THE unusual pairing of saxophone – Canadian saxophonist David Zucchi – and accordion – Spanish accordionist Inigo Mikeleiz-Berrada – is featured in the April series of Concerts in the West, at Bridport, Ilminster and Crewkerne on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th.

The London-based Mikeleiz-Zucchi Duo have won a number of awards including the Royal Overseas League Annual Music Competition’s Mixed Ensemble Prize and are City Music Foundation Artists.

Their repertoire spans everything from reimagined traditional works to contemporary compositions and improvisation, all vividly rendered by the unique combination of saxophone and accordion.

After their debut concert at the Vale de Cambra Classical Music Festival (Portugal) in 2019, the duo has performed across the UK and Europe, including appearances at Wigmore Hall, Edinburgh Fringe, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Buxton International Festival, the Rosengart Museum (Lucerne), and St. George’s Bristol.

They have appeared on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and were 2023 residents at Music at Brel (Roquecor, France). The duo is dedicated to the generation of new repertoire for their instrumentation. Individually, Iñigo and David have distinguished themselves as award-winning interpreters of classical, improvised, contemporary and experimental music.

There are three concerts, at Bridport Arts Centre for the usual coffee concert at 11.30am on Friday 11th, Ilminster Arts Centre that evening at 7.30pm and Saturday 12th at Crewkerne Dance House at 7.30pm. The programme includes their arrangement of Granados’ 12 Spanish Dances, Aileen Sweeney’s Mirrie Dancers, their arrangement of Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, Alex Paxton’s Water Butt: Lovers, Snorkel and Bartók’s Dance Suite (arr. MZ Duo).