The 9th edition of the Akkordeon Fest took place in Graz, Austria on December 6th and 7th, 2024, organised by Slavisa Perić.

The festival director’s goal is to bring artists, teachers and candidates from different countries together every year for a peaceful competition with an extensive exchange of opinions. The positive development of the last few years proves that his work is successful. Young talents are discovered and promoted and the accordion is shown positively to a wider public. Special thanks go to the Graz Cultural Office and Mayor Elke Kahr for their understanding and active support.

42 participants from a total of nine countries (Austria, Slovakia, Belgium, Hungary, China, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) showed their considerable skills in 13 categories (classical accordion, accordion with chamber music and virtuoso light music).

As part of the opening, Djordje Perić (winner of the PIF competition in Castelfidardo and the World Trophy in Montargis) and Marko Maletić (8th and 4th place) gave a short concert.

Candidates such as Lieke op ´t Roodt (Belgium), Ziqian Wang (China) and the duo Ivan Bonić & Csanád Orgyán, who have already gained experience at international level, particularly shone in the competition. But the younger generation, such as the soloists Tadija Zivanović (Serbia) and Liliana Chovancová (Slovakia) as well as the duos Pavle & Njegoš Ristić (BIH) and Lívia Hudáková & Dorota Ostrolucká (Slovakia), also showed that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

The jury consisted of Jef De Haes (Belgium), Herbert Scheibenreif (Austria), Mikela Uršić (Slovenia), Ana Šterpin Zagoranski (Croatia), Marko Miličević (Slovakia/Bosnia and Herzegovina), Dragana Mladenović (Serbia), Maria Budzakova (Slovakia) and Slaviša Perić (Bosnia and Herzegovina).