Heavy metal rock on a cello is what UW-Platteville was treated to on Feb. 28 as it hosted the Rastrelli Cello Quartet in the Center for the Arts.

John Hassig, director of performing and visual arts programs and facilities, said he wanted to bring in a cello group for a while. He worked with their agents before for other productions and said the quartet came highly recommended.

Photograph by Krystle Kurdi
The Rastrelli Cello Quartet performed at the CFA Feb. 28. The musical group performed high energy pieces that are not traditionally played on the cello.

“They were really, really good. They did not disappoint me at all. I wondered what four cellos would sound like and they’re great,” Hassig said.

This is the first time that Hassig can remember UW-P hosting a cello group. The quartet purposely plays music that is not meant for a cello. It can best be described as high energy with a classical touch. Many of the pieces are composed by members of the quartet.

“The performance was great. We were not expecting them to be composers, but who better to compose music for a cello than a cello player,” Platteville resident, Lynn Verger said.

According to the quartet’s Web site biography, Kira Kraftzoff, Kirill Timofeev, Misha Degtjareff and Sergio Drabkine formed the quartet in April 2002 after meeting in Germany. They named the group Rastrelli after the Italian architect who built the new capital of Russia over 300 years ago. Three of the group members were born and grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia.

“Our goal is to make the listener hear the saxophone playing in “The Melody” by Sokolov, to make a ragtime-battered piano sound in a silent movie, to let them hear Piazzola play the bandoneon again,” the group said in their website biography.

The Rastrelli Quartet performance is part of the CFA’s Performing Arts Series. The next performance in the series is William Shakespeare’s, “The Tempest” on March 8 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $14 for general admission, $12 for faculty and senior citizens, $10 for children under 18 and $5 for UW-P Students.

“I buy season tickets every year. I try not to miss anything. I enjoy everything here,” said Platteville resident, Eugene Korb.