A Platform for Ethnically and Culturally Inspired Music
ABOUT
Roberto Lucanero is a musician and ethnomusicologist.

He is active as a diatonic and piano accordion player, portative organ player, traditional singer, songwriter, and composer.

He was born in 1971 into a family deeply rooted in the tradition of the accordion (his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all Castelfidardo accordion craftsmen, and his mother was an accordionist). From an early age, Roberto Lucanero binds his professional career and life to this instrument. His musical training took place at the Mugnoz School in Loreto (AN), where he studied accordion, piano, harmony, and musical analysis. From his teens, he began performing as a musician, playing music ranging from contemporary music, jazz, original author songs, and folk; he debuted professionally with the Quartetto Adamo Volpi of Loreto. For several years, he directed the City of Osimo Accordion Orchestra, worked with Peppino Principe, Rossana Casale, Roberto Paci Dalò, Luca Miti, Giovanni Seneca, La Macina, and Raffaele Mazzei. A pupil of Roberto Leydi and Giampiero Cane, he graduated in ethnomusicology at the DAMS in Bologna with a degree thesis entitled "The diatonic accordion in the central Marche region." He has published various articles and essays, many of which focus on the accordion and the diatonic accordion. From 2000 to 2012, he worked with the Sales Office and the Research and Development Department of the EXCELSIOR ACCORDIONS factory, which is now a division of Pigini Srl of Castelfidardo.

After various recordings with groups and performers as a guest artist, in 2011 he released his own album entitled Marchigianista, dedicated to the music and culture of his region, Marche. Various musicians collaborated on the album, including Mauro Mencaroni, the renowned drummer with the jazz-rock band Agorà, and Andrea Mei, ex-accordionist and keyboard player with The Gang. He has been a guest musician at various festivals, among which are: Gran Bal Trad (Vialfrè – TO, Italy), Folkest (Spilimbergo – PN, Italy), Zingaria (Biccari – FG, Italy), Capodanze (Sant’Agata di Puglia – FG, Italy), Reno Folk Festival (Casalecchio di Reno – BO, Italy), Valfino al Canto (Arsita – TE, Italy), Festival Internazionale della Fisarmonica (Castelfidardo – AN, Italy), International Accordion Festival (Bridlington, England), Caister Accordion Festival (Caister-on-Sea, England), Trobada amb els Acordionistes del Pirineu (Arsèguel, Catalonia, Spain), Printemps des Bretelles (Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France), Festib’alzen (Alzen, France), Carrefour Mondial de l’Accordéon (Montmagny, Québec, Canada), Fisarmonica Pazza (Montréal, Québec, Canada), and Festitalia (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada).

He regularly teaches traditional dance and diatonic button accordion courses, both in Italy and abroad.