A farewell to Stefano Mengascini

Stefano Mengascini
(1961–2023)

How did I get started out as an accordion dealer, you might ask?

Back in early July of 2023, on a whim I filled out the contact form on Mengascini Accordions' webpage, asking them what their requirements were to be a distributor.

Within just a few hours I received a kind and encouraging reply — from Stefano Mengascini, the head of the company, not from some lowly secretary. (Can you imagine writing to Microsoft about buying some software and getting a personal reply from Bill Gates? Or even meeting the owner of your local car dealership rather than dealing with some slick salesman in the parking lot?)

My first Mengascini, freshly delivered by UPS and very securely packaged, January 2024

I am delighted to say that I've had that same kind of warm and prompt response from almost every Italian company I've done business with, in person or online, in English or Italian. I wish I could say the same for most of the North American companies I've dealt with. I hope I can deliver that same kind of personal service to my customers as the Italians did to me.

The shiny new Mengascini F6 on my workbench ready to be play-tested, January 2024

I am sorry to say that Stefano was diagnosed with cancer, and his health declined rapidly soon after I first spoke to him. I didn't get to meet him when I visited Italy in November 2023, and he passed away in December. I now do business with his nephew Matteo and daughter Lucia, who continue the tradition of fine accordion building and fine customer service.

It takes several months to create a made-to-order accordion: my fledgling shop's first new Mengascini accordion was shipped to me in January 2024, only a few days after Stefano's untimely passing.