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Gentle Giant of the Accordion World – Dr. Carmelo Pino By Joan Grauman, AAA Historian With contributions by Stella Allison, Tomasczek Bednarek, Manny Bobenrieth, Faithe Deffner, Dr. Helmi Harrington, and Joan Singer. I would like to extend special thanks to Lou Coppola for sharing his photos of AAA events spanning several decades. This is a tribute to my treasured and creativity, continued to coach Carmelo until he could, as friend and accordion teacher, Dr. Rotelli encouraged, “study in New York with Charles Carmelo Pino. Although I studied Magnante”. with Carmelo for only one year, what In 1947, when Carmelo was 13 years old, an 18-year old I gained from his guidance is immea- accordionist, named Dick Contino, won first place in the surable. He molded me into a better “Horace Heidt/Philip Morris Talent Contest”, which was musician and a more confident broadcast live on national radio from Fresno, California. teacher, while keeping me entertained Carmelo’s family was glued to the radio when it was time with his delightful humor and with for Contino to play. Dick Contino’s skills motivated young fascinating stories of his life as a cel- accordionists all over the country. ebrated accordionist and composer. Carmelo was no exception. It was an Joan Grauman exciting day when Contino took the The Early Years grand prize of $5000 in the finals that were held in Washington, DC on Carmelo Pino, Jr. was born in the coal mining town of December 12, 1948. Months later, Kilsyth, West Virginia on October 25, 1934. Kilsyth was a Contino was back in Washington per- small, picturesque community of predominately Italian forming at the Capitol Theatre. immigrants. The youngest of five children, Carmelo’s earli- Carmelo’s sister, Penny, took her young est memories are of a very happy, nurturing home filled brother to this concert to see his “musi- with music. His father played guitar, one brother played the cal idol”, an event that Carmelo still clarinet, the other played violin, and his two sisters sang in vividly recalls as one of the highlights harmony. The community held weekly dances where his of his childhood. Carmelo age 12 family would play and sing with other local musicians. The young Carmelo would sit at his father’s feet absorbing the College Years at the Biviano Studio sounds of the guitar as he watched, with fascination, the A stellar student and athlete, as well as a fine musician, band’s accordionist. As a toddler blessed with a beautiful Carmelo received a full scholarship to Columbia University voice, Carmelo was encouraged to sing with the band, and in New York City at age 17. Charles Magnante was no later as a soloist in his elementary school. longer accepting private students, so he recommended that In 1943, Carmelo’s father, no longer able to work in the Carmelo study with his brother-in-law, the distinguished mines due to black lung disease, moved the family to accordionist, Joe Biviano. Washington, DC, where he worked in the Navy Yard. Biviano was an innovative, motivat- Carmelo, now nine years old, began studying the accordion ing teacher, a fine soloist, and a with Columbo Rotelli, a close friend of the Pino family. “mover and shaker” in the accordion Carmelo immediately took to the accordion. He remembers world. He founded the first accordion his first recital very well. He had been studying for about orchestra, the “Accordion Symphony eight months and had prepared a recital piece. Two days Society of New York”, was one of the before the recital, he was given the sheet music for Tico founders of the American Tico. When Carmelo arrived at the studio, he asked if he Accordionists’ Association in 1938 could play Tico Tico as his recital piece. A shocked Mr. (as was Charles Magnante), and was Rotelli pointed out to Carmelo that he didn’t even bring his staff accordionist for several of the sheet music. “”I have it memorized”, said the young boy. major broadcasting companies. Carmelo played Tico Tico flawlessly at the recital. (Note: Carmelo thrived at the Biviano stu- He has been performing Tico Tico ever since that memo- Joe Biviano dio. A strict teacher, Biviano – whom rable day. In 2006, he recorded his brilliant, playful ca. 1948 Carmelo describes as his “musical arrangement, Tico Tico with an Attitude with a quintet on his godfather” – required his students to practice four hours CD, “Carmelo, Celebrating the Accordion”.) daily, which Carmelo did while taking 18 credit hours and By the end of the first year of his accordion studies, working daily in his fraternity’s kitchen at Columbia. The Carmelo had decided that he would pursue music as his atmosphere at the Biviano studio on 48th Street in career. Before long, his musical skills had exceeded those Manhattan was pure magic in Carmelo’s eyes, as it was of his teacher. Mr. Rotelli, amazed at his student’s talents always