by Mirco Patarini

Mika Väyrynen is one of the very few accordion players who is a professional classic concert artist. His enormous repertory range over all musical ages, as showed by his recording production. Like every great artist he has a complex personality, a pure talent and an endless attitude to work. Not easily disposed to half-measures, not too friendly with persons who he consider overestimated, he is extremely correct and sincere whit his friends. He has been one of the firsts to leave the closed world of accordion to become an important element of global artists international community, perfectly integrated about quality and reputation in the Olimpo of great concert artists. Surely he is one of them who are marking his sign in the history of our days.

Mika, everybody in our public is very interested to know something about your history. How old you was when you started to play music, your first teacher, your first instrument, and your steps with different teachers and accademies…
Well, I was child when I started playing accordion. My first contact to it must have been when I was around 5-6 years old. In my childhood home we had one accordion. It was allready then old "Weltmeister" button accordion. In very bad condition: when playing, buttons was falling on the floor.
I played by ear at the beginning. Hearing piece and then playing it. I was pretty precise and was able to study Frosini, Deiro, Pihlajamaa etc. by ear in very early age. Perhaps strangest feature of my early days is that i was really never playing "beginners repertoire", but jumped right away to "real" pieces. Not very academic perspective - but when I think it over now, it was very good. It was probably kind of "self made Suzuki-system"...
Then it was time to begin to work with teacher. My first teacher was called Tapani Luojus. To me, he is most important figure of my musical life. He gave positive ideology, was exellent role-model and treated me absolutely correctly psychologically. I still keep in touch with him once in a while. First teacher is very important.
Later I had several teachers in Finland, namely: Vesa Vienola, Timo Kinnunen, Marjut Tynkkynen, Matti Rantanen etc. However, nobody of them can be named more important than other- and all of these relations was relatively short. I was short time in Conservatory of Tampere, and then went to Sibelius-Academy to Departement for Talented Children. Before entering there, I allready played pieces like Zolotarjovs 2nd Sonata, Kalina Krasnaja by Semjonow etc. At age of 12. Then later went to soloist departement of Sibelius-Academy, from where I graduated Masters Degree 1992. I played my soloist diploma already 1991. And later did one more academic degree, becoming Doctor of Music 1997. I also spended one year in Paris (1988-1989) studying under Max Bonnay. And served in Army 1987-1988. I was appointed Professor of Accordion (and head of accordion faculty) in Conservatory of Klagenfurt in Austria. I worked there from January 1994 until July 1996.

During your studies, had you a musician as exemple? Someone, accordion or other instrument player, who has been your model, who influenced your development and you orientation?
Well, I can not give any special credit to anybody in accordion world. There was accordionists whom I admired those days: Lips was important because of his neverending energy for new things, Semjonow touched my heart with his beautifull works, I liked work by Kuzjakow. Max Bonnay was important figure. Later Ellegaard also. And so on. But some organists, pianists, violinists got my attention: extraordinary finnish organist Markku Ketola (who passed away tragigally in accident) I listened a lot. Richter, Serkin, Menuhin... I listened "non-accordion music" allready when I was young.

You are one of very few professionale accordion artist, who is at the top level since 20 years. In other instruments as Piano or Violin there are much more, even if not are really top players. Why in your opinion this situation about accordion? We know many good talents who have been wonderfull for a few years, or less, and then disappeared.
Sometimes I think that searching for instant success is one factor what effects younger players. They have to get everything NOW, but they are not ready to it. Talent and fast fingers are not enough. Music is constant studying - lifetime project, as is violinmaking. Every day, year by year one has to develop, develop... If that attitude does not exist in person, one can feel empty one day. Asking questions: where to go now, what to learn, why...? After winning some accordion competition world is not opening. Only through long term work, stability of performances, intellect, technical skills, psychology, experience etc.one can develop. Everything in life takes time. Love for music is what I feel main reason one should have when playing . If that love is gone - nothing is left. Also, many people get frustrated because establishing career as accordionist is so difficult. They simply give up. But where would we be without Ellegaard, Noth, Lips, Semjonow, Bonnay...? It was not easy for them. But because some people have done things and not giving up, we, the next generation can go on. And so does generation after us.

