Son of Lucien Galliano, an accordion teacher of Italian origin, Richard began playing the accordion at the age of four.
He attended the Nice Conservatory, where he studied harmony, counterpoint and trombone.
After moving to Paris in 1975, Richard Galliano quickly met Claude Nougaro, with whom he became a friend, accordionist and also musical director until 1983.
The second decisive encounter took place in 1980 with Astor Piazzolla: the brilliant Argentine composer and bandoneon player strongly encouraged him to create the “new French musette”, just as he had previously invented the “new Argentine tango”.
Throughout his career, Richard Galliano has collaborated with an impressive number of high-profile artists and musicians:
in jazz, Chet Baker, Eddy Louiss, Ron Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Charlie Haden, Gary Burton, Michel Portal, Toots Thielemans, Kurt Elling, Enrico Rava and many others;
Serge Reggiani, Claude Nougaro, Barbara, Juliette Gréco, Dick Annegarn, Georges Moustaki, Allain Leprest, Charles Aznavour, Serge Gainsbourg, in the field of French chanson.
The years from 2010 to 2016 were dedicated to the production of four albums (Bach, Vivaldi, Nino Rota, Mozart), an initiative by the prestigious label Deutsche Grammophon.
“My greatest wish was to give this instrument its rightful place, unjustly described as the ‘poor man’s piano’, while my accordion has always been a ‘Steinway with straps’.”
