"Betty Jo's musicianship is outstanding."
- The Accordionaires
"Flawlessly fast fingering, heartwarming personality, skillful presentation, friendly informality...awesome to hear, and obviously stunningly beautiful to see!"
- The Milwaukee Accordion Club
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For Inquiries Contact Betty Jo Simon 10349 Century Lane Overland Park, KS 66215-2201 Phone: (913) 888-4706 email: wbsimon@earthlink.net |
MIDI Accordionist
Betty Jo Simon brings endless enthusiasm to the stage for any occasion. A vivacious performer who enjoys intimate concert settings where she can talk with her audience, Betty Jo has a wide repertoire from which to choose. Her favorite? "Around the World with the MIDI Accordion."
She enjoys performing classical music the most, but she loves the schmaltzy stuff too and still likes to play as a strolling musician.
Her musical aptitude and love for the accordion appeared early. As a high school student, she became the first accordionist to win the instrumental division of the Youth Talent Auditions of the Topeka Civic Symphony. Betty Jo earned a Bachelor of Music in Accordion Performance from the University of Missouri--Kansas City (UMKC), where she played the world premiere of Paul Creston's Fantasy for Accordion and Orchestra with the UMKC Civic Orchestra.
She participated in USO tours to Greenland, Newfoundland, Labrador and Germany, and did a two-year stint with Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. Betty Jo now performs as a soloist throughout the United States and internationally. In 2000 she appeared on a Chinese satellite TV musical variety program aired on Chinese New Year and went on to give concerts in Beijing and Shanghai. In 2007 she won the Maddalena Belfiore Entertainment Competition for Female Accordionist and currently leads a German polka band called The Alpen Spielers. In August 2009 she performed as soloist with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra at three different venues, one being the opening concert of the 64th Annual Coupe Mondiale. (World Championship Accordion Competition)
Betty Jo has been performing with a Baldoni MIDI accordion for many years now.
Her accordion has been equipped with MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface,
which is driven by computer technology. The MIDI device combines the beautiful tones
of the acoustical accordion with the authentic orchestral sounds of the Roland U-220
sound module in a marriage of old and new that astounds all audiences.She strives to project a positive image of the accordion through her concerts and hope to encourage others to take up the instrument by demonstrating its versatility using MIDI technology.
Albums
Repertoire
- Classical
- Standards
- Polkas
Leads Ensembles In
- German
- French
- Celtic
- Latin
- Cajun
- Mariachi
Occasions
- Concerts
- Parties
- Festivals
- Conventions
- Retirement Communities
 CD $15 USD |
Musically Yours
Tour of the Emerald Isle: Kerry Dance, Irish Washer Woman,Garry Owens, Danny Boy, The Rakes of Mallow, The Girl I Left Behind Me, Sailor's Hornpipe - (Traditional)
Begin the Beguine - Cole Porter/arr. Galla-Rini
12th Street Rag - E.L. Bowman/arr. Magnante
Nuit Blanche - Privat & Hotellier
The Rosary - E. Nevin/arr. Galla-Rini
Take Ten - Frank Marocco
The Harmonious Blacksmith - G.F. Handel/arr. D. Balestrieri
French Medley: Love Is Like a Violin, Domino, C'est Si Bon,La Vie en Rose, Poor People of Paris, The Can Can - (Traditional) arr. Galla-Rini
The Holy City - S. Adams/arr. Galla-Rini
An American in Paris - G. Gershwin/arr. Galla-Rini
String of Pearls - Glenn Miller/arr. Chuck Berger
Malaguena - E. Lecuona/arr. Galla-Rini
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - D. Raye & H. Prince |
 CD $15 USD |
Mamma Mia
Italian Medley: Come Back to Sorrento, Finiculi Finicula, O Sole Mio, Ciribiribin - arr. Galla-Rini
Espana Cani - Marquina/Palmer-Hughes
Medley of Strauss Waltzes: Blue Danube Waltz, Die
Fledermaus, Tales From the Vienna Woods - arr. Palmer-Hughes
The Entertainer - Joplin/Schuller
French Medley: Under Paris Skies - Giraud & Drejac,La Vie en Rose - Louiguy & Piaf/Galla-Rini
Hillbilly Concerto: Orange Blossom Special - RouseHora Staccato - Dinicu-Heifetz/Galla-Rini
Dance of the Comedians - Smetana/Magnante
Dark Eyes - arr.Palmer-Hughes
The Lord's Prayer - Malotte/Galla-Rini
Czardas - Monti/Palmer-Hughes
Dicitencello Vuie - Falvo & Fusco/Galla-Rini
Bolero - Ravel/Galla-Rini
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2010 Public Performance Schedule
- May 23 - UMKC Community Accordion Orchestra Concert, White Recital Hall, Center for the Performing Arts, UMKC (2:30 p.m.)
- June 5 - Old Shawnee Days Parade on Shawnee German-American Club float and afterwards at Rolli Bolli Park (9:30 am to 1 p.m.)
- September 18 - St. Thomas Moore Church Spaghetti dinner, 124th & Wornall Rd, KC, MO (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.)
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