Viola Irene Turpeinen, born on November 15, 1909 in Champion, Michigan, was an American-Finnish polka accordionist. She began playing the accordion at age fourteen after her father purchased a two-row accordion for her. In 1926, she met John Rosendahl and began touring the US with him as a duo. They later formed a trio with Sylvia Polso. After Rosendahl's death in 1932, Turpeinen married William Syrjälä and continued performing and recording with him. She is noted as possibly the first woman in the world to record accordion solos. In 1952, she and her husband moved to Lake Worth, Florida, continuing their musical performances. Turpeinen passed away on December 26, 1958, from cancer. She was the first woman inducted into the Minnesota Discovery Center Polka Hall of Fame in 1994, and was inducted into the Michigan State Music Hall of Fame on September 16, 2001.
