Three-Time Accordion World Champion Cory Pesaturo & Violinist Leah Zeger Appear at Sierra Madre Playhouse 1/29/26

Presented by Sierra Madre Playhouse

Sierra Madre Playhouse launches its 2026 season with a dynamic cross-genre musical performance featuring three-time accordion world champion Cory Pesaturo and violinist and vocalist Leah Zeger on Thursday, January 29, 2026, 8:00 pm. The chamber duo traverses a range of jazz standards, Roma-influenced swing, tango, klezmer, and reframed film-score themes connected by exquisite improvisation. 

Pesaturo and Zeger deliver tunes that are deconstructed and rebuilt mid-flight and feature extended solos, real-time call-and-response, and transitions that render the entire program as a through-composed arc rather than a sequence of isolated tunes. 

Zeger’s musical path weaves from the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra to major film and TV scoring sessions. She has toured or recorded with artists ranging from Hans Zimmer and Jeff Lynne’s ELO to Annie Lennox, CeeLo Green, Miley Cyrus, and Postmodern Jukebox. A Yamaha Artist and trained opera singer, Zeger is also a songwriter with solo albums that spotlight her hybrid of lyrical violin writing and jazz-inflected vocals.

Pesaturo is the only person to win world championships in acoustic, digital, and jazz accordion. He also holds the Guinness World Record for the longest marathon performance on accordion, which clocked in at 32 hours and 14 minutes. Educated at the New England Conservatory in Contemporary Improvisation, the accordion virtuoso has appeared at the White House four times, as well as on The Late Show with David Letterman and multiple international broadcasts. Pesaturo is committed to expanding the instrument’s vocabulary, often performing largely improvised sets that move from bebop to folk idioms, tangos, and club-tempo textures. He has delivered talks (TED, Google, EG) on the modern accordion and its evolving role in improvising music.

For tickets ($35) and information, please call 626.355.4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org. Sierra Madre Playhouse is located at 87 West Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, CA 91024.

Date:
Venue:
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Organization:
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Genres:
Jazz
Categories:
Live Event
City: Sierra Madre
Price Range:
$12-$35
Email:
info@sierramadreplayhouse.org
Phone:
(626) 355-4318
Buy Tickets
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Performers

Leah Zeger violin & vocals
Cory Pesaturo accordion

Sierra Madre Playhouse

Sierra Madre Playhouse

87 West Sierra Madre Boulevard
Sierra Madre, CA 91024
United States

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Sierra Madre Playhouse, a vibrant Southern California cultural hub with a rich history spanning a century, energizes audiences and the community with distinctive theatrical productions and captivating live performances. 

 

Hailed as a “jewel” (Pasadena Weekly) and “a landmark theater” (ABC7 Los Angeles), it has garnered tremendous accolades for its varied repertoire and thought-provoking education and outreach programs curated with social impact in mind. The Los Angeles Times proclaims, “This is theater from the heart.” As one of San Gabriel Valley’s only performing arts center presenting a broad spectrum of performance genres, including theater, music, dance, film, comedy, and family-friendly productions featuring eminent local and national professional artists, the treasured artistic beacon draws audiences from across the Southland. 

 

The intimate 99-seat Sierra Madre Playhouse offers an up-close and personal connection to performances that resonate deeply, earning multiple Ovation Awards, NAACP Awards, and LA Times Critics' Choice honors. In 2023, Rep. Judy Chu named the Sierra Madre Playhouse as a leading ‘Nonprofit of the Year’ in the San Gabriel Valley. The playhouse was given the honor during the 2023 Congressional Leadership of the Year Awards, which recognizes the leadership and volunteerism in the cities making up California’s 28th Congressional District. It is nestled into a historic building on the inviting Main Street of Sierra Madre, a charming village in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. 

 

Retaining its distinctive movie theater façade and instantly recognizable marquee, the structure has undergone numerous transformations since opening in 1910, from furniture emporium to silent movie theatre to the artistic institution that now stands as a vibrant embodiment of the region’s rich cultural legacy. The Sierra Madre Playhouse fosters creativity that aspires to bridge divides and spark dialogue, all while celebrating the rich tapestry of the American experience and the enduring pursuit of shared understanding.