David Rukhelman – our Conductor/Arranger
Started playing button accordion (bajan) at age nine in Kiev, Ukraine. Took private lessons for two years, and then entered the Music School. In 1965 he was accepted into the most prominent music school in the Soviet Union – Gnessins Music College in Moscow. After receiving his Bachelor Degree from the Gnessins State Music College, David Rukhelman continued his education in the Gnessins Russian Academy of Music (equivalent of the conservatory). In 1973 he graduated from the Gnessins Music Academy with High Honors receiving his
Master Degree as a soloist, conductor and music teacher. During the course of study David Rukhelman extensively performed as a soloist and conductor of the Russian Folk Instrument Orchestra and Accordion Orchestra.
He continued his musical career in Kiev where he worked in the Music School for 20 years teaching button accordion, key accordion, conducting accordion orchestra and playing as soloist. His diverse repertoire includes music of J.S. Bach, F. Chopin, P. Tschaikovsky, C. Frank, J. Strauss, A. Piazzola, P. Frosini and many other composers.
Upon arrival to the United States in 1989, David Rukhelman was teaching music in the Malden Public Schools, played as a soloist and in a duet with a violinist. Currently he resides in Newton, Massachusetts, and since 2010 he has been an active member of the Massachusetts Accordion Association.
The Accordion Orchestra that he organized in 2016 had it’s first successful performance on February 6, 2017 in Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The second public performance of this orchestra took place on January 28, 2018 during the meeting of the Massachusetts Accordion Association in Newton. The program included works by J. Strauss, A. Piazzola, G. Sviridov, H. Mancini, C. Gardel and J. P. Sousa. Both performances of the orchestra were warmly received by the audience.
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Name: Bob Bonanno – Board Member
I started playing the accordion around age 7 in East Boston, later studied with Frank Gaviani until about age 15. Basically put the accordion away and 50 years later, after retiring from a career in medicine, I picked it up again and studied with Paul Monte for 2 years. I now enjoy playing daily and especially enjoy playing Italian and French music on my recently acquired musette tuned accordion.
The Ruk Orchestra is the only group I have played with and the learning experience with this group and the Massachusetts Accordion Association has been invaluable.
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Name: David Magliozzi – Web Site Admin
I began the accordion at age 10 in Burlington. I studied at the local branch of the Arlington Academy of music and later transferred to Mr.Z’s (Frank Zygarrowski) for another 3 years. I started playing gigs early, at age 13 and continued into my 20’s. My Accordion then entered the closet. In 2009, I had renewed interest in Accordion and started practicing. I joined the MASS Accordion Association in 2010. I took some lessons with Roberto Cassan and Alexei Tsiganov. I enjoy all kinds of acoustic accordion music. It is world music. I especially love Jazz.
Since I retired, to my wife’s dismay,I began collecting accordions. I have 5. I also started to play out once again. I belong to several groups: a duo called ‘Deja Vu’, a Bossa quintet called ‘La Bossa Nostra’ and Bob Tyler’s Jazz Octet. Most of my requests are for a strolling soloist.
My favorite accordionists are Frank Marocco (Jazz and standards), Richard Galliano (New Musette), Ludovic Beire (Django music), Crestiano Toucas (improvisation and inventiveness), Titti Castrini (for plain fun with Jazz and Pop, Toninho Ferragutti (for pure tone and Brazilian music-he has the best sound to my ears), Chano Spasiuk (Argentina- he plays an interesting music blend suited for accordion). Of course there’s Angelo DiPippo too.
I love the ‘Ruk Accordion Orchestra’ it presents a unique musical experience.
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Name: Guy Lombari
From: Providence, RI
Teacher: Domenic DiBonaventura (his teacher: Frank Gaviani)
Time Playing: 60 yrs
Instrument: Roland 8X
Orchestra: Music Selections Played
Favorite: Mario Tacca
Member of the Massachusetts’ Accordion Association
Member of the American Accordion Association
Member of the New England Digital Accordion Orchestra
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Name: Jan Borelli 
I am from Paxton, MA.
My teachers were my dad – George Lilyestrom, Guido Forschielli, Mo Carguillo, Mary Tokarski, Joe Cerrito, Dick Odgren.
Instrument: Excelsior accordion
Time playing: 65 years
Orchestras: Lou Borelli Big Band (piano), Lou Borelli Octet (piano), Louie Lewis and the Klezmerbops, Schwarze Schafe German Band, Cinco, Black Sheep Dixieland Band, Lou and Jan Duo, Mixed Grille, Jan’s Marching Band (bells), RUK Orchestra, Wachusett Community Band.
