect contemporary realities to address decolonization and the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2]

Discography[]

Petric’s discography includes 34 titles on Naxos, Chandos Records, Musica Viva, CBC5000 Series, Analekta, Astrila, Centrediscs, and ConAccord labels. Among these, Euphonia (2002) is notable for being the first album in recorded accordion repertoire to feature works solely by female identifying composers, including Rose Bolton, L.C. Smith, Micheline Roi, Jocelyn Morlock, and Janika Vandervelde. In 2021 he recorded Music for Self-Isolation on CMC Centrediscs with composer Frank Horvath and 24 Canadian musicians at Roy Thomson Hall (Toronto). Documentary and video concerts include appearances with France’s TV5, Array Music, and NUMUS Canada.^[2] See Petric's website for his complete discography and select audio recordings; video recordings can be found on his YouTube channel.

Correspondence & Other Ideas[]

• 1980: Petric begins correspondence with John Cage and David Tudor about their work with bandoneon, electronics, and the composer-interpreter relationship^[2]
• 1986: Petric informs Witold Lutosławski of his intention to de-code his Dance Preludes for accordion and clarinet; Lutowslawski agreed to the translation in a watershed correspondence that re-balanced the traditional composer / instrumentalist hierarchy^[2]
• 1990s: Petric explores sonic improvisations with Pauline Oliveros’ in an extension of her Deep Listening © concept^[13]

Research[]

Musicology[]

Petric’s book The Concert Accordion: Contemporary Perspectives (Augemus, 2017) introduced Giovanni Gagliardi’s 1911 Paris treatise Le Petit Manual de L’Accordéoniste (the accordionist’s equivalent to Couperin’s L'art de toucher le clavecin) to a global English readership. This publication includes the codification of 14 concert instrument patents filed between 1890 and 1930 by Italian builders near Milan, Catania, Croce St. Spirito, Paris, Geneva, Bolzano, Philadelphia, New York City, and Chicago. Petric’s research is also notable for populating accordion history with hundreds of unknown and deserving accordionist precursors active 1890 to 1960, while re-introducing Gagliardi’s sound production technique—one that is analogous to Baroque cello circular bowing—to contemporary accordionists.^[14]

Instrument Design[]

Petric is also active in instrument design research, prompted by acoustic challenges inherent to the accordion. His instrument design with Canadian builder Leo Niemi (1931–2021) included the first accordion with specially designed reed blocks that ensure heightened reed response and sound projection. This instrument also included violin-like sound posts for enhanced acoustic resonance in the largest concert halls more than a decade before similar techniques appeared in the 2002 Italian Pigini design. It also incorporated a scientifically researched and historically validated silicone-shellac mixture similar to that used by Stradivarius on the surfaces of his instruments.^[15]

Publications[]

• Petric, Joseph. The Concert Accordion: Contemporary Perspectives. Essen, Germany: Augemus Press, 2017. 328 pages.
• Petric, Joseph. The Holistic Accordion, a Manifesto: Fresh Perspectives of an Interpretive Art. Essen, Germany: Augemus Press, 2022. 55 pages.

Collaborations^[2][]

Set Ensembles[]

• Biarc2 (2019): accordion and clarinet duo, contemporary works with Martin Carpentier accordion and clarinet duo, contemporary works with Martin Carpentier
• Trio Diomira (2011): inclusive trio influenced by Indian, jazz, contemporary, and European classical traditions and texts, works by Dinuk Wijaratne
• Duo Contempera (2009): accordion and cello duo with David Hetherington
• Petric / Forget Duo (2002–11): accordion and oboe, works ancient and new
• Pentaèdre (2004–Present), Winterreise Project: Schubert’s Die Winterreise adapted for wind quintet by N. Forget; performances with Christoph Prégardien 
• Bellows and Brass (1999–Present): trio for accordion, trombonist Alain Trudel, and triple virtuoso and actor Guy Few; commissioned works, theatrical creations, multi-media works, live video and interactive electronics, new and ancient music
• Erosonic (1994–Present): accordion and baritone saxophone (David Mott); performing notated, com-provised, and electroacoustic works with staging, lighting and movement
• Petric / Penderecki Quartet(1994–Present): commissions, collaborations and recordings, with staging, electronics and narrations
• Deep Listening (1989–97): duo with Pauline Oliveros
• Open Line (1991–2000): duo with accordion and multiple instrumentalist Guy Few (trumpets, Corno da caccia, piccolo trumpets, concert pianist, and actor); tours in Canada and United States

Artistic Direction[]

