Sammy Thomas

Sammy Thomas, age 15, of Cheney, WA, has studied the accordion for almost 5 years. Sammy’s teacher, Ilmar Kuljus, has taught accordion at the Accordia-Nova School of Accordion in Spokane for over 50 years. He also studies music theory at Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

Classically trained, Sammy has focused his energies on competition … most recently the AAA U.S. Nationals in Boston where he placed very well. He is now preparing for the World Championships in Europe, Fall ’05. Sammy is the only student in Accordia-Nova’s 50-plus-year history to compete at the national level. He has consistently “swept” the small, local contests in his region including Kimberly. Calgary, Edmonton and Leavenworth.

Sammy loves to just perform as well, and does. He has played for Rep. George Nethercutt and receives regular airplay on local radio. He has shared the stage with accordion legend Dick Contino as well as, one of his favorite accordionists and his friend, Alex Meixner. He was featured at the Las Vegas Accordion Convention this past June and at the Rocky Mountain Accordion Celebration in Philipsburg, MT in July. Sammy is scheduled to play a full concert for the Arizona Accordion Club next April and is headlining the Rocky Mountain Celebration next summer. He also plays for this church, school, local retirement homes, elementary school classrooms, hometown “concerts-in-the-park,” and has been the only “kid” in the Spokane Accordion Ensemble for nearly five years.

Sammy has produced three CDs: Three Years, Vols. I & II (at age 13) and a brand new one entitled Just My Accordion Talkin.