Gamma Quintet

Gamma is a prominent Slovenian tango quintet that performs romantic and contemporary music by various well-known European romantic composers and important tango authors (mainly Astor Piazzolla’s tango nuevo). In addition, the Gamma Quintet plays music and transcriptions by a young Slovenian composer Leon Firšt, who composed 15 pieces especially for Gamma. These are mostly a fusion of music styles such as etno and jazz music and his typical composing approach. Moreover, he also composed an operetta for the Gamma Quintet, a string quartet and three vocal soloists.In 4 years since the establishment of the quintet, they have had more than 120 concerts in Slovenia, Croatia, Austria and Germany. Among others, they also performed at the Diabelli Summer Festival in Mattsee in Austria, Novska Festival in Croatia and as a part of the Jumum project in Bad Ischl and Eggenfelden. In 2009, “Novi tednik” named them the most popular music group in Celje and 2 years after that achievement, they recorded their first CD and later worked with outstanding Slovenian musicians such as: Nuška Drašček, Matjaž Stopinšek, Goran Bojčevski, Lina Rahne, Jana Kvas, Celje string orchestra, Miha Žgank and many others.The members of the Gamma Quintet are:Violinist Anja Čretnik Videmšek, a final year student of Music Academy in Graz, Austria and winner of 24 awards from competitions all over Europe. She performed as a soloist with SFK Symphony orchestra from Klagenfurt, Austria and with Youth Symphony Orchestra from Celje, Slovenia, in which she was also a concert master for several years. In 2012 she passed the audition for Wiener Jeunesse Orchestra.Accordionist Mihael Strniša, a student of Academy of Music and Music and Ballet Conservatory in Ljubljana, Slovenia. As an accordionist and singer, he performed all around Europe, United States of America and Australia, but has also regular solo performances in Slovenia.Guitarist Aljaž Cvirn, a student of Academy of Music in Ljubljana, the winner of several first prizes from national and international competitions. He is the leading Slovenian guitarist of younger generation and has regular solo concerts, among others, with successful musicians such as Jan Gričar (Slovenia) and Domen Marn (Switzerland). As a soloist he performed with Celje String Orchestra.Double bassist Miha Firšt, a student of Academy of Music in Ljubljana and first prize winner from national competition. He is the principal double bassist of many Slovenian orchestras, including Ljubljana’s Soloists Orchestra, HKC Orchestra, Camerata Musica and Celje String Orchestra.Pianist Gregor Deleja, a professor on Celje Center High School, studied at the Faculty of Education in Maribor (Slovenia) and at Music Academy of Graz. He is an active pianist but also one of most prosperous Slovenian music producers, managers and music teachers, the artistic director of the a cappella groups Oktet9 and Favoza and the founder of House of Culture in Celje.In 2012 and 2013 , the Gamma Quintet is going to have a Slovenian tour with their new jazz project. Soon after that, they are planning to start rehearsing for a performance of Astor Piazzolla’s opera “Maria de Buenos Aires” and are also going to have a bunch of concerts with their standard repertoire in Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Macedonia and Italy.