Individual files

The grandson of an accordion player, Luzio Altobelli was given his first accordion at the tender age of eight. A few years later, after percussion studies at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal (1997-2001), he resumed his learning of the accordion. Around the same time, he formed Manouche, a group that has been active on the Montréal scene for eight years. In 2002, they recorded their first album Apprenti Moustachu, followed by St-Urbain Café three years later. A third album will follow in Spring 2009.

In 2004, Luzio Altobelli started the accordion sextet Fiszarmonia and Ironico Orkestra, a bass clarinet/accordion duo that has released its debut album in November 2007. In 2001, he jumped aboard Fanfare Pourpour, with whom he recorded Le Bal two years later. He also participated to the recording of Fanfare’s third album Karousell Musik. In 2002-2003 he also played accordion in Jeszcze Raz, while working on arrangements and recordings for Che la vita with Marco Calliari. Since 2006, he is a member of the traditional folk group Bon Débarras, for whom he also arranges and writes.

With all these bands, Luzio is exercising his composition and arrangement muscles. With his trusty accordion, he loves to back singers, journeying that way through traditional music from here and abroad, ever since the last few years of the Cafe Sarajevo. His experiences have brought him to appear on several projects, if only for one song, including collaborations with Mara Tremblay, Tomas Jensen et les Faux-Monnayeurs, and many others.

Luzio has also recorded music for documentaries, TV series, movies and plays, often for Concordia University film students.