Although many westerners have been fascinated by the accordion, Simo Tesla is one of the few who have undergone years of rigorous one-on-one training to do justice to the instrument. Years of private study in classical accordion music have led to a career as a performer and composer.

Since 1984 Tesla has been performing his own distinctive style and sound on accordion. He combines his knowledge of classical music with the influence of Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Greek, Russian, French and Italian stylings to create compositions which are unique and compelling. In addition to accordion, Tesla is proficient on piano and synthesizers.

One of the few world music artists to transcend traditional boundaries, Simo Tesla performs for a wide variety of venues including the Atlanta High Museum of Art. He is a regular performer with The Troika Balalaikas Russian Folk Ensemble in Atlanta, Georgia.

A native of the former Yugoslavia, Simo’s musical training began at the age of 9 in Ontario, Canada, where he studied privately for many years. He attended Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and earned a diploma in Music Industry Arts, Recorded Music Production. After graduating, he formed his own band, Orchestra Belgrade, and played extensively throughout southern Ontario. In 1988 he participated in the Canadian Accordion Competitions and earned two First Place finishes in the Classical Music Categories.