Accordionist Julien Labro will perform with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra on Friday, February 15, 2019 – Sunday, February 17, 2019 at the Belding Theater at The Bushnell on Friday & Saturday at 8:PM and Sunday at 3:PM

The program includes:
Copland “El Salón México”
Piazzola “Libertango”
Piazzolla “Aconcagua, Concerto for Bandoneón”
Frank “Three Latin American Dances”

Márquez “Danzón No. 2”
Featuring
Adam Boyles, conductor
Julien Labro, bandoneón

French-born Julien Labro was 9 years old when he saw a televised accordion performance and knew he wanted to play. His parents rented him an accordion, and signed him up for lessons. He quickly mastered the instrument, earning him spots in competitions across Europe. In the years since, Labro performed at festivals and venues in Europe, North America, the Middle East and South America.

He accompanied and collaborated with groups and artists such as Hot Club of Detroit, Brazilian pianist Joao Donato, Argentinean composer and pianist Fernando Otero and big band leader Maria Schneider. Labro also plays the bandoneon — an instrument related to the accordion and considered essential in tango ensembles.

Excerpts from his website: After graduating from the Marseille Conservatory of Music, Labro began winning international competitions and then moved to the U.S. for further studies. He has shared the stage and/or recorded with many distinguished artists, including João Donato, Cassandra Wilson, Miguel Zenón, James Carter, and Tommy Emmanuel. Labro has played for audiences throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. He has also been enlisted as an arranger and/or soloist by the Spektral Quartet, Curtis On Tour, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and many more. His artistry, virtuosity, and creativity as a musician, composer, and arranger have earned him international acclaim and continue to impress audiences worldwide.

It’s a Latin-infused festival of love! Copland’s dazzling El Salón México captures the spirit of a dance hall he visited during his first trip to Mexico. Piazzolla revolutionized tango music, and his sizzling Libertango intertwines the style with elements of jazz and classical. His fiery Aconcagua will feature the acclaimed Julien Labro on bandoneón. Contemporary composer Gabriela Lena Frank’s vivid Three Latin American Dances bears a kinship to Bernstein, and Márquez’s spirited Danzón No. 2 is one of the of the most popular contemporary Mexican compositions today.

Julien’s future 2019 USA performances also include:

Date Artist City Venue
01/12/19 Julien Labro & Olli Soikkeli Quartet, New York City, NY, Winter Jazz Fest @ Public Arts
Showtime: 6 PM
02/15/19 Soloist w/ Hartford Symphony, Hartford, CT, Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Aconcagua | Libertango (Piazzolla)
02/16/19 Soloist w/ Hartford Symphony, Hartford, CT, Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Aconcagua | Libertango (Piazzolla)
02/17/19 Soloist w/ Hartford Symphony, Hartford, CT, Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Time: 3:00pm. Aconcagua | Libertango (Piazzolla)
03/15/19 Julien Labro & The Chanson Experiment, Scottville, MI, Center Stage Theater @ WSCC
03/21/19 Julien Labro & The Chanson Experiment, Elgin, IL, SecondSpace Theatre
03/22/19 Julien Labro & The Chanson Experiment, Chicago, IL, The Green Mill
03/23/19 Julien Labro & The Chanson Experiment, Chicago, IL, The Green Mill
03/25/19 Mihai Craioveanu invites Julien Labro, Holland, MI Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts

About the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, excerpts from their website:The mission of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is to enrich lives and community through great music. Marking its 74th season in 2017-2018, the HSO is Connecticut’s premier musical organization, the second largest orchestra in New England, and widely recognized as one of America’s leading regional orchestras.

The HSO captivates and inspires audiences of all ages by presenting more than 100 concerts annually, including the Masterworks Series, POPS! Series, Sunday Serenades, Discovery Concerts, Symphony in Schools, Musical Dialogues, the Talcott Mountain Music Festival, and more.  The HSO aims to deliver uniquely powerful and emotional experiences that lift and transform the spirit, and to give back and help create vibrant communities in the Greater Hartford area.

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra named Carolyn Kuan as its tenth music director in January 2011; she is the first woman and youngest person to hold this title. Since beginning her tenure in 2011 she has led the HSO to new artistic heights with community-minded concerts and innovative programming.

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1934 and formally established as the Symphony Society of Greater Hartford in 1936. Angelo Coniglione, Jacques Gordon, Leon Barzin, Moshe Paranov, and George Heck were the Orchestra’s first music directors. With the appointment of Fritz Mahler in 1953, the HSO began its Young People’s Concerts and made several highly acclaimed recordings for Vanguard. In 1964, Arthur Winograd became music director and the Orchestra grew in artistic stature, performing at Carnegie Hall and other New York locations to highly favorable reviews.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Lankester from 1985–2000, the HSO received national recognition for its programming innovations, including the popular Classical Conversations and Family Matinees, as well as a series of landmark theatrical productions. From 2001–2011, Edward Cumming led the HSO to new levels of artistic excellence and innovative programming.
Each season, the HSO plays to audiences numbering more than 95,000 statewide. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s extensive array of Education and Community Activities serves 23,000 individuals in Hartford and surrounding communities annually.

For tickets to the Hartford Symphony event:
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