[3][4][5] Florio was born in Carapelle Calvisio, Italy, on March 29, 1954, and moved to Toronto, Canada, with his parents in 1956.

In 1978, with the support and guidance of Sir Andrew Davis, he also studied with Franco Ferrara in Siena, Italy, before becoming the first apprentice conductor with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

[14][15] After completing the 1991 season, Florio was a guest conductor with multiple orchestras and ballet companies in Europe.

[6][28] From 2004 to 2012, Florio served as music director for the Dutch National Ballet and since then has been a regular guest conductor with the company.

[36] From 1992 to 2024,[37] Florio served as the music director for the Houston Ballet,[6] during which time he has conducted multiple world premieres, as well as the company's standard repertoire.

[39][40] In 1998 his recording with the company of Le Corsaire won an Emmy for Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts.