Sérgio Assad (born 26 December 1952) is a Brazilian
guitarist,
composer, and
arranger who often performs with his brother, Odair in the guitar duo ''Sérgio and Odair Assad'', commonly referred to as the ''Assad Brothers'' or ''Duo Assad''. Their younger sister
Badi is also a guitarist. Assad is the father of composer/singer/pianist
Clarice Assad
Clarice Assad (born February 9, 1978) is a Brazilian-American composer, pianist, arranger, singer, and educator from Rio de Janeiro. She is influenced by popular Brazilian culture, Romanticism, world music, and jazz. She comes from a musical fami ...
. He is married to
Angela Olinto.
Biography
Born into a musical family in Mococa, São Paulo, Brazil, Assad began creating music for the guitar not long after he began playing the instrument. He learned Brazilian folk melodies from his father. By age 14, he was arranging and writing original compositions for the guitar duo he had formed with his brother, Odair. At the age of 17, he and Odair began their studies under the best known classical guitar teacher in Brazil at the time, Monina Tavora, a former disciple of
Andrés Segovia
Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (21 February 1893 – 2 June 1987) was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were students of Segovia or their students.
Segovia's contribution to the m ...
. Sergio later went on to study conducting and composition at the Escola Nacional de Música in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
, and worked privately with Brazilian composition teacher, Esther Scliar. He is the spouse of the physicist
Angela Olinto.
Arrangements
Over the last twenty years Assad has concentrated most of his efforts on building a repertoire for the guitar duo. He has extended the possibilities of the two-guitar combination through his arrangements of Latin American music by composers such as
Piazzolla,
Villa-Lobos, and
Ginastera as well as
Baroque to
Modern music by
Scarlatti,
Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau (; – ) was a French composer and music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera and ...
,
Soler
Soler may refer to:
* Soler Township, Roseau County, Minnesota
* Soler (band), Hong Kong based rock band
* Soler (grape), French wine grape, also known as Peloursin
People with the surname Soler
* Alay Soler (born 1979), Cuban baseball player ...
,
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...
,
Mompou,
Ravel
Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...
,
Debussy
(Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...
, and
Gershwin among others. He has completed over 300 arrangements for different chamber music settings arrangements for
Gidon Kremer
Gidon Kremer ( lv, Gidons Krēmers; born 27 February 1947) is a Latvian classical violinist, artistic director, and founder of Kremerata Baltica.
Life and career
Gidon Kremer was born in Riga. His father was Jewish and had survived the Holo ...
,
Dawn Upshaw
Dawn Upshaw (born July 17, 1960) is an American soprano. She is the recipient of several Grammy Awards and has released a number of Edison Award-winning discs; she performs both opera and art song, and her repertoire spans Baroque to contempor ...
,
Yo Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
,
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (born January 10, 1961) is an Italian and American classical violinist and teacher.
Early life and education
Salerno-Sonnenberg was born in Rome, Italy. Her father left when she was three months old. She emigrated with ...
, TrioConBrio, Iwao Furusawa,
Paquito D'Rivera,
Turtle Island String Quartet
The Turtle Island Quartet is a string quartet that plays hybrids of jazz, classical, and rock music. The group was formed in 1985 by
David Balakrishnan, Darol Anger, and Mark Summer in San Francisco. They released their first album on Windham ...
, L.A. Quartet,
Luciana Souza
Luciana Souza (born 12 July 1966) is a Brazilian jazz singer and composer who also works in classical and chamber music. Her song ''Muita Bobeira'' was featured as a music sample on Windows Vista.
Music career
Grammy winner Luciana Souza is one ...
, and Vancouver Cantata Singers.
