Johnny Koenig
"The new kid in town" Johnny Koenig, a young star accordion player in the polka field, moved to Cleveland in 2006 to focus on his music. The style that Johnny plays is Americanized folk music based with roots in Europe. This style of music appeals to all ages and a broad audience.
Born and raised in New York City, Johnny grew up with polkas, first learning from his father who had his own band for many years. This is where Johnny first learned accordion. He picked up his first accordion at age five, and took private lessons from a local music teacher for a few years. Johnny, only seven years old at the time, had the honor of singing with America's Polka King Frankie Yankovic at an event in New York City. He began performing professionally at age fifteen. During his years in high school, he played trumpet in the school's concert band. Already in his short career, he has performed in eight states and Canada.
Johnny released his first professional recording in 2007 entitled "The New Kid In Town". In 2008, his CD made the second round GRAMMY ballot in four categories.
Johnny, with all the passion he has for his beloved music, is doing his best to take his music to the next level. He enjoys playing for all types of crowds, is currently working on advancing his career in music. In 2007, he produced and arranged the music for VerbBallet's "Polka Madness" dance repertoire. He is currently working on his second full-length CD, as well as recording with various musicians in rock, folk, R&B, and jazz.