Nicholas Ariondo is an American accordionist, pianist, and composer. He is known for his work with various singers, such as Paul McCartney and Placido Domingo. A double Grammy Award winner with the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, he became the first American to be awarded Italy's Ancona Prize for his "Kalamatiano for Viola & Free-bass Accordion" (ACCO-Music Publishing). As accordionist-composer, he received over twenty awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for his compositions and performances. He performs classical, jazz, and world music. Willard Palmer, historian, pianist, accordionist, composer, and editor for Alfred Music Publishing, nominated Ariondo for the International Who's Who in Music.Ariondo has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Keyboard, Accordion Arts, Strings, and the Journal of the American Viola Society. The Keyboard magazine article stated, "Ariondo's skills as a composer and arranger contribute enormously to the effectiveness of his performances."