Favorite accordionists: Charles Magnante, Frank Marocco, Richard Galliano, Angelo DiPippo.
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Name: John O’Callaghan 
I began accordion lessons at eight years old with Gaviani Conservatory in Lynn, MA. I was a student there for three years. As a youngster, I was always a big hit at family birthday parties and anniversaries. After many years of putting the accordion aside, I returned to the accordion world in 2013, taking lessons with Paul Monte, then Jan Borelli. I have seen several outstanding accordion performances on YouTube. My favorite is Alicia Baker, playing in her resounding French musette style. Whenever I have friends over, I grab my accordion and play a few tunes. Everyone loves it. I am happy to be a part of the Ruk Orchestra and Mass Accordion Association.
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Name: Lynda Fish
Lynda Fish owns Keyboard for Kids in North Attleboro MA, where she has been teaching enthusiastic boys and girls how to play the piano for almost forty years. She received her Bachelor of Science in Music Education with honors from Rhode Island College. Her extensive teaching history includes art and music (and occasionally other subjects) at public and private schools, summer camps, and children’s theater.
Lynda is also an accomplished accordionist, and has enjoyed playing with several accordion groups in the New England area. She appeared as accordion soloist with the Middlesex Concert Band in Wakefield and was featured with the MCB at the Festival of Bands at Faneuil Hall in Boston in 2014. She frequently performs with the “Jolly Kopperschmidts” German Oktoberfest Band which plays all over New England.
The award she is most proud of is the North Attleboro Cultural Council’s McKeil Memorial Award for contributions to the local arts community. In 2014, Lynda founded the Keys! Music Challenge for Kids, a festival and competition for piano and accordion students in the area.
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Name: James Gerke 
I am a relative newcomer to the accordion, although music has been a lifelong passion for me. I started with piano lessons around age ten, then switched to clarinet and played in concert and jazz bands through high school and college, even doing a short stint in a Shriners band in my home state of Connecticut. When my high-school band needed brass players, I switched to baritone horn and then tuba (and Sousaphone in the marching band). I also sang in church choirs for many years.
Accordion had always appealed to me, starting with Mitch Miller and the Gang Christmas sing-along albums from the 1960s. In 2009 I decided to pursue my interest more deeply and bought my first chromatic button accordion, a beginner model. I found a wonderful teacher (the late Roberto Cassan in Boston) and soon afterward I bought my first full-size (120-bass) accordion, built by Claudio Beltrami in Stradella, Italy.
Through the accordion, I have been introduced to many genres of music and made friends around the world through attendance at national accordion conventions, local events such as the Somerville Squeezebox Slam and the Northeast Squeeze-In, and membership in the Massachusetts Accordion Association and the Accordion Friends group on Facebook. For several years I organized an annual week-long accordion retreat on Cape Cod called “Cape Accordion”, inviting a small group of accordionists from around the country to jam, share tips and experience, and generally bond over accordion music. When our venue switched to a farm in the Ozarks of Arkansas, it became “Coop Accordion” — and we continue to reunite annually in different locations around the country.
I love all kinds of music that features the accordion, including French musette, Scandinavian polkas and waltzes, Italian tarantellas, Django Reinhardt-influenced jazz, the American Songbook, and Christmas music (both sacred and secular). Some of my favorite players include Frank Marocco, Richard Galliano, Marcel Loeffler, and old-school swing-musette pioneers such as Gus Viseur, Tony Murena, Jo Basile (Joss Baselli), Marcel Azzola – and last but not least, my late teacher, Roberto Cassan.
It is a great pleasure to participate in the RUK Accordion Orchestra, with such an immensely talented director/arranger in David Rukhelman and a very enthusiastic and dedicated group of fellow accordionists.
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Name: Joe Berns 
Joseph J Berns
Joe began playing the accordion at Lo Duca Studios in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and took lessons from age 9 through 18. His main instructor was Lane Zastrow, an award winning professional accordion player and teacher. Lo Duca encouraged students to participate in the annual Wisconsin State According Festival in both individual and band competitions. Joe participated in theses events and won numerous awards, usually practicing one song for an entire summer. In his teenage years, Joe also became a teacher of young students and played in the Twilighters group, a combo which performed at weddings and other events. Joe plays a 128 bass piano accordion, made in Italy and branded as a Lo Duca “Duke Special”, a jazz accordion with rich sounding lower reeds.
