About

Hi, I’m Josh Tomiak. I created the Tomiak Chemnitzer Site to share the story and sound of a Chemnitzer concertina passed through the Tomiak family. The Chemnitzer is an accordion-like instrument primarily used in polka music, and my great-grandfather Walter Maczka bought one in the 30s in Chicago. He learned to play quite well and performed with a polka group in the city.

Many years later, my grandparents showed me his instrument and encouraged me to learn more and try playing it. As part of my music and computer science studies at UVA, I decided to build this site. Here I share a digital instrument I made from sampling the Chemnitzer, my great-grandfather’s large library of sheet music, and articles about the Chemnitzer’s history, story, and function.