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The
Cappella Gabetta is a family affair, consisting of cellist
Sol Gabetta and her brother, Baroque violinist
Andrés Gabetta, with the latter serving as concertmaster of the small ensembles they recruit together. The concept is unique, but natural, for it is easy to make the cello play a major role in Baroque vocal compositions: it may take on the role of active continuo contributor if no prominent solo part is at hand.
Cappella Gabetta was formed in December 2010. By that time,
Sol Gabetta had already established a reputation as a cellist of unusual versatility, with a repertoire ranging from the Baroque to
Shostakovich.
Andrés Gabetta was a noted violinist who had worked with Baroque cellist and ensemble leader
Christophe Coin.
Cappella Gabetta has appeared at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Tonhalle in Zurich, and the Musikhalle in Hamburg, among other top halls. It has also made various festival appearances.
The heart of the
Cappella's enterprises lies in its collaborations with other artists, and this has been especially notable on recordings. It has released three albums, and the last two included high-profile sopranos in Baroque repertory:
Vivica Genaux joined the
Cappella Gabetta for an album of arias by Handel and Hasse, and, in 2017,
Cecilia Bartoli appeared on
Dolce Duello. From its beginnings, the
Cappella attracted major-label interest unusual for an ensemble that programmed Baroque music of a fairly obscure type, often including world premieres. The group's first two albums appeared on Sony Classical, and
Dolce Duello appeared on Decca.
In addition to
Christophe Coin, the artists who have joined the
Cappella Gabetta in concert have included soprano
Nuria Rial, trumpet virtuoso
Gabor Boldoczki, violinist
Giuliano Carmignola, and Baroque recorder player
Maurice Steger. Plans at this writing include tours with countertenors
Valer Sabadus and
Franco Fagioli, mandolin player
Avi Avital, and sopranos
Sunhae Im and
Julia Lezhneva.