Anthony Galla-Rini facts for kids

Anthony Galla-Rini (born January 18, 1904 – died July 30, 2006) was a famous American accordion player. He also arranged music, wrote songs, conducted orchestras, wrote books, and taught others. Many people believe he was the first American accordionist to show that the accordion could be a serious concert instrument.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Anthony Galla-Rini was born in Manchester, Connecticut. He was the third of seven children in an Italian immigrant family. His father, John, started teaching Anthony to play the cornet when he was just four years old.

At that young age, Anthony also began performing on the Vaudeville circuit with his family's band. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment show with different acts, like music, comedy, and dancing. Anthony's first performance was playing "Casey Jones" on the cornet. Around this time, he also learned to play the accordion, which was a three-row button instrument back then.

Anthony performed in Vaudeville shows for twenty years. During this time, he learned to play 11 different woodwind and brass instruments. He also studied music theory, which includes harmony and counterpoint, and learned how to conduct operatic and symphonic orchestras. He traveled all over the United States with his family. They performed alongside famous Vaudeville stars like Mae West, The Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, and Eddie Cantor.

When Anthony was twelve, his sisters stopped performing with the family act. This made his accordion playing even more important, as his father played many different instruments. It was then that Anthony realized the accordion was a complete musical instrument on its own. He decided to focus more on the accordion and eventually stopped playing all other instruments to concentrate on it.

A Career in Music and Teaching

In 1924, Anthony Galla-Rini left his father's Vaudeville act because of disagreements about money. He joined his sisters and formed a new act that lasted until 1932. Their act was very successful, earning them about $600 per week at its peak.

The Vaudeville era ended when movies with sound became popular. This meant Anthony's family had to find other types of work. Anthony decided to open an accordion studio in San Francisco. He became a well-known teacher, writing instruction books for the accordion and composing various pieces of music for the instrument.

In 1933, Anthony married Dina Petromilli. Their son, Ronald Pascal, was born three years later. Anthony later moved from California to New York City to be closer to music publishers. He ended up writing music for more than 30 different publishing companies.

Leading Accordion Organizations

Anthony Galla-Rini was a very important figure in the accordion world.

• In 1938, he was one of the first people to help start the American Accordionists' Association (AAA) in New York City. He was actually their very first member!
• He also founded the International Accordion Teachers' Guild (ATG) in Chicago in 1941. He served as the President Emeritus (an honorary president for life) of this society throughout his career.
• Additionally, Galla-Rini was a Vice-President of the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA). This organization is a member of the United Nations' International Music Council (IMC).

Composing and Performing

In 1941, Galla-Rini composed his first major work for the accordion, the Accordion Concerto in G Minor (No. 1). He performed it for the first time with the Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra on November 15, 1941. Since then, this concerto has been performed more than 39 times in the United States, and also in England, Finland, Norway, and Canada.

A Swedish accordionist named Jörgen Sundeqvist, who was taught by Galla-Rini, recorded this concerto. It was released on a CD in 2005.

In 1942, Galla-Rini moved back to California and started teaching accordion again. He joined a rumba band that played at the Trocadero on Sunset Boulevard. This led to invitations to record music for Hollywood movies. He played in many films, including Rhapsody in Blue, High Noon, and The Gunfighter.

Over the next ten years, he performed in concert tours across the United States. In 1950, he also toured England, Scotland, Norway, and Sweden, taking his family with him.

In 1951, he represented the ATG at a big meeting in Paris, which led to the ATG becoming a member of the CIA. In 1958 and 1959, he performed as a special guest artist at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Later Life and Recognition

In 1968, Dina Galla-Rini, Anthony's first wife, passed away. Three years later, Anthony married Dolly Cortella. They were married until she passed away at the age of 101.

In 1975, the President of Italy gave him the title of "Cavalier of the Star of Solidarity." This was to recognize his efforts in strengthening the cultural connections between Italian and American people. It also honored his interest in helping the Italian accordion grow in America. Galla-Rini was also the first person to be included in the ATG Hall of Fame on his 99th birthday in 2003.

He continued to compose music, creating "Accordion Concerto No. 2 in E minor" in 1976. This concerto was written for the free-bass system, a special type of accordion. In 1983, he composed "Sonata in D minor" for accordion.

Legacy and Impact

Anthony Galla-Rini passed away in a hospital in Corona, California, at the age of 102. His amazing career as a professional accordionist lasted for 98 years, and he taught the accordion for more than 74 years.

He arranged hundreds of musical pieces for accordion groups, orchestras, and solo players. He also played a huge part in developing the modern accordion. He helped improve the treble and bass parts of the instrument and helped standardize the Stradella bass system on the accordion. His work helped make the accordion a respected and versatile instrument in the world of music.