Joe then took a 53 year break, graduating from Boston College and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, moving to Needham, Massachusetts in 1970 and completing a long career in finance. In 2017, he restarted practicing the accordion and joined the Massachusetts Accordion Association and the RUK Classical Orchestra. Joe enjoys playing all types of music including jazz, old favorites, classical, polkas and classic rock.
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Name: Faith Bertrand
Faith Betrand
At the age of 7-8 I began accordion lessons in Salem, Ma with Elda Angelucci [sp.?] My mother had agreed to let me take lessons because my 7 older siblings had taken lessons on a variety of classical instruments but easily dropped them. Therefore, when I asked about the ‘strange-looking instrument’ at an antique store, my mother told me she would let me take lessons if I wanted; I believe that she felt it didn’t matter that it wasn’t a violin, saxophone, piano, etc.! based on the lack of continued interest from my older brothers and sisters.
Moving from Wenham to Melrose in 1952, I learned that there would be accordion lessons offered at the Calvin Cooledge Middle School. I started lessons with a teacher from the Frank Gaviani Conservatory located in Kenmore Square in Boston, and remained taking from one of the studio teachers for 2-3 years before being offered the opportunity to take from Frank himself! I continued lessons with Frank in Boston for about 3 years until I left for college. While taking lessons from Frank, I was able to take part in a competition in New York City as part of his accordion orchestra playing classical music – we didn’t win, but we came close! I will always treasure my memories of Frank, Sr. who was a wonderful man and superb musician .
Classical music and music from the 1930s to 1950s is most appealing to me. I love playing music composed or arranged by Frank Gaviani and his friend Gallia-Rini among others. I am delighted to have a lovely instrument that replaced my Excelsior, damaged in a serious car accident in 1967. The damaged instrument was returned to the factory in New York, but it never felt the same to me. Having given up playing from about 1957 when I entered college until about 1989, my husband bought me an ACCTONE from Arthur and Sue Walsh in Gilmanton, New Hampshire., I was thrilled to pick up where I had left off in my teens and was motivated by joining the New Hampshire Accordion Assoc. under the leadership of the wonderful Donna Maria Regis.
Last fall, attending a meeting in Newton of the Mass Accordion Association which is much closer for me. I discovered the orchestra under David Rukhelman’s’ direction and asked if I could join – I love it! David is a fine musician who has enormous talent and ability to arrange pieces in the classical vein for us to play. Being an instrument with the capability to mimic other orchestral instruments, it’s wonderful to hear arrangements come together with the combination of violin, flute, bassoon, clarinet, oboe, etc. David’s music knowledge, his kindness in helping anyone who asks and his willingness to find ways to perfect pieces and then to actually perform them gives me a reason to practice and to improve sight reading skills. It’s wonderful to have a reason to practice, to keep dexterity in my hands, to keep lifting a 28lb. instrument [really good for maintaining strength] and to play with a group of terrific fellow accordionists under great leadership! This is both FUN and CHALLENGING!
Katy Georgiadis
I took accordion lessons as a kid in Montreal (my father loved the instrument) but I put is aside when my family moved back to my parents native Greece. Fast forward 20 or so years I brought it back to the US on a trip home at my mother’s urging. A few years ago during a work hiatus I picked it up again.
Katy Georgiadis
Carmen D’Angelo
Began playing at age 10 at Hollis Music in East Boston. Took private lessons with Louis Bregoli at Tosi Music in the North End of Boston. Played as the accompanist for the Italian Folk Group representing the Italian Heritage of the Abruzzo region of Italy and led “Omni”, a four-piece “wedding band” through the 80’s and 90’s. Currently plays solo gigs using the Roland 8X digital accordion in addition to enjoying the camaraderie and music of the RUK orchestra and the New England Digital Accordion Orchestra. Currently the Vice President of the Massachusetts Accordion Association.
Fred Brewer
Fred Brewer started taking accordion lessons as a teenager with Ralph Fontes in Brocton, MA.
He later taught beginning students in Mr. Fonte’s studio. After college, he studied Classical Pipe Organ and is an active member of the Southeastern MA Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Fred is the Organist for Trinity Episcopal Church, Canton.
Tony D’Eramo
Dan Mackowiak
Former members
- Emelian Badea
- Bob Lijana — Haverhill
- Sari Kalin
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Sari Kalin
RUK Accordion Orchestra 