Medusa Quartet

About us:

Wielding a sound that would turn classical music scholars to stone, these four folk innovators are reimagining the Western string quartet. By inviting back voices previously regarded as too ugly for “polite society,” Medusa tempts us to redefine what is beautiful.

Medusa continues this manifesto on their new record:

“Weaving Gold in Broken Places”

It is said that pottery mended with the Japanese art of Kintsugi is stronger than before it was broken. This practice, which uses gold to repair and reconnect lost pieces, is the inspiration for our album.

In it, we weave a tapestry of original music and traditional tunes from around the world, each with their own story. Blending these stories with the sounds of resonant strings and forgotten fiddles, we invite you to reimagine and redefine what is beautiful.

This album is dedicated to all the monsters and misfits.

Artwork by Czarli Bajka www.czarlibajka.com

Meet Medusa - No Mirrors Required

Saskia Tomkins

Nyckelharpa, Fiddle

Capable of making you stomp your feet and cry in the same set, Saskia is responsible for Celt-ifying the hit musical “Come From Away.” She is passionate about passing along folk traditions and injecting them with new life, and is currently composing a fiddle tune for an 80-piece symphony. saskiatomkins.com

Marta Sołek

Suka, Płock fiddle, Lyra, Cello

Multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, Marta is the first person to hold a Master’s Degree in the Suka, which in English means “B*tch”. After traveling to Pakistan to learn fiddle techniques that were forgotten in her home country Poland, she effortlessly blends many folk traditions with her own virtuosic solos. She dreams of having an All-Suka Music School! @martasolek

Lea Kirstein

Cello, Viola

A powerhouse groover and innovative educator, Lea is the founder of “World on a String” - a Toronto fiddle community that values inclusivity and celebrates different learning styles. She is a master musical arranger, and is currently creating a Fiddle Workbook for students of all brains and abilities. worldonastring.ca

Portrait of Geo Hathaway of Medusa Quartet with fiddle, dressed in black and gold.

Georgia Hathaway

Fiddle, Viola, Nyckelharpa

Taking audiences to outer space with her improvisations, Georgia is a master-learner and emoter of music. After traveling to Zanzibar to learn Middle Eastern modes, Georgia continues to study different traditions and find connections between them. Bringing her background in theatre to the band, she dreams of re-telling the Medusa myth to people around the world. georgiahathaway.com

The Myth of Medusa:

One of the most misunderstood figures in ancient mythology, Medusa was wrongfully punished and cast out for being the victim of a violent act, but is remembered solely for her frightful ugliness and lithifying gaze. Medusa Quartet aims to retell this story by bringing back what has been cast out.

Marta Solek and Saskia Tomkins resurrect the Suka, the Płock fidel, and the Nyckelharpa - near-forgotten traditional folk fiddles with disreputable connotations that were rejected for centuries in their home countries of Poland and Sweden.

Learn more about these forgotten fiddles.