Who doesn’t know the Quartetto Cetra? The vocal group that brought to Italy the close harmonies that remind us so much of Old America.
The Cetra had a very varied repertoire and moved with ease from cheerful Italian tunes to American swing, often arranged by Gorni Kramer. The group, formed in the 1940s and active until 1988, was certainly avant-garde for its time and stylistically far removed from the Italian musical tradition. From radio to theatre and finally to television, their shows were characterised by subtle, elegant and measured humour.
The most famous line-up consisted of singer Lucia Mannucci, arranger and ethnomusicologist Virgilio Savona (who would marry Lucia), singer, double bassist and lyricist Giovanni “Tata” Giacobetti, and singer, guitarist and drummer Felice Chiusano. The “specialities” of the individual members clearly show the connection with the most classic jazz groups, to which was certainly added a reference to the purest narrative tradition to create that magical lightness of interpretation, which has never been surpassed.
This dreamlike atmosphere can be relived thanks to the sophisticated vocals and charming stage presence of the Anakrousis Vocal Group, combined with fine arrangements performed with sensitive vivacity by the Trieste Early Jazz Orchestra (TEJO), conducted by the arranger himself, Tom Hmeljak. The Cetra pieces will be alternated with those for orchestra alone from the TEJO’s historical repertoire.
The Anakrousis Vocal Group, founded in 2009, is made up of young singers from the Slovenian- speaking community of Gropada (Trieste). It boasts a victory in the Seghizzi choral competition in Gorizia and the creation of the international youth vocal festival Vocal Explosion. The group’s repertoire ranges from traditional choral singing to jazz, pop, gospel, etc.
Anakrousis Vocal Group
Erika Labiani, soprano
Nicole Gustini, mezzo-soprano
Jasna Gornik, contralto
Erik Solinas, tenor
Rocco Pascale, baritone
Matija Kralj, bass
Host: Livio Laurenti
December 12, 2025 at 8:30 PM Teatro Bratuz – Gorizia
December 28, 2025 at 6:00 PM Sala Luttazzi – Trieste
February 21, 2026 at 8:45 PM Teatro Verdi – Maniago
Produced by: Multimusica Cultural Association – Trieste with the contribution of the Casali Foundation – Trieste.
