Quartetto Gelato is a Canadian classical crossover

quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...

with current members Colin Maier, Matti Pulkki, Kirk Starkey, and Tino Popovic, and based in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...

. Their musical repertoire consists of a mix of classical masterworks with

tangos Tangos may refer to: * "Tangos" (song), a song popularized in Spain * Tangos (district), a district or barangay in Navotas, Philippines * ''Tangos'' (album), a 1973 album by Buenos Aires 8 * ''Tangos'' (Rubén Blades album), a 2014 album by Ru ...

gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

klezmer Klezmer ( yi, קלעזמער or ) is an instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. The essential elements of the tradition include dance tunes, ritual melodies, and virtuosic improvisations played for l ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, and

folk songs Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has be ...

from around the world. They usually play without musical scores and their performances include elements of humour and dance.

History

Quartetto Gelato was originally formed in 1989 in Toronto"Musician co-founded the `Ice Cream Quartet'"
''Toronto Star'', Meghan Waters, Jan. 5, 2007 and the founding members were Cynthia Steljes, her husband Peter de Sotto, George Meanwell, and Claudio Vena. They began performing as part of the emerging "new classical" scene, and in 1996 the group was named

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

Performance Today's ''Debut Artist of the Year''. Canadian

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

Dr. Robert Thirsk took their first two CDs with him during his

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

flight on board the space shuttle Columbia in 1997. By 2007, the ensemble had recorded six albums of music and had sold 150,000 CDs. Quartetto Gelato has changed members over the years. Cynthia Steljes left the group because of ill health and died in 2006. Oboist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Colin Maier joined in 2009,. Cellist Liza McLellan joined at about that same time and then left in 2018. Accordionist Alexander Sevastian, who had joined the ensemble in 2004, died suddenly on Friday, February 16, 2018 while on tour with the ensemble in Ajijic, Mexico. Cellist Kirk Starkey joined in May 2018. The group was joined by violinist Tino Konstantin Popovic when founding member Peter de Sotto retired in the fall of 2019. Accordionist Matti Pulkki joined in 2020. Quartetto Gelato performs throughout Canada and internationally, in recital, as soloists with orchestra, and as guests at classical and crossover concerts.

Awards and nominations

In 1995 Quartetto Gelato was nominated for a Juno Award as Instrumental Artist(s) of the Year; their album ''

Quartetto Gelato Quartetto Gelato is a Canadian European classical music, classical crossover quartet with current members Colin Maier, Matti Pulkki, Kirk Starkey, and Tino Popovic, and based in Hamilton, Ontario. Their musical repertoire consists of a mix of cl ...

'' was nominated for "Best Classical Album by a Solo or Chamber Ensemble". In 1996 the group was named "Debut Artist of the Year" by

Performance Today ''Performance Today'' is a Peabody Award-winning classical music radio program, first aired in 1987 and hosted since 2000 by Fred Child. It is the most listened-to daily classical music radio program in the United States, with 1.2 million liste ...

. In 1999, Quartetto Gelato's ''La Danza'' was received two nominations at the

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States ...

s: "Best Photography in a Comedy, Variety, Performing Arts Program or Series", and "Best Editing in a Comedy, Variety, Performing Arts Program or Series". In 2005, the show ''Canada Day 2004: Merci Montréal'', in which the group participated, was nominated for "Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series'" at the Gemini Awards. Also, in 2010 Quartetto Gelato was named "Best Classical Group" at the Independent Music Awards during

Canadian Music Week Canadian Music Week (or CMW) is an industry conference and music festival held over ten days in Toronto and Ontario, Canada. History Canadian Music Week began in 1981 and has grown to become one of Canada's largest and most influential media a ...

Current members

* Colin Maier — oboe, voice, English horn, clarinet, guitar, mandolin, piano, musical saw * Matti Pulkki — accordion *Kirk Starkey — cello *Tino Konstantin Popovic — violin, voice

Former musicians

*Peter de Sotto — violin and tenor. Founder of QG *Cynthia Steljes ''(deceased)'' — oboe, English horn * Kristina Reiko Cooper — cello *Elinor Frey — cello *Lydia Munchinsky — cello *

Joseph Macerollo Joseph Nicholas Anthony Macerollo, OC (born October 1, 1944) is a Canadian classical accordionist and music teacher. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a C ...

— accordion *George Meanwell — guitar, cello, mandolin * Claudio Vena — accordion, viola *Shalom Bard — clarinet *Greg Gallagher — cello *Carina Reeves — cello *Kornel Wolak — clarinet * Alexander Sevastian ''(deceased)'' — accordion, piano *Liza McLellan — cello and bass *Charles Cozens — accordion

Discography

Albums

*''Quartetto Gelato'' (1993) *''Rustic Chivalry'' (1996) *''Aria Fresca'' (1998) *''Neapolitan Café'' (2001) *''Quartetto Gelato Travels the Orient Express'' (2004) *''Musica Latina'' (2009) *''The Magic of Christmas'' (2010) *''All Original - 100% Canadian'' (2015)"All Original – 100% Canadian - Quartetto Gelato QGPI Records"
"John Sunier, ''Audiophile Audition'', August 8, 2015" *''Tasty Tunes'' (2021)

Commissions of new works

Quartetto Gelato has commissioned works from Canadian composers including Rebecca Pellett,

Howard Cable Howard Reid Cable (December 15, 1920March 30, 2016) was a conductor, arranger, music director, composer, and radio and television producer. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Biography Cable received an Associate diploma (ATCM) from The R ...

, Michael Occhipinti,

Hilario Durán Hilario Durán (born 1953, Havana) is a Cuban-Canadian jazz pianist. Durán studied at ''Conservatorio "Amadeo Roldán"'' Amadeo Roldan Music Institute in Havana, studying tumbao with Evaristo Aparicio, composition and conducting from German P ...

Charles Cozens Charles Cozens (1784 – August 6, 1863), politician, magistrate, was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832. Cozens was born at Blandford, Dorse ...

, and Jossy Abramovich.

Compilations

*''Favourite Flavours'' (2005)

Guest appearances

*'' Only You: Music From The Motion Picture'' (1994) *

Ashley MacIsaac Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac (born February 24, 1975) is a Canadian fiddler, singer and songwriter from Cape Breton Island. He has received three Juno Awards, winning for Best New Solo Artist and Best Roots & Traditional Album – Solo at the Juno A ...

, ''Hi, How Are You Today?'' (1995)

Videography

*''Quartetto Gelato - La Danza (Music Video)'' (1998) *''CBC's Canada Day 2004: Merci Montreal!'' (2004) *''Quartetto Gelato Explores Music and Wine DVD'' (2006) *''Romanian Caravan'' (2010) *''Border Crossing'' (2012) *''Liza's Dream'' (2016)

References

External links

Quartetto Gelato's Official WebsiteAlexander Sevastian Memorial FundMaple Music Site for the groupLinus Entertainment's Site
{{Authority control Canadian classical music groups Musical groups from Toronto Musical groups established in 1994 1994 establishments in Ontario Musical groups from Hamilton, Ontario