Viviane Chassot was born in Zurich and now lives as a freelance musician in Basel. She received her first accordion lessons at the age of 12 from Ernst Kaelin and completed her studies at the Bern University of the Arts with Teodoro Anzellotti, earning a Master’s degree in Performance and Pedagogy. From 2009 to 2013, she lived as a freelance musician in Leipzig.
In addition to her busy concert career, Viviane Chassot gives international masterclasses and teaches accordion at the Winterthur Conservatory and the Hohner Conservatory in Trossingen.
Viviane Chassot was the first accordionist in history to release Joseph Haydn’s piano concertos with the Basel Chamber Orchestra on the Sony Classical label. Her discography has received major awards, including a nomination for the “International Classical Music Award.”
1) Can you tell us how you discovered and became interested in the accordion?
The accordion fascinated me already as a child – the breathing of the instrument, so human, almost like a heartbeat. I was captivated by its variety of colors, by the possibility of holding entire worlds in two hands. It was less a rational decision than an encounter, almost like love at first sight.
2) How did academic institutions, the professors who mentored you, and your experiences as a student influence your path?
In institutions I learned the fundamentals – technique, discipline, structure. But it was always the people behind them who truly mattered: teachers who opened doors, sometimes also through friction. I realized how important it is to remain faithful to oneself, even when pushed in a certain direction. My studies were a
process of wrestling between rules and freedom.
3) You lived in Leipzig for a few years, where you gained experience as a freelance musician and teacher. Tell us more about this experience and how it influenced your musical projects.
Leipzig was a kind of laboratory for me. I was free, yet I had to find my own way. The city’s rich tradition – Bach, Mendelssohn, Schumann – inspired me, but at the same time I felt the urge to discover my own answers. It was there that I began redefining myself as an artist, beyond given paths.
4) In many of your performances, both live and on record, you manage to blend classical sounds with jazz, improvisation, and popular music. What are your impressions and perspectives on these musical styles, often considered opposites?
I don’t perceive music as categories. For me, everything is sound, everything is expression. Bach and jazz speak the same language if you listen deeply enough. Improvisation gives me the freedom to be in the moment, while classical works connect me with a long tradition. One nourishes the other. Opposites dissolve once you reach the core. I focus on what connects, not what separates. I‘m fascinated by transitions from one to another musical style.
5) You’ve certainly had a rich career with diverse musical groups, from soloists to orchestras. In which context do you feel most comfortable and able to express yourself most?
Perhaps I am most flexible about dynamics, different colours and creating sounds when I am alone on stage. Yet I also cherish collaboration, mixing and creating sounds. The energy that arises when you breathe with other musicians. Each context has its own truth. The common denominator is always authenticity, communication and resonance.
6) As you pioneer in transcriptions of classical music for the accordion, you‘ve created numerous projects dedicated to some of the most important composers in the history of music, including Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and many others, projects that have received major awards and recognition. What’s the initial idea, or inspiration, and what are the various stages behind projects of this kind?
As a child i grew up with classical Ballet, so music as Haydns Creation, Mozart Concertos, Beethoven Symphonies and other classical works accompanied me.
The process almost always begins with an inner voice telling me: there is something to discover here. With Bach, it was the longing to let his polyphony breathe on the accordion. With Mozart, it was the coexistence of lightness and depth. The process is a journey of questions: How can i stay true to the music while using the characteristic elements of my instrument ? How does the music for keyboard instruments change when the wind element of the bellows is added? For me, this work has a research component. It is a path that sometimes takes years, and in the end, something new is created.
7) Among the many collaborations you’ve had throughout your career, there are certainly some important record labels, among the most prestigious on the international scene. Tell us more about your experience
with the “Sony Classical” label.
Working with Sony Classical was both an honor and a challenge. Suddenly, the stage was global. But what mattered most was that I could truly be myself. The collaboration was based on respect, and I felt that my artistic language was trusted.
8) In addition to your concert career, you’re a busy teacher. How do you interact with your students, and what do you try to convey most?
I try to give my students not only technique, but also a sense for the essential: listening, feeling, breathing. It is not about perfection, but about finding a personal truth through the instrument.
I help to find their one musical Language. Every note should come from within.
9) A more personal question: with your intense concert and teaching activities, how do you manage your personal and family commitments?
It is a constant balancing act. Music demands everything, but life also asks for silence, encounters, love. I try to create islands of calm, spaces where I can recharge.
Spend time in nature, in the mountains or having a good lunch with friends.
It doesn’t always work – but it is precisely this imperfection that makes me human.
Some video TV recording links:
SRF TV
TV ARD (Viviane Chassot starts at 21 minutes)
Radio Interview
The Breath of the Accordion – Viviane Chassot on WDR 3 Classical Music Forum (available to March 7, 2026)
