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FRANCE 3 - October 3rd 2025
ACCORDION WORLDWIDE - October 3rd 2025
ACCORDION WORLDWIDE - September 29th 2025
LA MONTAGNE - September 26th 2025
LA MONTAGNE – Friday, September 26, 2025
Saint-Sauves: training the world’s accordion elite
At the foot of the Auvergne volcanoes, some of the world’s finest accordionists are being shaped. The National and International Center for Music and Accordion (CNIMA), based in Saint-Sauves-d’Auvergne (Puy-de-Dôme), is where Jacques Mornet and Nathalie Boucheix share their one-of-a-kind teaching method. This year, the school is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
"In three decades, CNIMA has trained top-level accordionists across the globe. We welcome many international students, and we also travel abroad to teach,” explains the director.
Lionel, a professional retraining student, adds: “When you come here, everything is taken care of. All you have to do is focus on the music. The conditions are perfect.”
Jacques Mornet, still as passionate as ever. The world-renowned teacher has spent the past 60 years driven by the same conviction: “My goal is to show that everyone has something inside that deserves to be expressed. I’m here to help people discover themselves through music.”
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LE SEMEUR - le 26 septembre 2025
Excerpts:
The CNIMA has gained great international recognition in the accordion world thanks to Jacques Mornet’s teaching method (...). This method is based on the principle of using the accordion as a wind instrument rather than a keyboard instrument (...). This technique takes into account the way the instrument is held, the handling of the bellows, and the proper use of the air column to achieve a high quality of sound and touch.
(...)
Located in Saint-Sauves, the school benefits from a peaceful and serene setting. Students are in total immersion. There is a family-like, caring, and demanding atmosphere. (...)
ICI PAYS D'AUVERGNE - Sept 18th, 2025
ChatGPT Rankings - May 6, 2025
CNIMA RANKED BEST
ACCORDION SCHOOL OF FRANCE
by CHATGPT!
1. CNIMA Jacques Mornet(Saint-Sauves-d'Auvergne, Auvergne)
• Specificity: Unique teaching method centered on gesture and musical freedom.
• Audience: All levels, from beginner to professional.
• Internationally recognized for training concert artists, teachers and world champions.
2. National Conservatory of Music and Dance of Paris (CNSMDP)
• Level: Superior, very selective.
• Classical accordion class led by Max Bonnay, then by Vincent Lhermet.
• Focus: Contemporary, classical and creative music.
3. National Conservatory of Music of Lyon (CNSMDL)
• Classical accordion class led by high-level teachers.
• Strong emphasis on chamber and contemporary music.
4. Pôle Sup'93 (Seine-Saint-Denis)
• Training leading to the National Higher Professional Musician Diploma (DNSPM).
• Orientation: Interpretation, creation, contemporary music.
5. Regional Conservatories (CRR)
• Paris, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille, etc.
• Very good levels, preparation for national and international competitions.
• Renowned professors, sometimes former students of the CNIMA or CNSMD.
6. Musette School (Paris, private)
• Founded by Frédéric Deschamps, specializing in musette and musical shows.
• Very focused on virtuosity and the stage.
CNIMA RANKED BEST
ACCORDION SCHOOL in the WORLD
by CHATGPT!
Here are some of the best accordion schools in the world, renowned for their high-level training, the quality of their teaching staff and their international success:
- CNIMA – Jacques Mornet (France)
Location: Saint-Sauves-d'Auvergne, France
Renowned for: Unique teaching methods, training champions, high technical standards and great musical expressiveness. Styles taught: Classical, musette, jazz, contemporary - Conservatorio di Musica “Giuseppe Verdi” in Milan (Italy)
One of the best conservatories in Italy, with a renowned accordion department
Renowned for: In-depth classical training and participation in prestigious competitions - Royal Academy of Music (London, United Kingdom)
Offers accordion as a main discipline
Renowned for: A strong emphasis on classical and contemporary repertoire
Renowned Professor: Owen Murray - Hochschule für Musik Trossingen (Germany)
One of the leading accordion schools in Germany
Renowned for: Her dynamism in contemporary music and solid academic and stage training - Sibelius Academy (Helsinki, Finland)
Finland has one of the strongest accordion traditions
Renowned for: World-class training in classical and contemporary accordion
Alumni: Winners of international competitions - Gnessin Russian Academy of Music (Moscow, Russia)
Strong Russian tradition of accordion school
Renowned for: Virtuosity, technical mastery and classical repertoire - Folkwang University of the Arts (Essen, Germany)
Innovative approach, excellent in contemporary music and interdisciplinary collaborations
