Joseph Petric
Joseph Francis Petric (born October 8, 1952) is a Canadian concert accordionist, musicologist, composer, author, and pedagogue. Formation After beginning accordion lessons at the age of five, Petric began private studies at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory when he was 17. He was then accepted to Queen's University where he studied accordion with Joe Macerollo; this was followed by studies in musicology with Rika Maniates at the University of Toronto. Petric continued performance studies with various instructors including Hugo Noth at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen, Renaissance specialist Leslie Huggett (1992–8), harpsichordist Colin Tilney (1997–2010), and forte-pianist Boyd McDonald (2009–15). Repertoire Petric is known for the impressive number of works he has introduced to the accordion repertoire. The performer’s website presently states that he has commissioned over 360 pieces including 31 electroacoustic works and 21 concerti. Electroacoustic works Although the electroacoustic genre was initially most prevalent in avant garde circles, these works were welcomed enthusiastically in programs Petric has presented to general audiences. These compositions include digital and computer stochastic programming, live digital delay systems, electroacoustic CD playback, interactive software, sound processing, techno-chamber, live computer systems, and MAC patch software. Alexa Woloshyn’s recent publication An Orchestra at My Fingertips: A History