Composition
As a composer Assad has completed more than fifty works for guitar, many of which have become standards in the guitar repertoire. His "Aquarelle" for solo guitar was chosen as the required contemporary work for the 2002
Guitar Foundation of America Competition in Miami. In 2007, he wrote the set piece for the 2008
Guitar Foundation of America Competition named "Valsa de Outono". Assad's orchestral compositions include the ballet "Scarecrow", the concerto "Mikis" for guitar and strings, "Fantasia Carioca" for two guitars which he and Odair premiered with the
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) is a full-time professional chamber orchestra based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In collaboration with five Artistic Partners, the orchestra's musicians present more than 130 concerts and educational programs ea ...
in 1998, "Interchange", a concerto for guitar quartet and orchestra premiered by the
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet with the
San Antonio Symphony
The San Antonio Symphony was a full-time professional symphony orchestra based in San Antonio, Texas. Its season ran from late September to early June. Sebastian Lang-Lessing, its music director from 2010 to 2020, was the last to serve in that ca ...
in 2009, the concerto "Originis" for violin, guitar duo, and orchestra recorded live with the
Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, and the concerto "Phases" for guitar duo and orchestra premiered in 2011 by the
Seattle Symphony Orchestra
The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Since 1998, the orchestra is resident at Benaroya Hall. The orchestra also serves as the accompanying orchestra for the Seattle Opera.
History
Beginnings
The orchest ...
with the
Assad Brothers as soloists.
Teaching
Assad has taught
master class
A master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are being developed.
"Masterclass" is als ...
es in conservatories, universities, and music schools in the US, Europe, Latin America, Japan, and Australia. From 1994 to 1996, he taught at the
Conservatoire Royal de Musique
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...
in Mons, near Brussels, and from 2003 to 2006 at the
Chicago College of Performing Arts
Chicago College of Performing Arts is a performing arts college that is housed at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
While the school is officially a part of Roosevelt University, it has its own distinct personality. The rel ...
at
Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University is a private university with campuses in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university was named in honor of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
The unive ...
. He is currently on faculty at the
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) is a private music conservatory in San Francisco, California. As of 2021, it had 480 students.
History
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music was founded in 1917 by Ada Clement and Lillian Hodg ...
.
Collaborations
The Assad Brothers have collaborated in performance and recordings with classical artists Gidon Kremer, Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, the Turtle island Quartet and Paquito D’Rivera. The collaboration with Salerno-Sonnenberg inspired Sergio to write the triple concerto "Originis" for violin, two guitars and chamber orchestra. This piece celebrates the respective Italian and Brazilian roots of Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the Assad Duo and has been performed with the
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
The New Jersey Symphony, formerly the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, is an American symphony orchestra based in the state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Symphony is the state orchestra of New Jersey, performing classical subscription concert serie ...
,
Seattle Symphony
The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Since 1998, the orchestra is resident at Benaroya Hall. The orchestra also serves as the accompanying orchestra for the Seattle Opera.
History
Beginnings
The orchestr ...
, and the
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) is a full-time professional chamber orchestra based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In collaboration with five Artistic Partners, the orchestra's musicians present more than 130 concerts and educational programs ea ...
among others and recorded live in São Paulo, Brazil with the
Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo. This recording has been released by Allegro Classical in 2009.
Awards
* 2022 - "Anido's Portrait" - Latin Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, recorded by
Berta Rojas
Berta Rojas (born 23 September 1966) is a Paraguayan classical guitarist that won two Latin Grammy Awards on 2022 in its 23rd edition with her latest album entitled "Legado", the first in the "Best Classical Music Album" category, becoming the f ...
on Album "Legado" (Latin Grammy Award for Best Classical Album)
* 2021 - "Archetypes" Grammy nominations for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance; Best Contemporary Classical Composition; and Best Engineered Album - collaboration with
Clarice Assad
Clarice Assad (born February 9, 1978) is a Brazilian-American composer, pianist, arranger, singer, and educator from Rio de Janeiro. She is influenced by popular Brazilian culture, Romanticism, world music, and jazz. She comes from a musical fami ...
and the
Third Coast Percussion
*2012 - Honorary Degree - Doctor of Music -
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
*2010 - "Interchange", a concerto for guitar quartet and orchestra, was nominated for the Best Classical Contemporary Composition at the 11th Latin Grammy Awards.
