He was born in Rome, Italy, where he studied law as well as violin and viola, completing both his university degree and conservatoire diploma in 1962. Encouraged by his teacher, Remy Principe, he chose to become a professional violist and soon joined two well-known chamber groups based in Rome, Solisti di Roma and Quartetto Nuova Music. 

In 1965 he moved for the first time to London where, with the help of a British Council Scholarship, he studied for two years at the Royal Academy of Music with Gwynne Edwards. There was also another reason for his presence in London: the English violinist Diana Cummings, whom he had met in Italy, at a summer music course in Taormina! 

On his return to Rome he studied with Bruno Giuranna, at the same time working as a freelance orchestral and session player. Together with Diana Cummings, now his wife, he founded the Cummings-Iorio String Quartet and the Gruppo Roma Musicale. 
 
In 1971 Luciano and Diana moved to London, where for a short period they played in the Cummings String Quartet with Diana's brothers Julian, second violin, and Douglas, cello. Luciano was then offered the principal viola position with the famous Italian chamber orchestra I Solisti Veneti, with whom he toured widely. The touring did not cease when Luciano left the orchestra in 1975, for then he and Diana founded the Cummings String Trio and later joined the English String Quartet, ensembles which have toured widely in Great Britain, Europe and the USA and have made many recordings. Luciano has also been very much in demand as a freelance orchestral player, playing with some of the major London symphony orchestras and holding the position of principal viola with several chamber orchestra. He has also been active as a commercial sessions player. 

Luciano has played concertos on both viola and viola d'amore, and in 1980 he gave the first performance of the Viola Concerto (Second Night Journey under the Sea) written for him by Douglas Young, and in 1982 of the Sinfonia Concertante for viola and cello by Wilfred Josephs. He teaches viola at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music in London, and at Eton College, and has taught at many music courses in this country and abroad. He has been also an active member of the Musicians'Union, and from 1993 until 1995 he was the first elected chairman of the Freelance Orchestral Section Committee. 

In 1995 he founded the London Festival of Chamber Music, of which he is not only Executive and Artistic Director, but also one of its main performers, having taken part in all the Festival concerts. 

Luciano and Diana have three children: Damian, born in 1972, has started a successful career as conductor; Simon (1974) is studying to become an operatic tenor; Camilla (1978) uses her talents to create hair-styles!