SOLO ACCORDIONIST

  • Solo accordion
  • Ensemble combinations
  • Recordings for various artists
  • Accordion Master Classes
  • International Jury Member.
  • Lecturer at UCT (University of Cape Town) for  Classical Accordion
  • ** Delegate for the Confederation Mondial de L’Accordeon South Africa since 1990.** Brand Ambassador of the National Eisteddfod Academy South Africa 2015.
  • ** Honorary Fellowship from the London College of Music (University of West London) based on Life Time Professional Achievement. 2017

Contact: email

sergiozampolli@gmail.com

sergio.accordionhubsa@gmail.com

CELL: (27) 83 302 3113

TEACHER

I teach only the piano accordion.

By appointment weekdays & weekends in Randburg (Johannesburg).

Accordion Lessons on SKYPE. Skype address : sergio_zampolli

SOLO ACCORDION

I was born in Italy and started playing the accordion at the age of nine.

 

Date of Birth: 10.4.1944 Ozzano Monferrato (Alessandria) Italy

“65 Successful years of Musical Achievements apart from by Professional Career.

 

Accordion Achievements:

1957 South African Junior Accordion Champion (Classic).

1958 South African Senior Accordion Champion (Classic).

1961 South African Advanced Duet Champion (Light Music).

1975 – 1990 Frequent Artist on National Television and Radio (SABC -South African Broadcasting Corporation).

1980 SABC Artes Nomination for best light music performance.

1990 SABC Artes Nomination for best light music performance.

1992 Jury Member 42nd CMA (Confederation Mondial de L’Accordeon) Recanati Italy.

1994 Started the hitherto unique combination of MIDI Accordion and Harp Duet with my wife

and made 120 arrangements for this combination and 4 CD’s.

1994 Jury Member 44th CMA (Confederation Mondial de L’Accordeon) Alassio Italy.

1998 Nominated for Best Instrumental Performance at the SAMA Awards.

2002 Jury Member 52nd CMA (Confederation Mondial de L’Accordeon) Belluno Italy.

2002 Invited to contribute my Hand impression in clay (now in Gold leaf) in Recoaro Italy at the

Museum of World Famous Accordionists.

2012 Started with my wife Amarillie Ackermann a Music School “Music at your Fingertips”

which includes the Accordion.

2015 Awarded the title of Brand Ambassador of the National Eisteddfod Academy, for the

exceptional contribution to the encouragement of young musicians in South Africa.

2017 Awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the London College of Music (University of West

London) based on life time professional achievement.

2017 Created in conjunction with my wife an Accordion Syllabus for the London College of

Music Examinations.

2019 Nominated by “Accordion and World’s Best Contemporary Accordionists 2019”.

The world’s 100 most liked & most popular accordionists (Times Square Press New

York – Stars Illustrated Magazine).

2019 World Ranked #5. By the International Vote: Accordionist of the year 2019 (Times Square

Press New York – Accordion Stars Illustrated Magazine).

2019 Top 50 Ambassadors Accordion Leaders Round the Globe 2019 (Times Square Press

New York – Accordion Stars Illustrated Magazine).

2019 Jury Member 69th CMA (Confederation Mondial de L’Accordeon) Loulé – Algarve –

Portugal.

2019 Nominate for Life Achievement Award and Inducted into the Hall of Fame 2019 (Times

Square Press New York – Accordion Stars Illustrated Magazine).

2020 Jury Member PIF (International Accordion Prize  Castelfidardo Italy)via virtual Streaming from Johannesburg (South Africa)

2020 Jury Member 70th CMA (Confederation Mondial de L’Accordeon France) via virtual Streaming from Johannesburg  (South Africa)

2020 Jury Member PIF (International Accordion Prize  Castelfidardo Italy)via virtual Streaming from Johannesburg (South Africa)

2021 Jury Member British College of Accordionists International Online Anniversary Festival & National Graded Solo Competition. Streaming from Johannesburg  (South Africa)

2021 Jury Member Accordion Star International – The First US International Festival / Competition. Streaming from Johannesburg  (South Africa)

