NORWICH – Virtuosic showpieces, romantic tenor arias, pyrotechnical solos, blazing gypsy show pieces, multi-instrument mastery and a World Accordion Champion – this is Quartetto Gelato. The world famous quartet will perform its musical magic at the Martin W. Kappel Theater, 27 West Main Street, Norwich, on Saturday, March 9 at 7 p.m.

For nearly two decades, this dazzling ensemble has enchanted audiences and critics worldwide with their exotic blend of musical virtuosity, artistic passion and humor. Classical in training – eclectic by design – Quartetto Gelato (QG) 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 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 establishes an intimate rapport with audiences worldwide.

QG 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. 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. Most recently, QG won the honor of Best Classical Ensemble at Canada’s 2010 INDIE awards. Their Concert in Wine Country DVD is seen regularly on PBS. Their eight CDs have sold over 150,000 units to date and they have been featured on the Hollywood soundtrack “Only You.”

Their 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.

The members of QG include:

Peter De Sotto, a remarkable talent whose chameleon like abilities allow him to perform on the violin not only as a seasoned classical violinist but also as a dazzling gypsy virtuoso. If that is not enough the real surprise is his fabulous tenor voice, which ranges from South America, to authentic Irish folk, to the great romantic Italian songs and arias. Peter has appeared in leading roles in numerous opera and theatre productions, was a member of The Toronto Symphony Orchestra for 11 years, and was voted Musician Of The Year in 1999 by the Toronto Musicians Association.

Alexander Sevastian joined Quartetto Gelato in 2002. Alex (accordion, piano, bandoneon) has won four International Accordion Competitions. Alex was born in Minsk, Belarus and began his studies on the accordion at the age of seven. Alex and his family moved to Canada in April 2001.

Elizabeth McLellan, cellist, has performed as soloist in front of orchestras across North America and has toured other countries such as China and Korea. 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.

Born and raised in Calgary, Colin Maier joined Quartetto Gelato in 2009. In addition to being a musician, Colin has also worked for over 20 years as a dancer, actor, stuntman, singer, choreographer, acrobat and martial-artist. This combination of high level music and theatre is quite unique and he continues to find new, exciting and ground breaking ways to combine his two passions. In addition to oboe, Colin also plays clarinet, english horn, violin, 5-string banjo, acoustic/electric bass, piano, saxophone, flute, guitar, mandolin and musical saw.

The performance by Quartetto Gelato is sponsored by the Mid York Press and Wells Fargo Advisers. Tickets range from $24-$30 with discounts for members of the Arts Council and seniors. Youth 18 and under are $10.

This is the 3rd performance in the Chenango Arts Council’s 2012/13 Performance Series. Upcoming performances include Koresh Dance Company on April 13 and Forbidden Broadway on May 11.

For tickets and more information visit www.chenangoarts.org or call 336-2787.