Buffalo Rising Online

Jul 19th, 8:01am By Allie Friedman

With the large Italian Festival going on, there is a certain Italian musician that can not be missed. Tony DiCorsi is an accomplished organetto player, otherwise known as a small Italian accordion, who performed at the festival on Friday and will again today at 5:00 on the main stage on Hertel near Colvin.

When Tony first walked into the Buffalo Philharmonic carrying his organetto, an accompanying musician said, "What the hell is he going to do with that little toy he is carrying?" Well, apparently, great things.

Tony's musical career is a long list of history. Working for Doc Severinsen as a part of the Buffalo Philharmonic, Tony soloed in the piece "A Night in Old Italy." Doc Severinsen, who used to be on the Johnny Carson Show, brought this particular musical selection back from Italy to be performed by the Buffalo Philharmonic. Tony also soloed in the "Italian Mazurca" and "Santa Lucia" along with a number of other songs.

Tony worked for the Italian Federation in sponsoring La Terra Promisa a film which in English means, "The Promised Land". This specific film concentrates on the first Italians coming to Buffalo, New York. Tony made his first movie debut in the film, singing the famous, "do, re, me" with his organetto. If you didn't know, this popular tune's origins are Italian.

Tony was also hired to sit in the lobby of the Buffalo Performing Arts Center during the 90 minute film and play a variety of Italian songs. 3,000 people attended the premiere.

The interesting thing about Tony's talent is that he can sing in a number of different languages including Italian, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Hungarian, Irish, Scottish, and some Yiddish. In fact, every October, Tony works at Schiller Park Restaurant off Genese Street singing German songs. Depending on the crowd, Tony varies the music he performs and the language he performs them in. This makes him attractive to many different cultures.

Tony has been a soloist in the Buffalo Philharmonic many times and performs popular Italian music, such as "Green Sleeves." Not only does he do a fantastic job playing other artists' music, but he has a number of his own songs written. Currently, he has one CD, which is being sold at Barnes and Noble Bookstore.

At the advice of a friend, Tony sent his CD to Joanne Faletta, current conductor for the Buffalo Philharmonic. In return, he received a phenomenal critique. Tony said, "I like being busy," and this is evident in the amount of work he accomplishes.

A few nights ago, Tony worked at the Canal Festival in North Tonawanda for two and a half hours. He said, "People were very receptive to my folk songs. Some even put dollar bills in my accordion case."

Along with producing beautiful music, Tony works as a sculptor, creating works of art that have been placed in a number of Buffalo Parks, in particular near Linwood and North Street. Tony is currently building a monument that is 40 feet wide by 30 feet high called "Old Man River Niagara". The monument has recently been approved by the commission on the waterfront to be placed in Buffalo. Mayor Byron Brown approved a spot to build the monument, however, the particular location has not been announced.

Tony and wife, Jean, have their own studio, located at 215 Linden Avenue, near Parkside. Tony said, "My wife works very hard to keep the flowers nice, so it is quite colorful." Here, Tony uses his mastermind to produce brilliant sculptures, while his wife creates her own puppets.

Tony's musical talent is a must-see this weekend at the Italian Festival on Hertel Avenue. No matter your cultural background, his talent will impress you.

Friend Pete Seger from the famous folk singing group Peter, Paul, and Mary, once told Tony to "Carry On". It appears this is exactly what Tony has done; carried on with his musical ability, and accomplished so much more.