Specialist in Conjunto
Accordionist Susan Torres Nevarez grew up surrounded by conjunto musicians on her mother and father’s side of the family, and extending as far back as her great grandmother who also played the diatonic button accordion. Mrs. Nevarez has enjoyed playing her accordion in various Latin music genres from norteno, tejano, conjunto and crossing over into blues, jazz and folk. Nevarez's band, Susan Torres y Conjunto Clemencia, has played in various Texas festivals, such as Austin’s Rancho Alegre Conjunto Music Festival, Pachangafest, San Antonio’s Tejano Conjunto Festival, San Benito’s Narciso Martinez Festival, and many Austin music venues. Living close to Austin has allowed Nevarez to collaborate with other musicians as a studio musician. teach accordion at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, and act as a judge for Texas Folklife’s Big Squeeze accordion competition.
In 2006 she received an award from the South Texas Conjunto Association and in 2022 she had the honor of being inducted into the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame.
Kevin Curtin of The Austin Chronicle has described her as a “…button-pushing beauty…[that] jam[s] a variety of styles including cumbias, rancheras, polkas, and conjunto. Torres’s exciting instrumental prove that Tex-Mex ain’t no boys club.”
Outside of conjunto music, Nevarez enjoys serving her church community with her husband, enjoying a good breakfast with her five step-daughters, and playing ball with her two Scottish Terriers.