The accordion, or bayan, has today many sytems in the world. This problem causes troubles to producers, composers, techers. In your opinion, we are going slowly in the direction of a standardization or the difference will remain for many years?
Difficult question. There are two answers: ideological and realistic. On ideological level, one or two systems should be enough. And realistic level, I think that systems are going to be such a mess as they used to be. B,C and A systems surely go on until end of world. Mixture of systems (B-system in right side, C-system in left etc) could be gone one day.

During the last few years you started to play the bandoneon. Can you explain why? Is it a choose to have more market as performer or a need to explore different gendre with a different sound?
Well, I dont think about "market" and let it effect choices of pieces, instruments etc. Everybody who knows me, knows that I am one of those persons who can not act against ones own principles. I planned to play bandoneon many years. I like tangomusic, and studied it long time. I just wanted to know how does it feel when playing on original sound. Now i know it, I played on bandoneon as soloist, with different ensembles, with orchestra. I will surely keep going on with bandoneon, but it should not effect usage of my time as accordionist. Accordion is my own instrument and profession, bandoneon is my hobby.

Do you play just accordion and bandoneon or also other instruments?
I studied organ at the academy, and can also play piano.

You rencently had a very special experience in Japan playing the Bach ‘Golberg Variations’ in sequence with a piano player and an harpsicord player (more?). What has been your feeling, and what has been the reaction of the public? 
Yes, I played in serie of Goldberg-variations in Tokyo Sumida Triphony Hall. Other soloists was pianists, cembalist and organist. (It was actually my 5th concert-trip to Japan.) Biggest japanese music magazines interviewed me before concert, and it got very good reviews in japanese press. Obviously audience liked it too - at least they applaused a lot...

Anatoly Kusjakov recently passed away, it has been a big loss for the accordion and for the music. His last composition has been the 7th Sonata for accordion solo, and it has been dedicated to you, and you alone have the score. All accordion world is waiting with impatience the ‘first’ of this work. Have you some plan?
Of course I do have plan to perform it soon. "Sonata nr.7- Misterium" is the full name of the Sonata. I got it allready early 2006. Then some very unfortunate things delayed me playing it. I broke disc in my spine in late summer 2006. I was waiting to be operated but fortunately did not have to. However, I was some months not able to practise properly. After being ok again at beginning 2007, I had huge amount of work, because I had to cancel many things while recovering. Every year I have to perform really big amount of music: several concertos, a lot chamber music, premieres, solo repertoires, bandoneon... So, after being ok there was pieces waiting - some of them had fixed dates for premieres (For example Concertos by Nordgren and Erkki-Sven Tuur). So, I had to play those pieces first.
Other thing was, that it was not easy to find good place to premiere it. I offered it to some accordion festivals and competitions, but surprizingly many said "no". One big competition in Germany refused, same happened in Russia, for example. Since it is Kuzjakows big piece (and now we know it is his last piece), I wanted to premiere it in big accordion event - so that as many professionals as possible can hear it right away.
To give it a good "birth". I will premiere Sonata nr. 7 at beginning of April this year in Netherlands. Then I perform it in London. I will keep it in my repertoire for long time, and will perform it anywhere wanted. In June I will perform it few times in Portugal. Then in Finland. It is great piece. I feel it is his musical last will. It is "misterium" - mystery of Kuzjakow. In some level he must have known that his time in this earth is becoming in its end.

You often say that one of big problems of accordion world is to be quite isolated from the general music world. In effect many accordion players feel to be in a kind of a ‘second quality’ level respect piano or stings. Your concerts, your collaborations, your musical life are steadily in contact with all kind of musicians and orchsters. How do you fell being accordionist?
I do not have problem with that. Actually, most of my collegues (other instrumentalists) treat me as one of them. Perhaps they respect my art, since I get regular invitations to festivals to play with them. Also some conductors treat me as real "musician", as does many composers. In my private time, I mostly contact with other instrumentalists - some of them are top musicians of world. I am really fortunate in that matter.

What advice would you give to a youngster wishing to take the same road, assuming he has the talent and the will to work?
No real advices. One has to find ones own way - nobody can help in that. I can just wish good luck.

What do you think of todays music? The main problem seems o be a lack of students, fewer children taking up a musical instrument, music seen as passive consumption, that is simply to listen to. What has made this situation?
Society. Changes in values, internet, globalization. Loosing old "handwork" culture. Lazyness - everything should be get as quickly as getting information from Google... To study music is such long way, and difficult. But surely, so-called concert music will survive, as does accordion. It is wave/cycle of life: in some period some phenomenon is going down, but after decade or so - it comes back. I do not think that fundamental musical values will disappear. They have been here hundreds of years, and will be in future too.

