Julien Labro’s Vivaldi 23.5: A Bold Fusion of Tradition and Innovation

Few musicians have the vision—and the daring—to reimagine two of history’s most celebrated composers in a way that makes the familiar feel brand new. Enter Julien Labro, the master of the accordion and bandoneon, whose latest project, Vivaldi 23.5, weaves together selections from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Piazzolla’s Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas in an exhilarating musical dialogue.

Labro, whose influences range from classical to jazz and tango, describes this project as a natural extension of his artistic DNA. “I wanted to ensure the themes were present and subtly highlighted without being too obvious,” he explains. His goal was to play with the listener’s recognition of Vivaldi, allowing them to feel a connection without immediately pinpointing the source. He achieved this through rhythmic and harmonic manipulation, transforming the baroque classic into something distinctly modern while respecting its essence. The result is Vivaldi 23.5, a daring reinvention where each concerto morphs into a single movement, creating a continuous and evolving experience.

Piazzolla, a lifelong inspiration for Labro, serves as the perfect counterpoint. “Listening to his music at the tender age of 12 completely changed my life and my vision of what music could do,” Labro recalls. His arrangements of Summer and Winter from Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas showcase the evocative power of the bandoneon and bring a distinctive tango texture to the performance. Meanwhile, his interpretations of Autumn and Spring from Vivaldi, orchestrated with the brilliant Michael Starobin, inject baroque grandeur with a contemporary energy.

The structure of the program itself—alternating between Piazzolla and Vivaldi/Labro—adds another dimension to the experience. It’s not just a comparison between two masters of their eras but a reimagining of how their works can exist together, breathing new life into both.

Ultimately, this concert represents a synthesis of Labro’s career: his artistry on both accordion and bandoneon, his passion for arranging and composing, and his ability to bridge genres with ingenuity. It’s an invitation to hear Vivaldi and Piazzolla in a way you never have before—familiar yet thrillingly transformed.

What is a bandoneon?

The bandoneon is a type of concertina, originally developed in Germany but famously embraced in Argentina as the soulful voice of tango music. Unlike an accordion, it lacks chord buttons, requiring intricate fingerwork to produce its rich, expressive sound. Piazzolla’s Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas was originally scored for a quintet featuring violin (or viola), piano, electric guitar, double bass, and bandoneon, with the bandoneon’s distinct timbre at the heart of its evocative, tango-driven character.