2021 Jury Member 1st. National Accordion and Bellow Instrument Competition Turkey. Streaming from Johannesburg  (South Africa)

2021 Jury Member 12th Italia Award World Accordion Contest 2021. Streaming from Johannesburg (South Africa)

2021 Jury Member 70th CMA (Confederation Mondial de L’Accordeon) Streaming from Johannesburg  (South Africa)

2022 Jury Member Accordion Star International – The 2nd US International Festival / Competition. Streaming from Johannesburg  (South Africa)

2022  UCT University of Cape Town Lecturer for Classical accordion.

 

** Delegate for the Confederation Mondial de L’Accordeon South Africa since 1990.

** Brand Ambassador of the National Eisteddfod Academy South Africa 2015.

** Honorary Fellowship from the London College of Music (University of West

London) based on Life Time Professional Achievement. 2017

THE ACCORDION

The Accordion has always been my passion, but my profession has been in Sales and Marketing – 25 years in the Airline Industry and up to now in the Industrial, Mining and Electronic/Telecommunications markets. In 2010 I started a concerted effort to revive the Accordion in South Africa through Radio Media, concerts, folklore and whatever available promotion channels that can help the cause. Interested enthusiasts are encouraged to join the Accordion South Africa Page on Facebook. Since the beginning of 2010, I have been trying to develop a School of Accordion with associated teachers in South Africa, to back up the efforts of the “Accordion Drive”. I am the South African representative for the Confédédation Mondiale de l’Accordéon.

ENSEMBLE COMBINATIONS

SALON MUSIC

In recent years, I have frequently performed and recorded CDs with leading South African artist. I have performed at various Art Festivals, theatres and also at private functions.

ENSEMBLE COMBINATIONS – SALON MUSIC

Thanks to Salon Music, Director Willem Vogel who made arrangements to introduce the Accordion in the Salon Music Ensembles. This helped very much with the promotion of the Accordion as a classical instrument and popular French–Gypsy genre of music.

Some of the CD recording are available from Salon Music:

  • Boulevard Café (with Federico Freschi as Baritone)
  • Gypsy Fiddle (with Violinist Gina Beukes as soloist)
  • Viennese Violin (with Violinist Michael Snyman as soloist)
  • Café Society 2
  • Celebration – Salon Music 15 Years DVD
  • Echo of Paris (French Café Songs) (with Camille Favre-Bulle)
  • The French boy Sings (French Café Songs) ( with Benjamin Falletto).

I played the accordion in the ensemble of arrangements made by Willem Vogel of Salon Music.

UNIQUE COMBINATION

DUO 2000

I have formed a unique Duo 2000 with Harpist Amarillie Ackermann. Our repertoire now comprises 120 arrangements (our own) of popular classical works including one full harp concerto – Amarillie plays the harp and I play the orchestral accompaniment with a MIDI-Digital Accordion.In addition to Amarillie’s concerto, she has learned the piano reduction of my accordion concerto, then she accompanies this for me on the piano. We can have a double concerto programme. We have been performing together regularly, in ± 300 concerts and we still continue to make arrangements, learn new repertoire, and perform older repertoire all over South Africa, and at various Arts Festivals as well as private concerts and functions.We have been requested to have a series of concerts on the island of La Reunion in latter part of 2020 to coincide with a La Reunion Music Festival.

