Quartetto Gelato October 20, 2010

Join the Bakersfield Community Concert Association for an evening with Quartetto Gelato.
Virtuosic showpieces, romantic tenor arias, gypsy pyrotechnics and a World Accordion Champion -- this is Quartetto Gelato. Where music meets theatre and audiences are taken on an unforgettable musical journey!

For more than a decade, this dazzling ensemble has enchanted audiences and critics worldwide with their exotic blend of musical virtuosity, artistic passion, and charismatic anecdotes. Classical in training, eclectic by design, Quartetto Gelato not only thrills its audiences with its multi-instrument mastery, but also offers the bonus of a brilliant operatic tenor. With a performance repertoire that travels the globe, including classical masterworks, operatic arias, the sizzling energy of tangos, gypsy and folk songs, the group’s theatrical stage presence and relaxed humor establishes an intimate rapport with audiences worldwide.

Quartetto Gelato established themselves as dominant forces on the music scene early in their career by winning the coveted title of NPR Performance Today’s Debut Artist of the Year, the selection panel concluding the quartet was “an amazing ensemble that achieves the nearly impossible: they play salon music with real style and classical music with real precision; great chops and a commitment in all that they play.” In 2007, the group’s first DVD, Quartetto Gelato: A Concert in Wine Country! was picked up by PBS throughout the U.S. for broadcast. Recent concerts have included performances with the Toronto and Quebec symphonies, as well as prestige engagements, including the Toronto Luminato Arts Festival, the Calgary Moziac Festival, and the “4X4” Festival in Binghampton, NY.

Quartetto Gelato is regularly heard on CBC, Classical 96.3 FM, NPR, PRI, and NUR networks. Their Concert in Wine Country DVD is seen regularly on PBS. Their seven CDs have sold more than 150,000 units to date, and they have been featured on the Hollywood soundtrack, Only You.

Always active in the recording studio, the quartet has recorded its seventh CD, Musica Latina, featuring music of Latin America. Previously, Quartetto Gelato released Quartetto Gelato Travels the Orient Express, celebrating the original journey of the famous luxury train and featuring music from London to Istanbul. Since its release in Spring of 2004, the recording has met with extensive critical and public acclaim. The previous recordings, which have played a significant role in the group’s increasing popularity, are Neapolitan Café, Aria Fresca, Rustic Chivalry, and their debut recording, simply entitled Quartetto Gelato. The latter two CDs have literally been heard around the world, since they accompanied Canadian astronaut, Dr. Robert Thirsk, during his NASA flight on board the space shuttle Columbia in 1997.

Peter De Sotto, violin, tenor

Born in Toronto, Peter is a remarkable talent, who possesses the ability to perform not only as a classical musician but also as a spirited gypsy virtuoso, with the added bonus of a brilliant operatic tenor. His voice repertoire ranges from light pop, to authentic Irish folksongs to the great Italian operatic arias including Turandot’s “Nessun Dorma.”

De Sotto has been referred to as “a credible Pavarotti stand-in” (Stereo Review).
De Sotto has recently performed the role of Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata, and just played a starring role in the Canadian Musical Heartstrings.

“Whenever Peter De Sotto (tenor, violin, mandolin) released his natural, Italianate tenor – usually in Sicilian and Neapolitan folk Songs – I found tears springing to my eyes.

It hardly seems fair that he’s also a violin wiz who tossed off a gypsy number at
dizzying speed.” (National Post)

Not only is Peter “an amazing violinist capable of playing any style of music convincingly” but he has “one of the most gorgeous voices I have ever heard. I couldn’t believe any one person could possess that much talent.”
(Glenn Dicterow, concert master, New York Philharmonic)

Alexander Sevastian, accordion

Born in Minsk, Alex began his studies on the accordion at the age of seven. In 1991, he attended the Glinka Musical College in Minsk. His advanced studies took him to the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow where he received his Masters in Performance degree in 2002, studying with renowned performer and pedagogue, Friedrich Lips.

Alex began his professional career in Moscow in 1996, performing with the Russian Radio Orchestra, with which he toured as a soloist throughout Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Alex also was a very active recitalist and chamber musician. Highlights of his career include appearances in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Glinka Capella Hall (St.Petersburg), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Minato Mirai Hall (Yokohama), Roy Thomson Hall (Toronto), Jack Singer Hall (Calgary) and Metropolitan Museum (New York). Recent solo engagements include recitals in Mexico, Italy, Portugal, Serbia, U.S.A. and Canada as well as appearances with several symphony orchestras.

