Sergiu Popa is a young artist from Moldova (a former Soviet republic), who has become an important part of Montreal’s active world music scene since his arrival in 2002. A Conservatory-trained virtuoso accordionist from a Roma family dynasty of musicians, he is a specialist in traditional music from across the region of Eastern Europe, including folk, Gypsy and Klezmer styles. Sergiu also, however, has an exceptional ability to adapt to (and borrow from) the various musical languages of jazz, Latin and Middle-eastern traditions, bringing a fresh perspective and inspirational improvisations to every performance. Sergiu is also an experienced teacher of accordion, having taught privately to pupils of all ages
and levels, as part-time faculty at the Cégep de Drummondville, and offering workshops at camps such as CAMMAC Music Centre, KlezKanada
(both in Quebec), Django in June (Massachusetts) and the EEFC’s Balkan Camp (New York).
Winner of the Radio Canada Étoiles Galaxie prize (2007), the first Prix Diversité (2008) and finalist at the national Roland V-accordion competition (2009, 2013), Sergiu has performed and recorded both as soloist, toured Quebec’s festivals with the multicultural Sergiu Popa Ensemble. He is also a frequent guest artist and collaborator with other local artists such as SoCalled, Kaba Horo, Yves Lambert and the Fanfare Severni klezmer brass band. Sergiu has independently released two solo albums, Obsession Accordéon (2006) and Tous en accord (2014), as well as an instructional DVD, Gypsy & East European Accordion with Sergiu Popa (2010).
