French-born and trained, Julien Labro began playing the accordion at the age of nine, influenced early by traditional folk music and the lyrical tradition of French chanson. His musical language expanded through jazz, where improvisation, rhythmic freedom, and cross-genre exploration became central to his artistic voice. After graduating from the Marseille Conservatory of Music, he earned numerous international competition prizes—including the Coupe Mondiale and the Castelfidardo Competitions—before relocating to the United States in 1998 to further develop his career.
Grounded in advanced studies in classical music, jazz, and composition, Labro appears regularly as a soloist with major orchestras in the United States and internationally. His orchestral collaborations include the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, A Far Cry, The Knights, New World Symphony, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and others. His repertoire spans Astor Piazzolla’s iconic concertos and tango-inspired orchestral works alongside contemporary concertos and original compositions for accordion and bandoneon.
His compositional voice has become increasingly present on orchestral stages, with works featured in recent and upcoming seasons. These include The Bellows of the Shark (El Fuego del Tiburón) for bandoneon and string orchestra, a second bandoneon concerto currently in progress, and Apricity, a concerto for accordion and orchestra. In 2025, Labro premiered Vivaldi 23.5, a large-scale concerto that reimagines The Four Seasons through the voice of the accordion, blending modern rhythmic language with expansive orchestral color.
Alongside his orchestral work, Labro is deeply engaged in chamber music and long-term collaboration. He is drawn to chamber settings as spaces for experimentation, where improvisation, composition, and classical tradition intersect. A central partnership is his ongoing collaboration with the Takács Quartet, developed through the Music Accord consortium. Their work includes commissioned pieces by Bryce Dessner and Clarice Assad, as well as Labro’s own Meditation No. 1. This project was documented on a critically acclaimed recording and earned Labro a Latin Grammy nomination.
Beyond the classical concert hall, Labro has collaborated with artists such as Cassandra Wilson, Maria Schneider, Anat Cohen, Paquito D’Rivera, Marc Ribot, Uri Caine, Miguel Zenón, and many others. His performances span major jazz venues and festivals worldwide, reflecting a career defined by versatility, curiosity, and a commitment to creating programs that resonate with diverse audiences.
