The Mississauga Symphony Orchestra welcomes Quartetto Gelato for a performance of music that spans several countries. Quartetto Gelato Travels the World offers a program of music inspired by Brazil, the UK, France, Argentina, Germany, Canada, the U.S., and beyond.
It’s an escape from the cold of a Canadian winter with one of Canada’s most beloved quartets.
“Quartetto Gelato has a unique ability to connect audiences through music that crosses styles and cultures. Their artistry and warmth reflect the spirit of the MSO, and we’re pleased to share this program with our community.” says Maestro Denis Mastromonaco, Artistic Director of the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra in a statement.
Quartetto Gelato
Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Quartetto Gelato is known for their dynamic repertoire, which can include showpieces of the virtuosic classical repertoire, Romani music, forgotten repertoire, jazz, klezmer, folk songs, and more. They’ve sold out performances in New York, Washington, L.A., London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and elsewhere across the globe with a combination of musical artistry and humour. The Quartetto also often includes dance in their performances.
The year of their inception, they won NPR Performance Today’s “Debut Artist of the Year” award, launching their international profile. Their performances are frequently broadcast on CBC, NPR, PBS, and Classical 96.3 FM.
Formed in 1989, the current members of the Canadian classical crossover quartet include oboist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Colin Maier, accordionist Matti Pulkki, cellist Dobrochna Zubek, and violinist/vocalist Konstantin Popovic.
Colin Maier has been oboist for Quartetto Gelato since 2009. A native of Calgary, he is a graduate of the University of Calgary, with a degree in oboe performance. He has also performed with the Calgary Philharmonic and the National Ballet Orchestra, and toured across Canada with ensembles accompanying major musical theatre productions. He has been a guest lecturer/recitalist at universities across North America, and is currently the oboe professor at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Polish-Canadian cellist Dr. Dobrochna Zubek is the most recent member of Gelato. She performs as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral cellist, and is also a passionate educator. Her career has taken her to cities across Europe, Asia and North America in various capacities. Musically, she has collaborated with international artists such as Peter Gabriel, José Carreras, Shauna Rolston and Gioconda Barbuto. Previously, she has served as principal cellist of Symphony New Brunswick, the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, and Ontario Philharonic, and as a member of the Saint John String Quartet. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto.
Konstantin Popović hails from Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and that’s where he began studying violin at age five. By the age of seven, he performed as a vocal soloist in Drinka Pavlovic, an acclaimed youth choir. He entered a music high school, MS Mokranjac, and graduated with multiple awards. He then moved to Toronto, where he continued his studies at the University of Toronto. After graduating from the UofT, he became a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and National Academy Orchestra. With NYOC, he toured across Canada, in Europe and in Asia. Konstantin has served as the Assistant Concertmaster of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra as well as Sinfonia Toronto. Along with his performing career, he has contributed to Kosta Arnakouros’ instrumental CD Mediterranean Rendezvous, among other recording projects.
Matti Pulkki grew up in Finland, where he began his music studies on the accordion at the age of six. He grew up surrounded by the traditional music of his native country, along with vintage dance music, showpieces and classical repertoire. He performed and competed with the accordion as a child, and studied with noted Finnish accordionist Matti Rantanen. He earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in accordion performance from the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. He came to Canada to study for a year in 2014, returning for good in 2019. Matti completed a doctorate at the University of Toronto.
The Concert
The concert takes place February 7 at Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre.
- Find other concert details and tickets for Quartetto Gelato Travels The World [HERE].
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