filled with students and fine musicians from as far as Gentle Giant of the Accordion World – Dr. Carmelo Pino page 2 Canada. It was here that he met Charles Magnante and Maryland. While raising a family, other well-known accordionists who regularly played for he taught accordion, conducted CBS, ABC, NBC, and in Broadway productions. Carmelo accordion ensembles, composed befriended Tony Mecca, an excellent musician and fellow and arranged, and joined the cele- student of Biviano’s. Tony, the concertmaster, and Carmelo brated “Gene Donati Orchestra”, shared a music stand for many years in Joe Biviano’s playing at events from weddings to “Accordion Symphony Society of New York”, performing the White House. During his 45- regularly to packed houses in the famous New York City year tenure with the Donati orches- Town Hall. tra, he performed for every presi- In his fourth year at Columbia University, Carmelo took a dent from Lyndon B. Johnson to course in music composition. He loved it, and this course, George W. Bush. taught by famous modern composer, Otto Luening, changed In 1964, Carmelo, along with his his life. He began to compose modern music for the accor- good friends and fellow accordion teachers, dion. Carmelo’s first composition, Canto Scherzando, com- Lou Coppola and Rose-Marie Coppola, posed in October 1955, a challenging, bright piece in 3/4 founded the Accordion Association of time, was chosen by Charles Metropolitan Washington (AAMW). As its Magnante as the AAA test piece first president, Carmelo encouraged the for the U.S. virtuoso champi- organization to bring in guest performers, onship in the spring of 1956. such as Art Van Damme, Maddalena Johnny LaPadula won that year Belfiore, Charles Magnante, and Julie and went on to win the 1956 Kasprzyk (Cardona), and to sponsor local Coupe Mondiale. Carmelo pre- competitions for the area’s students. This miered was a thriving organization for many years. Canto In 1978, members of AAMW included 24 Scherzando accordion teachers from Maryland, Virginia, at Mount and Washington, DC. Saint In 1965, the AAA’s publication, Accordion Horizons, fea- Vincent tured Carmelo in its section called, “Conning the ‘Pros’”: College in New York earlier that year. Shortly The United States can be proud of its young generation of thereafter, Carmelo composed Sonata accordionists. One of her finest is Carmelo Pino. Carmelo, No. 1, subsequently renamed Sonata Pietro Deiro who is not only active as a composer and instrumentalist Publications, (performing both as a soloist and member of the Accordion Moderne. This was the first sonata writ- 1956 ten for the accordion. Symphony Society of N.Y.), is the director of the Biviano School of Music in Washington, D.C. Mr. Pino has just Late 1950s to 1965 completed a series of performances with the National Symphony Orchestra. On March 26th, 28th, and 29th, Mr. Within a week of his graduating with a special commenda- Pino performed with the opera “Natalia Petrovna,” an tion in music from Columbia, Carmelo accepted a commis- sion as an officer in the U.S. Navy, a position he held for two years. During this time, he continued to compose accordion music. He realized the importance of creating serious music for the accordion, because, in Carmelo’s words (quoted from an article he wrote at age 23 for the publication, Accordion and Guitar World), “... no matter how technically perfect an instrument may be, it will artis- tically be worth only what the music being performed is worth, since the music is the vehicle by which the instru- ment displays its expressive ability.” Theresa Costello of O. Pagani Publishers recognized the young composer’s tal- ents and went to work publishing and promoting his “mod- ern compositions”. O. Pagani featured Carmelo in half- page advertisements in the Accordion and Guitar World magazine, published by John Gerstner, in the late 1950s. Carmelo returned to the Washington, DC area at the end of his Naval commission and opened his music school, Carmelo and his beloved Titano “Emperor” with conductor, “Carmelo Pino’s Biviano School of Music” in Silver Spring, Placido Domingo Gentle Giant of the Accordion World – Dr. Carmelo Pino page 3 opera in two acts. The program, presented by the Opera L’Accordéon in France. Carmelo was invited to France for Society of Washington, was heard at the Lisner Auditorium, this event and proudly sat in the front row to listen as his George Washington University. composition was played by the Ensemble Instrumental de Concert Accordionist with Symphony Orchestras Strasbourg to a sold-out, cheering crowd. The Concertino for Accordion and Strings can be heard, with Carmelo on From the early 1960s through 2007, Carmelo played with accordion, on the CD, “Carmelo, Celebrating the the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as with many Accordion”.

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