*2010 - "Maracaípe", a piece for guitar duo, was nominated for the Best Classical Contemporary Composition at the 11th
Latin Grammy Awards
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
.
*2008 - His compositions for two guitars, "Tahhiyya Li Ossoulina", received a
Latin Grammy award
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
as best contemporary composition.
*2002 - The album "Sérgio and Odair Assad Play Piazzolla" received a Latin Grammy award for best Tango album.
*1973 – Winner of Competition for young soloists – the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra.
*1979 - Winner of The Rostrum for Young Interpreters in The
International Music Competition of Bratislava (former Czechoslovakia)
List of works
* Três Cenas Brasileiras (1984) Two guitars (
Éditions Henry Lemoine) ''Pinote, Vitoria Regia, Recife dos corais (Nonesuch 1984)''
* Suite Brasileira (1986) Two guitars (Ascap) ''Baião, Canção e Samba (Nonesuch 1988)''
* Aquarelle (1986) Solo guitar (Editions Henry Lemoine) ''Divertimento, Valseana, Preludio e Toccatina'' (mandatory piece for the GFA competition 2002)
* Children's Cradle (1992) Solo guitar (Sergio Assad Music) ''Berceuse, Dreams, Morning’s Rag'' (recorded by Ricardo Cobo)
* Saga dos Migrantes Two guitars (Sergio Assad Music) ''Retirantes, Trem da Ilusâo, Metropolis, Saudades, Dança Antagonica'' (Nonesuch 1992)
* Giornata a Nettuno (1993) Guitar ensemble (Vogt&Fritz, Germany)
* Fantasia Carioca (1994) Solo guitar (Sergio Assad Music)
* Suite “Summer Garden” (1994) Two guitars (Gendai Magazine) ''Opening, Summer Garden, Farewell, The Friends, Unbalanced, Train of Thoughts, First Encounter, The Old Man, Walk on a Bridge, The Morgue, Invitation, The Well, Water Frenzy, Watermelon, Helping Hands, Rain Storm, Remembrance, A search, Dreams, Passage, Butterflies'' (GHA, Sony Classics)
* Winter Impressions (1996) Flute, Viola and Guitar (Edition Henry Lemoine) ''The Frozen Garden, Blue Solitude, Fire Place'' (composed for TrioConBrio, dedicated to Andrea Foerderreuther, recorded on "Impressions", Koch Discover International). Premiered at Nuertingen International Guitar Festival 1996 by TrioConBrio.
* Círculo Mágico (1997) Flute and Guitar (E.H Lemoine, France)
* Uarekena (1997) Guitar Quartet (E.Lemoine)
* Fantasia Carioca bis (1998) two guitars and chamber orchestra (Ascap) premiered in 1998 with the
Saint Paul Orchestra conducted by
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...
* Sonata (1999) solo guitar (Gendai Magazine) ''Allegro Moderato, Andante, Presto'' ( recorded by
Shin-Ichi Fukuda)
* Jobiniana n 1 (1986) Two guitars (Edition H Lemoine, France)
* Jobiniana n 2 (1988) Flute and guitar( (E. HL.)
* Jobiniana n 3 (1996) Solo guitar (E.HL) (rec by Shin Ichi Fukuda)
* Jobiniana n 4 (2001) Cello and guitar (rec by Shin Ichi Fukuda)
* Espantalho (Ballet) (1998) Chamber Orchestra (Sergio Assad Music) premiered by the Municipal Symphony Orchestra of São Paulo, Brazil
* Mikis Concerto Fantasia) (1999) Solo guitar and String Orchestra (premiered in Athens by Costas Cotsiolis and the Athenian String Orchestra) ''Allegro, Andante, Vivace''
* The Chase (1996) Two guitars (Nonesuch)
* Pieces for violin and two guitars (1996) (Nonesuch) ''Andalucia'' ''Fantasy on Dark Eyes'' ''Istambul (Awakening, Turkish Dance)'' ''Tatras'' ''Gypsy Songs'' ''Vardar's Boat ' Variations on Django's Nuages.
