International Fest '09: Squeeze Box

Rose Onama went over her allotted time but I don't think anyone minded. I zipped over to the Playhouse to catch Mesoghios, a group that performs traditional Greek dances, and found the venue packed. The costumes were colorful as were the dances. When they were finished with routine they were doing when I stepped in, I returned to the Rotunda to catch Russian émigré Sergei Belkin who was entertaining the crowd with his accordion.



Doug Moe profiled Belkin back in October and he truly is a virtuoso. It was odd to have the man who once performed for Russian President Boris Yeltsin playing "Ave Maria" here in Madison. This was followed up with Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumble Bee" while his set closed with a version of Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" that, well, rocked. His fingers swept over the keys and buttons like a whirlwind.

I chatted with him very briefly backstage and he was all smiles. Belkin has a CD in the works so I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it.