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Texas Folklife hosted the 14th annual Big Squeeze statewide accordion competition on May 1 to crown the state’s top youth accordion players in the traditional Texas accordion music genres — including conjunto, polka, Cajun and zydeco.
This year’s competition was held virtually and streamed on Facebook Live to a virtual audience, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Seguin resident Isaak Wolfshohl, 18, won the event in the polka category this year with his performances of “Rosemunde” and “Bergvagabunden.” This was Wolfshohl’s second year to enter the competition.
“This year was a little different,” Wolfshohl said. “Normally the finals are held at the Bob Bullock Museum in Austin in front of an audience.”
Wolfshohl is a fixture in the New Braunfels music scene and can be found playing locally at many of the area restaurants including the Alpine Haus in downtown New Braunfels. He also plays at many of the area festivals including the Fredericksburg Oktoberfest, Tomball German Heritage festival and Wurstfest.
“Playing polka music is a way for me to make people happy, while keeping my cultural heritage alive," Wolfshohl said. "This music makes people smile."
Other 2020 Big Squeeze statewide youth accordion contest champions are Bridget Roberts, 24, of Bridge City, in the Cajun catagory; Jorge Ramirez, 17, of Roma, in the Conjunto 17 and under genre; and Jose Angel Torres, 19, also of Roma, in the Conjunto 18-21 genre.
The Big Squeeze is presented by Texas Folklife as part of its mission to preserve and present Texas’ diverse cultural heritage. Since 2007, Texas Folklife has promoted Texas accordion music genres through the Big Squeeze program. More than 300 young, talented players from dozens of Texas communities have participated in the program, which supports vital community-based accordion music traditions. The 2020 Big Squeeze Program Director Sarah Rucker is longtime Texas Folklife producer and partner. The program was sponsored in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Texas Music Office, the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, Hohner Accordions, H-E-B, Central Texas Accordion Association and Rancho Alegre Radio.
Texas Folklife (TXF) is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to presenting and preserving the diverse cultures and living heritage of the Lone Star State. TXF is designated by the National Endowment for the Arts as the official folk and traditional arts organization for the state. Since 1984, the TXF has honored traditions passed down within communities, explored the importance of traditional arts in contemporary society and celebrated the state’s vibrant heritage by providing arts experiences enjoyable and accessible for all generations. For more information, visit Texas Folklife's website.