* Pieces for Clarinet and Guitar (1998) (Egea, Italy) ''Un abbraccio a Joao'' ''Menino'' ''Grumari'' ''Violetas Azuis'' ''Champ'' ''Velho Retrato'' ''Hopscotch'' ''Mangabeira'' ''Angela''
* Campusca (1996) Two guitars (Sergio Assad Music)
* Eterna (1996) Two guitars (Sergio Assad Music)
* Menino (2003) Cello and two guitars. (rec by Yo Yo Ma Sony)
* Menino (2003) Flute, viola and guitar (rec by trio con brio)
* Three Greek letters (2000) Solo guitar (Editions Henry Lemoine) ''Psi'' ''Pi'' ''Sigma''
* Concerto Originis (2001) Triple concerto for violin, two guitar and chamber Orchestra. ( premiered with the Ssint Paul Orchestra)
* 3 Divertimentos (2002) Solo guitar (GSP) ''Abaete'' ''Arpoador'' ''Parati''
* 5 World Dances (2002) Guitar and string quartet (Sergio Assad Music) ''Middle Eastern, Celtic, African, Balkan, Latin American''
* Eli's Portrait (2004) Solo guitar (Sergio Assad Music)
* Itaipava (2006) Flute, violin, clarinet, cello, piano (Sergio Assad Music)
* Tahhiyya Li Ossoulina (2006) Two guitars (Sergio Assad Music)
* Trois Brésiliens à Saint Paul (2007) Guitar ensemble (Sergio Assad Music) ''Le naïf, La joyeuse, Le reveur, Rencontre a Tricastin''
* Piatã (2007) Choir and two guitars (Sergio Assad Music)
* Alvorada Tropical (2007) 4 Guitars (commissioned by the EOS guitar Quartet)
* Sinceridade (2007) 4 guitars (written for Maogani Guitar Quartet)
* Interchange (2008) Concerto for Four Guitars and Orchestra (Editions Doberman) (commissioned by the San Antonio Guitar Festival. Written for the LAGQ) ''Sephardic Passage'' ''Gypsy Slopes'', ''Pacific Overlook'', ''Forroblues Detour'', ''Crossings''
* Valsa de Outono (2008) for solo guitar (commissioned by the GFA in San Francisco, CA; Editions Doberman)
* Familia (2008) Song for the Assad Family (written for the album songs of joy and peace by YoYo Ma)
* 6 Brevidades (2009) for solo guitar (Written for Odair Assad; Editions Doberman) ''Tarde'', ''Chuva'', ''Feliz'', ''Ginga'', ''Cantiga'', ''Saltitante''
* Maracaípe (2009) for two Guitars (commissioned by Chia Teng/ Theresa Lee. Written for Sue Wang Duo) ''Wistful Rider'' ''Crab walk''
* The Enchanted Island (2009) for Guitar Trio (commissioned by Manuel Barrueco and The Beijing Guitar Duo)
* Suite “Back to Our Roots” (2010) with
Clarice Assad
Clarice Assad (born February 9, 1978) is a Brazilian-American composer, pianist, arranger, singer, and educator from Rio de Janeiro. She is influenced by popular Brazilian culture, Romanticism, world music, and jazz. She comes from a musical fami ...
