View source for Cory Pesaturo

{{Short description|American musician}}
{{External links|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox musical artist
| name         = Cory Pesaturo
| image        = Cory Pesaturo in 2012.jpg
| caption      = At a Festival in 2012
| image_size   =
| landscape    = yes
| origin       = [[Rhode Island]], [[United States]]
| instrument   = [[Accordion]], [[Pianos]], [[Clarinet]], [[Saxophone]]
| genre        = Various
| years_active = [[1996 in music|1996]]&ndash;present
| website      = [http://www.CoryPesaturo.com www.CoryPesaturo.com]
}}
{{MedalTableTop|image=|imagesize=|alt=|caption=|name=|sport=Accordion Championships|country_code=|medals=
{{MedalCompetition | National Championships}}
{{MedalGold|2009 US National Accordion Championships|US Open Solo National Championships}}
{{MedalSilver|2004 US National Accordion Championships|US Open Solo National Championship}}
{{MedalGold|2009 US National Accordion Championships|US Open Solo Digital Accordion Championship}}
{{MedalCompetition | World Championships}}
{{MedalGold|2009 [[Coupe Mondiale]] World Accordion Championships|Digital Category|Team}}
{{MedalGold|2010 World Jazz Accordion Championships|Jazz Category}}
{{MedalGold|2011 Primus Ikaalinen World Acoustic Accordion Championship|Primus Ikaalinen}}
}}

'''Cory Pesaturo''' is an American multi-instrumentalist from [[Cumberland, Rhode Island]], who plays the [[accordion]], [[piano]], [[clarinet]], and [[saxophone]]. In 2002, Pesaturo became the youngest person to win the National Accordion Championship.<ref name=projo>{{cite news |title=Pesaturo squeezes cool jazz from 'polka box'|url=http://www.projo.com/music/content/wk-pop27_09-27-07_9Q792BE.1826fbf.html|work=[[The Providence Journal]] |date= September 27, 2007|accessdate=2008-11-27 }}</ref>

In 2009, Pesaturo won the [[Confédération internationale des accordéonistes|Coupe Mondiale]] World Digital Accordion Championship in [[Auckland]], [[New Zealand]], and became the first American to win a World Accordion Championship since Peter Soave 25 years earlier.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cory Pesaturo Wins 1st Place at the Coupe Mondiale|url=http://www.accordionusa.com/default.aspx#art234|work=[[Accordions USA News]] |date=August 20, 2009 |accessdate=2009-09-02}}</ref> In 2011, Pesaturo won the Primus Ikaalinen World Acoustic Accordion Championship, as its first American contestant.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cory Pesaturo Wins Prrimus 2011|url=http://satumaa.yle.fi/sata-hame-soi/2011-06-30/primus-ikaalisen-voitti-cory-pesaturo-yhdysvalloista|work=[[Primus Ikallinen World Championship]]|date=July 1, 2011|accessdate=2011-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709202045/http://satumaa.yle.fi/sata-hame-soi/2011-06-30/primus-ikaalisen-voitti-cory-pesaturo-yhdysvalloista|archive-date=July 9, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, he broke the [[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Record]] for the longest continuous playing of the accordion, which was sponsored by [[Red Bull]] from his relationship with the [[Red Bull Racing|Red Bull F1 Team]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Pesaturo powers to world record|url=http://www.valleybreeze.com/2017-08-09/cumberland-lincoln-area/pesaturo-powers-world-record-32-hours-accordion-video#.WssA0rpFzD4|work=[[Valley Breeze]] |date=August 9, 2017|accessdate=2018-04-09 }}</ref> In 2009, Pesaturo won the Leavenworth International Championship<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leavenworth International Accordion Competition June 17-20, 2010 |url=https://www.nwasnews.com/LIAC2010/LIACPerformers.htm |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=www.nwasnews.com}}</ref> and International Jazz Championship.

[[File:Cory White Angle New.jpg|thumb|left|Cory Pesaturo and one of his modern electric accordions. This particular accordion has a full vinyl skin, and midi-sequenced LED's in the grill connected to the keys in a symmetric pattern.]]

==Life and career==

Pesaturo got his start filling in for an ill [[Myron Floren]] at the former Warwick Music Theater in [[Rhode Island]] at age 11. Starting at the age of 12, he performed at the [[White House]] on four occasions, including at six other public and private functions for President [[Bill Clinton]] and [[Hillary Clinton]]. In June 1999, he performed at a [[List of U.S. State Dinners|State Dinner]] held for the [[President of Hungary]], [[Árpád Göncz]],<ref>{{cite book |title=An Invitation to the White House |last=Clinton |first=Hillary Rodham |authorlink=Hillary Clinton |year=2000 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-0-684-85799-2 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/invitationtowhit00clin/page/82 82–83] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/invitationtowhit00clin/page/82 }}</ref> becoming the youngest person to perform for a State Dinner.

