Rastrelli Cello Quartet

The Rastrelli Cello Quartet was founded in 2002 in Stuttgart, Germany, by three Russian and a Belorussian cellists. It is a string ensemble of four equal instruments, cellos.

The Rastrelli Cello Quartet took their name from that city’s prominent 18th-century architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The Rastrelli Cello Quartet performs in Europe, the U.S. and Russia.

Members

 * Kira Kraftsov (* 1971 in St. Petersburg) - founder, artistic director. Debuted his orchestral career at age 14, and studied under a variety of prominent names. 1998 - 2005 lead cellist of the Wuerttemberg Chamber Orchestra (Heilbronn, Germany). Regularly performs as a solist and chamber musician.


 * Misha Degtyareff  (* 1978 in St. Petersburg) - cellist and composer, currently a string quartet lecturer at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. The first recording of his original works "Global Oasis" for clarinet and electronics (feat. Giora Feidman) was issued 2019 by Pianissimo Records
 * Kirill Timofeev  (* 1978 in St. Petersburg) Lead cellist at the Merck Philharmonic, composer, and touring musician appeared at multiple music festivals worldwide, performed in Russia and Europe as a duo with pianist Evgeny Sinaiski. Their latest collaborative recording 'Lost in Style' was released under the label 'Solo Musica'
 * Sergio Drabkin  (* 1953 in Polotsk, Belarus) - cellist, musical arranger. After completing studies in Belarus and playing with their Philharmonic Orchestra, 2000 - 2018 he was a cellist of the Wuerttemberg Chamber Orchestra (Heilbronn, Germany). His diverse musical interests feed into the unique Rastrelli Cello Quartet repertoire.

Recordings

 * Rastrelli Vol.1 - 2003 - by Amphion Records
 * Cello in Jazz - 2005 - swing, jazz, and beyond
 * Cello in Classics (vol. 3) - 2006
 * Cello in Buenos Aires (Vol. 4) - 2008 - Piazzolla Arrangements for Cello Quartet with Piano - feat. pianist Ann Chang
 * Cello in Sentimental Mood (Vol. 5) - 2011
 * Volume 51⁄5 - 2011 - arrangements of classical works
 * Cello Effect - 2015 - well-known pieces of classical repertoire, jazz, and more - by Genuin Records
 * Klezmer Bridges - 2015 - Giora Feidman & Rastelli Cello Quartet - by Pianissimo Music
 * Feidman plays Beatles - 2017 - Giora Feidman & Rastelli Cello Quartet - by Pianissimo Music
 * Cello & Beatles - 2018 - unique arrangements of Beatles pop classics
 * A Tribute To Piazzolla - Giora Feidman & Rastelli Cello Quartet - 2021 - by Macc Records
 * "Rastrelli Effect - 2022 - original compositions from each quartet member - by Solo Musica