For voice, piano, guitar and
sazouki ''Leaving'' ''Hope'' ''Nostalgia'' ''Happiness''
* Suite Brasileira II (2010) for Guitar Trio (commissioned by Andrew Zohn and Columbus State University, GA)
* Phases (2010) Concerto for two guitars and Orchestra (premiered with the Seattle Symphony in January 2011) ''Recollections'' ''Old Portrait'' ''Ressurgence''
* Central do Brasil (2010) for guitar and string quartet (written for Jose Paulo Becker and the Quarteto Radames Ganattali)
* Impressiones Ibéricas (2011) for solo guitar (commissioned by
Raphael Aguirre) ''Asturiana,'' ''Catalana,'' ''Andaluza,''
* Sandy's Portrait (2012) for solo guitar (dedicated to Sandy Boltom)
* Concerto Popular do Rio (2013) for guitar and orchestra (dedicated to Pablo Villegas)
* Kindergarten (2013) for guitar trio (dedicated to the Mobius Trio)
* Alphalt Jungle (2013) for percussion ensemble.
* Suite Brasileira III(2014) for solo guitar.(dedicated to Thomas Viloteau)
* Suite Brasileira IV (2015) for solo guitar (dedicated to Paulo Martelli)
* Suite Brasileira V (2015) for solo guitar (dedicated to Alec O'Leary)
* Homage a Julian Arcas (2015) for solo guitar
* Imbricatta (2015) for solo guitar (dedicated to Marc Teicholz)
* Anido's Portrait (2015) for solo guitar (commissioned by
Berta Rojas
Berta Rojas (born 23 September 1966) is a Paraguayan classical guitarist that won two Latin Grammy Awards on 2022 in its 23rd edition with her latest album entitled "Legado", the first in the "Best Classical Music Album" category, becoming the f ...
)
* Sonhos e Memorias (2016) for English Horn and Orchestra.
* Sun Wukong's Toccata (2016) for solo guitar (dedicated to Sue Meng)
* Shadows and Light (2016)for solo guitar (dedicated to David Tanenbaum)
* Variaciones sobre un estudio de F. Sor (2016) for solo guitar
* Suite One Week in Rio (2016) for guitar duo (dedicated to Woch&Guzik Duo)
* Variations on a Lullaby (2016) for two guitars and voice. (dedicated to the One Great City Duo)
* One 4 All 4 one (2016) For four guitars ( dedicated to the Quatuor Eclisses)
* David's Portrait (2017) for solo guitar (dedicated to David Russell)
* Yesterday's Tomorrow (2017) for Choir and Guitar Quartet.
* Quadros do Brasil (2017) Concerto for Cello and Orchestra. (dedicated to YoYo Ma)
* The Walls (2018) for guitar and guitar orchestra. (Commissioned by Bill Kanengiser and by Thomas Offermann on behalf of the "Bonner Meisterkonzerte Klassische Gitarre (BMKG)". Premiered in Bonn on April 22, 2018 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the BMKG with Aniello Desiderio (guitar), Thomas Offermann (conductor) and the ensemble of the HMT Rostock and the International Guitar Academy Berlin. Dedicated to Bill Kanengiser and Aniello Desiderio.)
* 12 Coloquial Preludes for solo guitar (2018) (dedicated to Ricardo Gallen)
* Seikilos Epitaph's Fantasy for solo guitar (2018) ( dedicated to Thanos Mitsalas)
Discography
* ''Latino America'', recorded with the
Armorial Orchestra (1974) Continental 1-035-404-006.
* ''International Rostrum of Young Performers'' (1979) Opus 9110041/2. 2-LP set including various performers. Assads play
Domenico Scarlatti,
Villa-Lobos and
? Petit.
* ''Complete Villa-Lobos works for solo guitar'' (1978) Kuarup Discos KLP 003/4
* ''Os Choros de Camera'' (1980) Kuarup MKCD-002. Sergio plays Choro No. 1.
