Brazilian-American Clarice Assad is a Grammy nominated composer, pianist and vocalist, described by San Francisco Chronicle as “a serious triple threat.” A vibrant and prolific composer, Assad’s 2017 world premieres include commissions from Cabrillo Festival, Duo Noire, Boston Classical Guitar Society, Chicago Sinfonietta, OCAM, Jazz Meets Classical, and arrangements for the New Century Chamber Orchestra and Chanticleer. She joins her legendary musical family for tours in May and August in Brazil, and was recently voted among the “Top 10 artists influencing Brazilian music today” by Wondering Sound. In Fall 2017 Assad travels to Denmark for a residency working with local artists and giving workshops and master classes in the Copenhagen area.
Assad’s works have been recorded and performed by some of the world’s most prominent soloists including Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Yo-Yo Ma, Mike Marshall, the Turtle Island String Quartet, LA Guitar Quartet, Anne-Marie McDermott, Eugenia Zuckerman, Ida Kavafian, and Chanticleer. She has been commissioned by Carnegie Hall, Fundação OSESP, Cabrillo Festival, the New Chamber Orchestra, Concordia Chamber Players, the Albany Symphony, the Harris Foundation, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, BRAVO! Music Festival, La Jolla Music Festival, and others.
The recipient of numerous awards including the Aaron Copland Award, ASCAP awards in composition, Meet The Composer’s Van Lier Fellowship, League of American Orchestras, New Music USA, NPR’s All Songs Considered, American Lyric Theater, the McKnight Visiting Composer Fellowship, the Jerome Foundation, American Composer Forum, and the Franklin Honor Society, Assad was also nominated by the Grammy Foundation for best contemporary composition.
As a performer, Assad has received acclaim for her original compositions and her arrangements of popular Brazilian songs, world music and jazz standards. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “A dazzling soloist,” Assad sings in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian and English, and thrives in exploring the voice as an instrument–creating a vast array of innovative textures and incorporating an exciting vocabulary of extended techniques into her music.
Assad’s newest work, a percussion concerto for Dame Evelyn Glennie was commissioned by the Festival, and will receive it’s world premiere on Opening Night, August 4; and Assad will be featured “In the Blue Room” on Sunday, August 6, in concert with Grammy Award-winning percussionist Keita Ogawa.
Photo: Amara Photos
