SQUEEZE PLAY: Windy City Accordions ready for concert

By Lethbridge Herald on May 29, 2025.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

The Windy City Accordions are inviting the community to join them for an afternoon of music during their “Here We Squeeze Again” concert, featuring a special guest for the first time ever. 

Cynthia Gietz, member of the WCA, says the group consists of nine accordionist who enjoy playing together and have been doing so for many years. 

“We play at senior lodges, senior’s homes and community events to bring the love of accordion to everyone we can, especially to those who otherwise are unable to attend events,” says Gietz.

On top of that, they organize two concerts every year, one in spring and one at Christmas. This year for their June concert, they will be accompanying an opera singer for the very first time. 

“We will have a trained soprano, Sophia Makela,” says Gietz. “She is going to sing three operatic songs with us, which is a first for us. And our second special guest will be Margaret Miller (Horvath), who is coming down from Edmonton.”

She says that Miller (Horvath) was her first accordion teacher and she will be playing a few songs for them during the concert. 

Gietz says accordionists working with an opera singer has been a learning experience for all of them. 

“Instead of always having a steady beat and a steady count, we have had to learn to just listen to her,” she says, “because there are nuances in the song as it speeds up and slows down, and she takes a break depending on how she’s interpreting the music.”

It’s a learning curve for the musicians, as they usually listen to each other and watch the beat, but this time they must follow the singer’s lead. 

While the experience with Makela will be new, Gietz points out that the Windy City Accordions have been playing together for decades.

“In one shape or form, (we) have been playing together forever,” she says. “One of the members used to be my teacher. Some of us have been playing the accordion since we were 9 or 10 years old and now the youngest is 54 and the oldest is 84.”

Gietz herself took 25 years off from the group to work and raise a family, then came back to it. Others never left and continued to play the whole time. 

“We have had different iterations,” says Gietz. “At some point we had some brass players playing with us and some wood instruments, but right now is just the nine accordionists. We welcome any new players, and they can always reach me at 403-359-3959 to inquire.”

She says the group is like a family and every member brings their specific talents to the mix.

“Some of us play by ear, some of us play just by reading music, but each of us brings their best gifts, talents and abilities to make the group what it is,” says Gietz.  

The concert will take place at Casa on June 8 at 2 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at the door or by contacting Gietz at 403-359-3959.