Alex made his debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under a baton of Peter Oundjian in April 2008, playing Malcolm Forsyth Accordion Concerto at the New Creations Festival. One of the highlights of 2008-09 season was Alex’s Debut Atlantic tour in Eastern Canada in February 2009.
Alexander Sevastian joined Quartetto Gelato in 2002. Alex (accordion, piano, bandoneon) has won four International Accordion Competitions, including the Oslofjord in Norway (1998), The Cup of the North in Russia (2000), the Anthony Galla-Rini Accordion Competition in the U.S.A. (2001) and The Coupe Mondiale in the U.S.A. (2007).
Alex lives in Toronto with his wife Anna and son Vladimir. In the fall of 2005, he became a Canadian citizen.

Elizabeth McLellan, cello

Currently cellist for Canada’s well known musical ensemble Quartetto Gelato, Liza has performed as soloist in front of orchestras across North America and has toured other countries such as China and Korea. In addition, she is a regular performer for Toronto’s Soundstreams series, and recently had the opportunity to premiere R. Murray Schaffer’s new work “The Childrens Crusade”. She also works with numerous orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout Ontario including the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Thunder Bay Symphony and Orchestra London. In addition, Liza has performed as a featured soloist and chamber musician onstage the prestigious Glenn Gould Studio (Toronto), The Heleconian Club (Toronto), and The Arts Project (London). Recent chamber work has taken her to perform in other venues in such cities as New York, Montreal, Vancouver, and Granada in the Caribbean and all over Germany. Liza has been recorded both by CBC radio and CBC television, Canada and has also performed live for the television show for Canada A.M as well as 96.3 FM radio.

In 2007, Liza was the recipient of the RBC Youth Achievement Award and was able to study on full scholarship with Aldo Parisot at the Banff Center for the Performing Arts. Winner of the Thomas Jeffrey scholarship, the University of Western Ontario's highest and most esteemed bursary given to graduate students in the music program, Liza has recently completed her Masters in Music degree under the tutelage of Dr. Thomas Weibe. She also won second place in London's Music Scholarship Foundation competition and first place in Regina’s Music Club competition. An eclectic musician, she has also performed live for Toronto’s Much Music Video Awards, Summer Rush in Wonderland, and on-stage at the Air Canada Center (Toronto), at Club Soda (Montreal), at Copps Coliseum (Hamilton), and at the Molson Amphitheatre in London.

Ms. McLellan previously studied at the Glenn Gould School of Music in Toronto, Ontario and completed a Performance Diploma there in 2003 as a student of David Hetherington. In 2002, Liza toured with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada on a full scholarship taking her to Japan, Hong Kong, and numerous cities in Ontario and British Columbia. For the first four years of her post secondary education, Liza was the chosen recipient of a large government grant awarded by the Saskatchewan Arts Board.

Elizabeth began playing cello at the age of five in her hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan. She played Principal Cello with the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra, winning a large music scholarship during her final year and by the age of 17 she was a full contracted member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra.

Colin Maier, oboe

Born and raised in Calgary (Go Flames Go!), Colin graduated from the University of Calgary in 1997 with a degree in oboe performance studying with David Sussman. While preparing repertoire for his senior recital, Colin discovered Quartetto Gelato’s first CD. “I have never heard anything like this before!” - remarked Colin. Since then QG has remained a constant inspiration and musical measuring stick. “It is the greatest honor to follow in Cynthia’s footsteps and to share a stage (and while on tour, a carpool and hotel room) with these world class musicians”.

As an oboist he has played with groups such as; The Calgary Philharmonic, National Ballet, Symphony of the Kootenays, Scarborough Philharmonic, Contact Contemporary Music Ensemble, Niagara International Chamber Music Festival, The Jive Mommas, High Strung, The Fabulous Doo-Wop Boys, The Plaid Tongued Devils and “The Jersey Boys” Orchestra . In 2002, he was a featured Jazz oboist at the International Double Reed Festival where he performed and conducted a jazz master class with legendary jazz bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz.

In addition to oboe, Colin also plays clarinet, english horn, violin, 5-string banjo, acoustic/electric bass, piano, saxophone, flute, guitar and harmonica. He has yet to master the kitchen sink despite years of training…. much respect to the members of STOMP.

Outside of music, Colin also works as a dancer, actor, stuntman, singer, choreographer, acrobat and martial-artist. Most recently, Colin had the honour of playing the devil fiddler in the flying blue canoe for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremonies." Other shows include; “Lord of the Rings” (Mirvish), Fire (CanStage), “Forbidden Phoenix” (LKTYP), “KA” (Cirque du Soleil), “Amadeus” (Alberta Theatre Projects), “That Dance Show” (Saltance Productions), “Cats” (Neptune Theatre), Joseph’s Dreamcoat (StageWest/Drayton), “A Chorus Line” (StageWest), Sarah Brightman’s World Tour, and TV’s “Honey I Shrunk the Kids!”.

Colin currently lives in Toronto with his wife Sonya and 6 year old son Xavier.

Call (661) 205-8522 for information.

Official Website: http://www.bakersfieldcca.org