Labeled an “A-list star” in Chamber Music America, Julien Labro is a familiar name with many major chamber music series, including Princeton University Concert Series, UMS, Caramoor Music Festival, Gilmore Keyboard Festival, SF Performance, etc. Working closely with presenters, Labro creates customized musical programs, which range in instrumentation (solo, duos to quintets) and repertoire, to fit the musical vision of each series.
See repertoire examples here.
The Big SqueeZe
Labro’s recent performances at UMS, Gilmore Keyboard Festival and the Princeton University Concert Series showcase Labro’s passion for the squeezebox. Using his full arsenal (accordion, bandoneon, accordina) and music ranging from classical composers (Bach, Scarlatti, Albeniz, etc.) to Piazzolla and his own compositions, Labro highlights the versatility and beauty of these instruments across musical eras and genres.
100 Years of Piazzolla
At the tender age of 12, Labro purchased Piazzolla’s Libertango from a used record store. Mesmerized, he was inspired to learn the bandoneon, thereby resetting the trajectory of his musical voice. In honor of the upcoming centennial of Piazzolla’s birth, Labro has developed a program that will simultaneously remind audiences of why they love Piazzolla with classics such as Libertango, Adios Nonino, etc. while introducing the audience to some of the maestro’s forgotten gems.
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The Chanson Experiment
Inspired by the music of his childhood (Piaf, Brel, Aznavour, etc.,) Labro composes and arranges French Chansons with a modern perspective. The accordion shines at the forefront of this program, which follows Labro into a new territory that simultaneously embraces, challenges and reimagines classics for the contemporary audience. Presented by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and UMS, this program has been received with standing ovations time and again.
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Collaborations
Duo with Jason Vieaux
After meeting at a post-gig hangout in 2007, Labro and Grammy winning classical guitarist, Jason Vieaux, decided that the only thing better than playing classical music on their “not-so-typically classical” instruments – would be to do it together. The duo have since toured throughout North America with their chamber program – taking audience members on Latin-inspired journeys through original arrangements of music by Piazzolla, Gnattali, Brouwer, etc. from their albums Piazzolla and Infusion. The duo have also collaborated with numerous orchestras, such as the Orchestra of St. Luke, A Far Cry and many more to perform the works of Astor Piazzolla, including his Double Concerto & Labro’s arrangement of Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.
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Labro with Spektral Quartet
Labro’s critically acclaimed album From This Point Forward, is a genre bending collection of music from South America, including composers such as Astor Piazzolla, Fernando Otero and Diego Schissi. Performances of this project at Wheaton College Artist Series, Riverside Fine Arts Association, etc. have received rave reviews.
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