• The Big Squeeze Accordion Festival (1991), Artistic Co-Director with Derek Andrews: 32 guest artists included Mogens Ellegaard, Friedrich Lips, Miny Dekkers, Pauline Oliveros, Flacko, Jimminez, El Jacquo di Jacqua; co-production with Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, CBC Radio, CBC Television, Ontario Arts Council, and Canada Council of the Arts.
• Virtuosi Series (1992), Artistic Director: series featuring contemporary Canadian composers and virtuosi for CBC national new music program “Two New Hours”; at [[Glenn Gould Theatre, Toronto
• Carte Blanche (2000), Artistic Director: live to air national broadcast for Societe Radio Canada at Salle Pierre Péladeau, Montreal
• Carte Blanche (2002), Artistic Director: live to air national broadcast for Societe Radio Canada at Cathédral de Sainte Trinité, Quebec City
• Accordion on Fire (2010), Artistic Director: concerti by Brian Current, Denis Gougeon, and Astor Piazzolla; performed with Victoria Symphony with Tania Miller
• Complete Berio Sequenzas (2013), Artistic Co-Director with David Hetherington: first complete Canadian staging of the Luciano Berio's Sequenzas with Berio’s original narrations of Sanguinetti’s poetry, fully staged, University of Toronto New Music Festival

String Ensembles[]

String trios and quartets have comprised a significance portion of Petric’s collaborative efforts. Composers Andrew Paul MacDonald (Quebec), Adrian Williams (UK), Yannick Plammondon (Quebec), and Éric Morin (Quebec) have had works premiered by Petric in collaboration with the Vanbrugh (Ireland) and Penderecki (Canada) Quartets. Combining traditional elements of the trio and quartet genres with modern styles, these premieres included strictly acoustic, electroacoustic, and theatrical works. Petric has also given premieres of works by Marjan Mozetich and Raymond Luedeke with the Amadeus and Adaskin Trios. Petric’s complete list of trio and quartet collaborators includes:

• Galliard Trio, 1982 (Canada)
• Amadeus Ensemble, 1982–93 (Canada)
• Duke Quartet, 1992–4 (England)
• RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet, 1994–2000 (Ireland)
• Penderecki Quartet, 1994–Present (Canada)
• Arriaga Quartet, 1996–8 (Belgium)
• Alcan Quartet, 1996–9 (Quebec)
• Milverton Quartet, 1997 (Canada)
• Adaskin String Trio, 2000–6 (Canada)
• Quatour St. Germaine, 2008–10 (Quebec)
• Silver Birch Quartet, 2011 (Canada)

Accomplishments[]

Awards[]

• CBC National Radio Auditions, Laureate (1980)
• BBC Radio3 Auditions, Laureate (1992): First accordionist laureate at BBC, London
• Ontario Arts Council, Hunter Prize for Best Recording (1999)                           
• JUNO nomination for Best Composition on CD Orbiting Garden (2002)
• Canadian Music Centre, Friend of Music Award (2005): First Canadian instrumentalist to receive the award for championing new Canadian composition
• Canadian Music Centre, Ambassador of Canadian Music (2009): Awarded on November 9 to recognize “50 in 50” for their contributions to Canadian Music
• Prix Opus Best Concert Québec (2008)
• Prix Opus Best Recording Québec (2010)
• UNESCO, International Music Council, Confédération internationale des accordéonistes; Merit Award (2013): Presented in Victoria, British Columbia for contributions to international accordion art

Funding[]

Petric’s work has garnered support from Koussevitsky Foundation NYC, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, QALC (Quebec Society of Arts and Letters), CBC Radio, Societé Radio Canada, Reikskonzerter (Sweden), Laidlaw Foundation (Toronto), and private benefactors Richard Moore and others in the USA and the UK.^[16]

Affiliations[]

• European Masterclasses, Lectures, Recitals: Royal Conservatories of Copenhagen (1986), Oslo (1986), Stockholm (1986), Helsinki (1986–91), Jyvaskylla (1986–91), Ikalliinen (1991), London (RAM, 1996), Maribor (2002), Amsterdam (2016), and the Staatlich Hochschule für Musik Trossingen (1977).
• Polish Masterclasses (2019): Conservatories of Katowice, Kraków, Gdańsk, Bydgoszcz, Poznań, and Nowy Targ
• French Masterclasses (2019): Conservatoire de Paris in Paris, Lille, Metz, Strasbourg, Normandy, Dunkirk, and Lyon
• Canadian Affiliations: Conservatory of Rimouski, Western Ontario Conservatory of Music (1977–8), Royal Hamilton College of Music(1977–80), Ontario Academy of Music (1980–90), University of Toronto Faculty of Music (2002–3, Jury Member for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree recitals), University of British Columbia, Vancouver (2004, guest lecturer), and University of Montreal (2020, sessional lecturer)

References[]