* ''Musica Nova do Brasil'' (solo recording by Sérgio) (1981) Funarte/Promemus MMB 81.022. This CD can be heard a
Funarte's web site.* ''Marlos Nobre''/''Yanomani'' (1983) EMI-Odeon 31 C 0634422921
* ''Gnattali, Rodrigo, Piazzolla'' (1984, CD released in 1983) GHA #126021
* ''Latin American Music for Two Guitars'' (1985, re-released 1993) Nonesuch/Elektra 79116
* ''Concert at the "Y"'' (February 3, 1983) Free cassette distributed to subscribers of
Guitar Review. Recorded live at the
YMCA, New York City, NY.
* ''Alma Brasileira'' (recorded November, 1987, Kruiskerk, Bergum, The Netherlands, re-released 1993) Nonesuch/Elektra 79179
* ''Violões: Projeto Memoria Brasileira'' (1989) Crescente CR 0009 (Brazil). The Duo plays
Egberto Gismonti
Egberto Amin Gismonti (born December 5, 1947) is a Brazilian composer, guitarist and pianist.
Biography
Gismonti was born in the small city of Carmo, Rio de Janeiro, Carmo, state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, into a musi ...
's Baião Malandro on this live album.
* ''Two Concertos for Two Guitars'' (1991) GHA #126018
* ''Play Rameau/Scarlatti/Couperin/Bach'' (1993) Nonesuch/Elektra #79292
* ''Natsu no Niwa Suite'' (1994) GHA #126029
*
Dawn Upshaw
Dawn Upshaw (born July 17, 1960) is an American soprano. She is the recipient of several Grammy Awards and has released a number of Edison Award-winning discs; she performs both opera and art song, and her repertoire spans Baroque to contempor ...
''White Moon: Songs to Morpheus'' (1995) Nonesuch/Elektra 79364. The Assads are on tracks 3, 6, and 12.
* ''Saga Dos Migrantes'' (1996) Nonesuch/Elektra 79365.
*
Gidon Kremer
Gidon Kremer ( lv, Gidons Krēmers; born 27 February 1947) is a Latvian classical violinist, artistic director, and founder of Kremerata Baltica.
Life and career
Gidon Kremer was born in Riga. His father was Jewish and had survived the Holo ...
''El Tango'' (1997) Nonesuch/Elektra 79462. the music of
Ástor Piazzolla
Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed '' nuevo tango'', incorporating elements fr ...
. The duo accompanies on tracks 1 and 10.
*
Yo Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
''Soul of the Tango'' (1997) Sony Classical/SME SK 63122.; the Assads play
Piazzolla's Tango Suite.
* ''Fuga y misterio'' (1998) GHA #126027. NOTE: This album is by Odair Assad. Odair, Sérgio, cellist Edmond Carlier, and violinist Fernando Suarez Paz play works by Piazzolla,
? Lucky, and
Gnattali.
* ''Velho Retrato'' (1999) EGEA Edizioni Discografiche SCA 068. NOTE: This is an album of duets between Sérgio and Gabrielle Mirabassi (clarinet). All compositions are by Sérgio except one by his daughter Clarice.
* ''Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg Sérgio and Odair Assad'' (2000) Nonesuch/Elektra 79505.
* ''Sérgio and Odair Assad Play Piazzolla'' (2001) Nonesuch/Elektra 79632.
* ''Concierto de Volos -
Concierto de Aranjuez
The ''Concierto de Aranjuez'' (, "Aranjuez Concerto") is a classical guitar concerto by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is by far Rodrigo's best-known work, and its success established his reputation as one of the mos ...
- Serenade opus 50'' (2002) GHA 126.025. NOTE: This album is of the
Orquestra de Cordoba, conducted by
Leo Brouwer
Juan Leovigildo Brouwer Mezquida (born March 1, 1939) is a Cuban composer, conductor, and classical guitarist. He is a Member of Honour of the International Music Council.
Family
He is the grandson of Cuban composer Ernestina Lecuona y Casado. ...
. Odair is the soloist on
Malcolm Arnold
Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. His works feature music in many genres, including a cycle of nine symphonies, numerous concertos, concert works, chamber music, choral music and music ...