He was accepted on the accordion at the [[New England Conservatory of Music]] in [[Boston]],<ref>{{cite news |title=He brings accordion into jazz's fold|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/10/18/he_brings_accordion_into_jazzs_fold/|work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=October 18, 2007 |accessdate=2008-11-27 | first1=Steve | last1=Greenlee}}</ref> where he studied [[Third Stream|Contemporary Improvisation]] and a variety of music styles. Pesaturo became the second person to major in and graduate as an accordionist at the New England Conservatory.<ref>{{cite news |title=On The Fringe |url=http://thephoenix.com/PROVIDENCE/Music/59143-Ragged-glory/ |work=[[The Providence Phoenix]] |date=April 2, 2008 |accessdate=2009-03-25 }}</ref> In 2008, [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] named Pesaturo as part of their team of four American accordionists to promote Roland's V-Accordion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Accordions are more than a punchline |url=http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/189597689.html |work=[[Entrepreneur.com]] |date=November 2008 |accessdate=2009-03-25 }}</ref> Pesaturo performed for Roland at the [[NAMM Show]] in 2009 and was featured with Eddie Montiero in a concert for international press and NAMM dignitaries. He has also performed with different [[symphony orchestra]]s around the country, including soloing for the [[Brockton Symphony Orchestra]] at 15.<ref name=BSO>{{cite news |title=Brockton Symphony's Cohler a maestro for a new era|url=http://jonathancohler.com/Enterprise20060423.pdf|work=[[The Sunday Enterprise]] |date= April 23, 2006|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref>

Pesaturo performs in a wide range of musical styles. He plays [[Italian folk music|Italian]] music festivals across the United States,<ref>{{cite news |title=Festa Italiana Salutes Dick Contino July 23 with Special Memorial and Tribute Concert|url=https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/festa-italiana-salutes-dick-contino-july-23-with-special-memorial-and-tribute-concert|work=[[Urban Milwaukee]] |date=July 19, 2017 |accessdate=2022-11-08}}</ref> mainstream music with [[Disc jockey|DJ's]], folk genres from [[French folk music|French]] to [[Music of Bulgaria|Bulgarian]] and [[Klezmer|Jewish music]], [[classical music]] performances with the [[Boston Symphony Orchestra]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Cory Pesaturo Performances|url=http://www.accordionusa.com/?d=01-Nov-2021#art4660|work=[[Accordion USA News]] |date=October 1, 2021 |accessdate=2022-11-08}}</ref> and [[jazz]], which he is most known for.

His music has been played for various [[Formula 1]] races on [[Speed (TV network)|SPEED TV]] and now [[NBC Sports]] starting in 2007, on the [[Velocity (TV channel)|Velocity]] program "Chasing Classic Cars", and also at various Concours around the United States such as the [[Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance]]. Pesaturo has also combined his interest in statistics and sports with his collaborations on [[98.5 The Sports Hub]], and his appearance on the "100 Year Anniversary of [[Fenway Park]]" album in 2012, with current and past [[Boston Red Sox]] players, and journalists.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fenway Park 100 Years Album|url=http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/fan_forum/fenway100album.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501184136/http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/fan_forum/fenway100album.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 1, 2012|work=[[redsox.com]] |date= April 20, 2012|accessdate=2012-09-04}}</ref> Pesaturo's interest in weather prompted him to write the [[2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season]] records list, later seasons of note, and other meteorological topics. Pesaturo was a featured contestant on CBS's [[Let's Make a Deal]]<ref>Let's Make a Deal Performance [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGWj2uCSunk|date= June 4th, 2021 ]</ref> in 2021, performer on [[NBC]]'s [[That's My Jam]]<ref>That's My Jam Performance [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crr8Wffyg3o&t=19swith|date= January 31, 2022 ]</ref> with [[Jimmy Fallon]] in 2022, and was chosen to be the featured accordionist on [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]'s biographical movie [[Weird: The Al Yankovic Story]]. Additionally, he has given four [[TED (conference)|TEDx Talks]],<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcT68xxyWyQ&list=PLIuJ1MiNn9wHj20CkXI4-fxF1B_RbIqsO |title=The Mind of a Musician Cory Pesaturo TEDxBoston |date=2022-10-31 |access-date=2025-01-10 |via=YouTube}}</ref> and a host of other talks at known conferences, including two [[Talks at Google]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10ufEJVJGXo |title=Accordion to Cory  Cory Pesaturo & Ljubinka Kulisic Talks at Google |date=2017-10-19 |access-date=2025-01-10 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

==Discography==

=== Albums ===

*''Zulu Time'' (2011)             
*''Change in the Weather'' (2007)
*''Crosswinds'' (2007)

=== Collaborative albums ===
*''The Outrospectives LIVE!'' (2020)  
*''Unscripted'' with [[Mari Black]] (2020)  
*''The Outrospectives: Dancing Light'' (2019)  
*''100 Year Anniversary of Fenway Park'' (2012)    
*''Tiny Orchestra'' (2008)
*''A Pennywhistle Christmas'' (2004)

=== Soundtracks ===
* [[Weird: The Al Yankovic Story]] (2022)

==Conferences / Talks==

=== TED Talks ===
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acsv55lctGY Revolutionizing the Accordion]  
* [https://www.ted.com/talks/cory_pesaturo_winning_like_the_red_sox_accordion_style Winning Like the Red Sox]  
* [https://www.ted.com/talks/cory_pesaturo_alone_together_world World Collaboration Song for the COVID-19 Pandemic]  
* [https://www.ted.com/talks/cory_pesaturo_the_mind_of_a_musician The Mind of a Musician]

=== Talks at Google ===
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10ufEJVJGXo Accordion to Cory]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.CoryPesaturo.com Cory Pesaturo]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111201210255/http://www.rolandus.com/community/insider/ Roland Music Artists]  
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100327083545/http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/rhode-island-weird-winter-weather-explainer Cory Pesaturo on the 2009-2010 Winter]
* [http://www.hurricanecity.com/cory2007.htm 2007 Hurricane Records List]
* [http://www.accordions.com/index/squ/archives/1708/CoryWR/ Guinness World Record Data]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pesaturo, Cory}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century American accordionists]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:American jazz accordionists]]
[[Category:20th-century American accordionists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:People from Cumberland, Rhode Island]]
[[Category:Musicians from Rhode Island]]
[[Category:New England Conservatory alumni]]