What do you think of the accordions evolution in todays classic music scene?
I am optimistic. We do not need more competition winners, but we need talented, intellectual artists who can work for future. We need people who look for future and who live now in year 2008. Not in year 1970.We need people who understand what are the values among artists: instrumentalists, composers - not among accordionists. We need people who can work with best musicians - and can get respect from them. Not only as accordionist, but as musician.

It is said that the expressive and technical limits of the accordion have not been reached yet. In fact in competitions, students are at higher levels and manage brilliant performances. You are probably the actual high developped expression of accordion technique, improving your skills more and more. Paganini, for the violin, has been a limit that nobody reached after him, do you think the accordion has still a lot of possibilities to develop?
No, i do not think so. Actual techniques are allmost all invented, at least in general meaning. But how to use them? There is some way to go still. I think technique not as one, but as many levels. First comes "big technique" - thats fastness, precision, virtuosity, power etc. Most of players stay in that stage all their life. What i call as "small technique", is cabability to intonate in any speed - being able to really do different sonorities (with fingers, not only with bellow) in any tempo, any texture. Cabability to use different kind of pushing- down/up motions. In both hands. When technique is really mastered, we can hear it from sound of player.
Many people say that bellow is soul of accordion. I do not think so. It is 1/3 of instrument, hands and fingers (and body) are as important in intonation. They are 2/3 of intonation. Music is artform which operates with sound. Therefore, instead of simple speed etc., quality of sound should be main importance. All technical things should lead to mastery of sonority, sound. That's my opinion.

About the instrument: do you think the actual quality level of best instruments is the maximum as Stradivari or Guarneri for violin, or the accordions artisans and makers have still a lot of work to do? And in this case, which part (reeds, mechanics, reedblocks….) you would like to see an improvement?
Well, because this interview is made for Italian magazine, and most of accordion factories are in Italy - I use this opportunity to answer this question carefully and profoundly.
I do not think that accordion is yet ready. I have studied several years construction of accordion, especially in sonorous things: reeds, reedblocks, body, material, acustics. I can tune instrument and even build reeds, to replace possibly broken ones.
Firstly, there is need of change of attitude. Allmost every time I have asked accordion manufacturer to change something in construction, I have got answers:"no, thats not possible, too difficult, can not be done...". Once I asked: if Your worker can put that piece of wood in instrument that way, why he can not put it other way? Amount of work remains same.
Nowadays, it seems that new instruments has more registers, switches etc. than they have buttons. I feel it is wrong way. One can not cover bad/medium sonority with mechanical aids. Perfect instrument should begin from perspective of simplicity, and to have goal of producing fantastic sound. Carefull study of acustics, choice of materials, tensions of body (too thick body blocks sound, too solid does not vibrate etc.), logical ways to put reedblocks in etc.
Most of concert accordions does not stay tuned, and many times tuner can not make precise tuning at all. They tune and tune, but instrument does not become tuned.
Why? Answers are simple, but I dont tell them. I tried to tell sometimes, but some manufacturers would not listen - what can just "artist" know about construction of accordion..? Well, I tell: some of us have spended thousands of hours with instruments. Some of players have such experience which could really help in producing fantastic instruments. In co-operation with best artesans, manufacturers, reedmakers and tuners, we could do something special.
So, to me it is obvious that sonorous aspects should be re-considered. If things has been done certain way last 10 or 40 years - so what ? To go on just the same way, even if clients are complaining about same problems instrument after instrument ? Because business goes well anyway ? In business, only those who are creative will survive, and nowadays competition in accordion business is getting harder than ever.

You are also a professor at the Sibelius Academy. What are your plans for the future?
Future... I can not predict it. My main job is to play. I get most pleasure when practising. Learning new pieces, little by little developing myself. I like to teach, especially nowadays when my concept of playing and teaching is analyzed and tested. I like to open eyes of young players and show them what we can do - and how to reach that. I like to see happy faces in seminars and give motivation to students. So, in my professional future performing and teaching will probably stay in combination as it is now.
In private life, I want to live rather simple life. To me it is important to have my wife, my children, my friends. Good dinner with good friends, good company. What else one could hope?