's Serenade opus 50.
*
Yo Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
''Obrigado, Brazil'' (2003) Sony Classical/SME SK 89935; the Assads play on Sérgio's arrangement of the Villa-Lobos tune "A Lenda do Caboclo" and on Sérgio's piece "Menino".
*
Yo Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
''Obrigado, Brazil Live in Concert'' (2004) Sony Classical/SME SK 90970.; the Assads play on seven of the 14 tracks.
* ''Live in Brussels'' (2004) GHA 126.055. Features compositions by
Bittencourt,
Carlos Gardel,
Juan Carlos Cobián
Juan Carlos Cobián (1888–1953) was an Argentine bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big ...
,
Astor Piazzolla
Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed '' nuevo tango'', incorporating elements fro ...
,
Egberto Gismonti
Egberto Amin Gismonti (born December 5, 1947) is a Brazilian composer, guitarist and pianist.
Biography
Gismonti was born in the small city of Carmo, Rio de Janeiro, Carmo, state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, into a musi ...
,
Pixinguinha
Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho, known as Pixinguinha (; April 23, 1897February 17, 1973) was a Brazilian composer, arranger, flautist and saxophonist born in Rio de Janeiro. Pixinguinha is considered one of the greatest Brazilian composers of pop ...
,
Charlie Chaplin.
* ''Three Double Concertos'' (2000) GHA 126.046. NOTE: Sérgio and Odair are the soloists on
Edino Krieger's "Concierto para dois violóes e cordas."
* ''Sérgio and Odair Assad and their Family: A Brazilian Songbook'' (2005) GHA 126.058.
* ''Jardim Abandonado'' (2008) Nonesuch/Elektra 79971
*''Originis'' (2009) NSS Music CD-NSS-07. NOTE: Recorded live in
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
with the
Orquestra Sinfonica de São Paulo with
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (born January 10, 1961) is an Italian and American classical violinist and teacher.
Early life and education
Salerno-Sonnenberg was born in Rome, Italy. Her father left when she was three months old. She emigrated with ...
.
Reviews
“They aren’t just soloists but a two-man, multi voice band of soloists who play instinctively well together, with consistent rhythmic intuition and soul.” - The Los Angeles Times
“The Brazilian-born Assad brothers…perform with almost telepathic unity” – The Boston Globe
“… the best two-guitar team in existence, maybe even in history… no amount of anticipation could have prepared me for the Brazilian brothers’ daringly flexible, eerily unanimous ensemble playing – it was as if they could see inside each other's heads.” - The Washington Post
“Throughout the concert, the brothers played as one… This was two persons, four hands, one mind.” – Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“A kind of wizardry lies within the playing of Sergio and Odair Assad… they produce a supple, flawless unified sound.” – The New York Times
“…Sergio and Odair, two of the finest guitarists on the planet.” – Journal Sentinel
“…it’s not hard to imagine that acoustic guitar music, when in the hands of masters like Sergio and Odair Assad, is a musical window into the heart.”- The New Jersey Star- Ledger
“Because they have been performing together for most of their lives, and because they play from memory, there is a lively interaction between them that creates the impression that they are improvising like a couple of virtuosic, perhaps even telepathic, jazz players” – The New York Times
See also
*
Latin Grammy Awards
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
References
External links
Assad BrothersUarekena performed by Weimar Guitar Quartet*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assad, Sergio
1952 births
20th-century classical composers
21st-century classical composers
Brazilian classical composers
Brazilian male composers
Brazilian classical guitarists
Brazilian male guitarists
Brazilian people of Lebanese descent
Composers for the classical guitar
Latin Grammy Award winners
Living people
Male classical composers
Nonesuch Records artists
San Francisco Conservatory of Music alumni
20th-century American guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
20th-century American composers
American male guitarists
20th-century Brazilian musicians
Guitarists from California
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians