Featured Performers for March 15th Meeting

Sergei Teleshev is a professional accordion player from Eugene, Oregon living and performing in the United States since 1996. He has Ukrainian roots and spent part of his childhood in Ukraine. Classically trained at the Academy of Music in Voronezh, Russia, Sergei Teleshev has won many regional and international accordion competitions. Being a founding member and accordion player of Trio Voronezh, Classic Klezmer Trio, Valinor Quartet and East-West International Project, he collaborates with many internationally recognized artists, ensembles, and orchestras, composing and arranging music, participates in recording projects of different genres. Sergei’s personal YouTube channel (Sergei Teleshev) has more than two hundred music videos with his participation, and the most popular of them are gaining millions of views. Sergei is a jury member at International accordion competitions in Canada, USA, France, Italy, Russia and Ukraine. In 2013, Sergei won the U.S. National V-Accordion Competition. As the champion, Sergei represented the United States at the 7th Roland International V-Accordion Festival, in Rome, Italy, where he received a special prize for most online votes on the festival’s webcast. In July 2017 he won in two categories (Solo Open, and Ensemble) at the International Accordion Competition in Victoria, Canada. In May of 2020 Sergei Teleshev won two 3rd prizes in PIF Castelfidardo World Accordion Competition in Italy (Categories JAZZ Music, and Astor Piazzolla Music Award). In October 2020, Sergei was ranked #2 in the “International Open Trophy” World Accordion Contest in France. He is the organizer and the president of the most prestigious Accordion Competition-Festival “Accordion Star International” that brings together the best players and artists from all over the world (more than 30 countries were involved in 2021 and 2022 seasons). He was ranked #1 in Russia and #3 in the World as a most popular and influential Accordionist of the Year 2019 by “Accordion Stars Illustrated” Magazine, Time Press, New York. Sergei is providing online accordion lessons, master classes, and educational school programs for all ages.

Maria Telesheva was six years old when she started to play the accordion. Maria’s teacher is her father Sergei Teleshev. Two months after Maria started playing, she won her first International Competition. Since then, she has won Accordion and Vocal International Competitions in the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, Belarus and Ukraine. Maria’s talent is not limited to her exceptional duet and solo accordion performances. She’s also a talented singer. In November 2021, Maria got the title “Prodigy of the Year” and was selected to grace the cover of the “Accordion Stars Illustrated” Magazine, Time Press, New York (December/January Issue).