HIGHLIGHTS

A FEW EXCEPTIONAL OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LIFE

  • 1957 South African Junior Accordion Champion (Classic)
  • 1958 South African Senior Accordion Champion (Classic).(14 years old)
  • 1975 – 1990 Frequent Artist on National Television and Radio (SABC -South African Broadcasting Corporation).
  • 1980 SABC Artes Nomination for best light music performance.
  • 1990 SABC Artes Nomination for best light music performance.
  • 1999 – Orchestra member for the Three Tenors (Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti), during their Bravo Africa! Concert, at the Union Buildings, Pretoria.
  • 2000 – Duke of Edinburgh Awards Dinner with Duo 2000 performing as artists for Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, at the Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg.
  • 2002 I was invited to give an impression of my hand in clay at the Hall of Fame of the Accordion Museum in Recoaro, Italy.
  • 2009 – I performed the Pietro Deiro Concerto in A Minor for Accordion with the Rand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bernard Wozny, three times.
  • 2010 – Guest artist with Duo 2000 at the St David’s Day concert of the Welsh Male Voice Choir of Africa, at the Linder Auditorium in Johannesburg
  • 2010 – Guest artist with Duo 2000 at the Music in the Mountains Festival with the Drakensberg Boys Choir, Rina Hugo (soprano) and JP Malan (cellist)
  • From 20 – 31 July 2010 – I had the pleasure of playing the accordion in a Jacques Brel Show in the Brooklyn Theatre in Pretoria, together with veteran Jacques Brel, singers Jannie du Toit, Laurika Rauch and pianist Christa Steyn.
  • 2010 – Started the campaign of the “Revival” of the Accordion in South Africa.
  • 2011 – First Accordion Stravaganza Concert in conjuction with World Accordion Day (endorsed by UNESCO), held at the Brooklyn Theatre, Menlo Park, Pretoria – a great success for the accordion in South Africa.
  • 2012 – Continuation with the Accordion “Revival” in South Africa. I established websites for Accordion players and enthusiasts on Internet and Facebook pages with over 110 000 hits per annum.
  • 2015: Winners (gold medalists) of the NEA (National Eisteddfod Academy) competition with his violin-recorder-accordion combination – it was the first time the accordion was seen in the NEA in South Africa.
  • 2015: Awarded the title of Brand Ambassador of the National Eisteddfod Academy, for his exceptional contribution to the encouragement of young musicians in South Africa. This is an exceptional award, which was only awarded to one other person before him – Mimi Coertse, the most famous South African coloratura-soprano.  He is the 2nd Brand Ambassador of the NEA.
  • 2017: Category winner in the Finals of the National Eisteddfod Acadamy, in the category: Accordion Duet – Open Section, together with his pupil.
  • 2017: Awarded an honorary Fellowship from the London College of Music (University of West London), based on life time professional achievement.
  • Accordion Syllabus which was accepted and released World Wide by London College of Music (University of West London). This was achieved in conjunction with the help of Amarillie Ackermann (my wife).

  • 2019 Nominated by “Accordion and World’s Best Contemporary Accordionists 2019”. The world’s 100 most  liked & most popular accordionists (Times Square Press New York – Stars Illustrated Magazine).

  • 2019 World Ranked #5. By the International Vote: Accordionist of the year 2019 (Times Square Press New York – Accordion Stars Illustrated Magazine).

  • 2019 Top 50 Ambassadors Accordion Leaders Round the Globe 2019 (Times Square Press New York – Accordion Stars Illustrated Magazine).

  • 2019 Jury Member 69th CMA (Confederation Mondial de L’Accordeon) Loulé – Algarve – Portugal.

  • 2019 Nominate for Life Achievement Award and Inducted into the Hall of Fame 2019 (Times Square Press New York – Accordion Stars Illustrated Magazine).

  • 2020  STARS ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE. The New York World Music Awards (NYWMA) are granted each year by the Federation of American Musicians, Singers and Performing Artists Incorporated (FAMSPA) to individuals who have meaningfully contributed to the world of music:
    • Duo of the year, category accordion and another instrument: Duo 2000 (South Africa)
    • Musician of the year: Sergio Zampolli (South Africa)
    • Music Life Achievement award: Sergio Zampolli (South Africa)

     

  • 2021 Man of the Year: Contribution to the Accordion) Sergio Zampolli (South Africa)From Anna Cordoba, managing editor, Accordion Stars Magazine, New York. The Editorial Board and writers of Accordion Stars magazine choice of the 2021 accordion personalities of the year.
  • 2022 Lecturer for Classical accordion at UCT University of Cape Town

       

** Delegate for the Confederation Mondial de L’Accordeon South Africa since 1990.

** Brand Ambassador of the National Eisteddfod Academy South Africa 2015.

** Honorary Fellowship from the London College of Music (University of West

London) based on Life Time Professional Achievement. 2017