Quartetto Gelato
Virtuosic showpieces, romantic tenor arias, gypsy pyrotechnics and a World Accordion Champion – this is Quartetto Gelato. Music meets theatre and audiences are taken on an unforgettable musical journey by quartet members Peter De Sotto (violin, mandolin, tenor), Alexander Sevastian (accordion, piano, bandoneon), Elizabeth McLellan (cello, double bass) and Colin Maier (oboe, clarinet and banjo, among others).
For over 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 thrills its audiences with multi-instrument mastery and offers the bonus of a brilliant operatic tenor. With a performance repertoire that spans 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 create an intimate rapport with audiences of all ages.
Quartetto Gelato established itself as a dominant force on the music scene early in its career by winning the coveted title of NPR Performance Today’s Debut Artist of the Year. The selection panel noted that the quartet was “an amazing ensemble that achieves the nearly impossible: they play salon music with real style and classical music with real precision … [They have] 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 broadcast across the U.S. on PBS. Recent concerts have included performances with the Toronto and Quebec Symphonies, as well as prestigious engagements at the Toronto Luminato Arts Festival, the Calgary Mozaic Festival, and the 4X4 Festival in Binghamton, NY.
Quartetto Gelato is regularly heard on CBC, Classical 96.3 FM in Toronto and the NPR, PRI, and NUR networks and can be seen frequently on PBS stations.
Always active in the recording studio, the quartet has just released its seventh CD Musica Latina featuring music of Latin America. Previously, Quartetto Gelato recorded Quartetto Gelato Travels the Orient Express celebrating the original journey of the famous luxury train and featuring music from London to Istanbul. Since the release in spring of 2004, the recording has met with extensive critical and public acclaim. Other recordings, which have played a significant role in the group’s increasing popularity, are Neapolitan Café, Aria Fresca, Rustic Chivalry, and the 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. Quartetto Gelato was featured on the Hollywood soundtrack Only You.
