MACr HONOREES and Accordions Bought in Their Honor

   Lou Jacklich has been a professional accordionist for 75+ years. He started accordion lessons at the age of 7 under the guidance of his father, Louis G. Jacklich and his uncle, Rudolph Jacklich, who both played the instrument.  In 1940, at the age of 10, Lou played solo accordion with the National Institute of Music and Arts annual junior musicians’ concert, comprised of 5000 pupils from the West Coast and Canada, at the Golden Gate International Exposition. 

He got his union card at the age of 17 in order to tour with the Vaudeville Orpheum Circuit, and he taught for the Meni-Ketti studio. Lou studied music at San Francisco State College. He joined the U.S. Navy and served during the Korean War.

In the 50's Lou founded the “Lou Jacklich School of Music” with 450+ students and 9 teachers. In the late 50’s he was a pioneer on the electronic accordion and was in high demand with his virtuoso artistic arrangements. In 1959 Lou-Rich Publications was formed by Lou Jacklich and Richard Whitmire in San Lorenzo.  

  Lou has received local and international acclaim. In 2014 the Accordionists and Teachers Guild recognized Mr. Jacklich in honor of his lifetime dedication to the accordion profession. That same year the San Francisco Accordion Club presented him with the Club’s first lifetime achievement award in recognizing his distinguished teaching and performance career. He was also the Cotati Accordion Festival Honorary Director in 2016.

Currently, Lou Jacklich teaches and is an active member of several local accordion clubs in the San Francisco area. He performs his own jazz arrangements to the delight of audiences.