Clarice Assad is a classical and jazz composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

, arranger

Arranger

In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...

, pianist

Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

, and vocalist.
A native of Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, Clarice Assad has performed professionally since the age of seven. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Chicago College of the Performing Arts, in Chicago, IL, and a Masters degree in Composition from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is the eldest daughter of Sergio Assad

Sergio Assad

Sérgio Assad is a Brazilian guitarist, composer, and arranger who often performs with his brother in the guitar duo Sérgio and Odair Assad, commonly referred to as Assad Brothers or Duo Assad.-Biography:...

. She is a 2009 Latin Grammy nominee.

Her works have been published in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 (Editions Lemoine), Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 (Trekel), and in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 (Virtual Artists Collective Publishing), and have been performed in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

Clarice Assad is a NSS Music and Adventure Music artist. Her music is licensed through ASCAP and Parma Recordings. She was the featured composer for the 2008-2009 season at the New Century Chamber Orchestra

New Century Chamber Orchestra

The New Century Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1992 by cellist, Miriam Perkoff, and violist, Wieslaw Pogorzelski. The goal of the founders was to present classical music in a fresh and unique way in the San Francisco Bay Area. The music director chooses the programs and guides the artistic...

,where she currently works as the orchestra's primary arranger and orchestrator.

Compositions

Her music has been performed and recorded by orchestras, soloists, and chamber musicians,such as violinists Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg

Nadja Rose Catherine Salerno-Sonnenberg is an Italian-born classical violinist, author, and teacher. She is a United States citizen.-Career:...

 and Iwao Furusawa, violoncellist Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...

, the guitarists Assad Brothers, the LA Guitar Quartet, the Turtle Island String Quartet, the Cavatina Duo, the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet, the Philadelphia Orchestra

Philadelphia Orchestra

The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...

, the Louisville Symphony Orchestra, the Austin Symphony Orchestra

Austin Symphony Orchestra

The Austin Symphony Orchestra is the oldest performing group in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1911, and is celebrating its centenary year in 2011....

, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra performing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over 240,000 people attend its live performances each year. It was founded in 1930 and plays in 12 venues. Its home is the Orpheum theatre. With an annual operating budget of $9.5 million, it is the...

, Edmonton Symphony and the New Century Chamber Orchestra

New Century Chamber Orchestra

The New Century Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1992 by cellist, Miriam Perkoff, and violist, Wieslaw Pogorzelski. The goal of the founders was to present classical music in a fresh and unique way in the San Francisco Bay Area. The music director chooses the programs and guides the artistic...

, as well as conductors Marin Alsop

Marin Alsop

Marin Alsop is an American conductor and violinist. She is the music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.In 2012, Alsop will replace Yan Pascal Tortelier as principal conductor of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra....

 (Baltimore Symphony) and Christoph Eschenbach

Christoph Eschenbach

Christoph Eschenbach , born February 20, 1940, Breslau, Germany is a German-born pianist and conductor. He currently holds positions in Washington, D.C. as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra and music director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.-Early...

 (National Symphony Orchestra and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.), Robert Bernhardt

Robert Bernhardt

Robert "Bob" Bernhardt is an American conductor, currently the musical director and conductor of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, and the principal pops conductor of the Louisville Orchestra...

 (Chattanooga/Louisville Pops Orchestra), Kazuyoshi Akiyama

Kazuyoshi Akiyama

is a Japanese conductor.-Biography:Born into a musical family, he studied piano at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, but was fascinated by the conducting activities of a fellow student, Seiji Ozawa. He decided to study conducting with Hideo Saito...

 (Tokyo Symphony Orchestra), Carlos Miguel Prieto

Carlos Miguel Prieto

Carlos Miguel Prieto is a Mexican conductor and violinist known for his dynamism and prolific career in conducting. Son of Mexican cellist Carlos Prieto, Carlos Miguel Prieto became a member of the Prieto quartet at a young age. He is a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Universities. Since 2002, he...

 and Alondra de la Parra

Alondra de la Parra

Alondra de la Parra is a Mexican American conductor. She is also the founder and artistic director of the New York-based Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, an orchestra that promotes young soloists and composers from the Americas....

 (Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas), among others.

Her compositions and arrangements have been recorded on Sony Classical, Universal Music, NSS Music, Nonesuch, Cedille Records

Cedille Records

#REDIRECTCedille Records is the independent record label of TheChicago Classical Recording Foundation.-Company History:In 1989, James Ginsburg founded Cedille Records, as a...

, Adventure Music, Chandos Records

Chandos Records

Chandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :...

, Telarc and Rob Digital in Brazil. She has been commissioned by Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....

, the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, the New Century Chamber Orchestra

New Century Chamber Orchestra

The New Century Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1992 by cellist, Miriam Perkoff, and violist, Wieslaw Pogorzelski. The goal of the founders was to present classical music in a fresh and unique way in the San Francisco Bay Area. The music director chooses the programs and guides the artistic...

, the Rochester Chamber Orchestra,Concordia Chamber Players, Ethos Percussion Group, PRO MUSICA Chamber Orchestra, Cabrillo Music Festival, the Cavatina Duo, the LA Guitar Quartet, Aquarelle guitar quartet, pianist and Vail Music Festival's artistic director Anne-Marie McDermott, to name a few.

Performances

Clarice Assad has performed extensively throughout the USA, as well as Brazil and Europe.

As a vocalist, Assad sings in Portuguese

Portuguese language

Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...

, French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

, Italian

Italian language

Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

 and English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, but is mostly known for her "Brazilian scat" performances which combine extended and innovative vocal techniques in conjunction with the piano.

She has appeared on Brazilian, American and European radio and television numerous times, including NPR’s "All Songs Considered" as a favorite of the week, Marshal Vente’s show on WDCB, and on Chicago’s WLUW with Steve Shroeder. Clarice's music frequently featured on WNYC

WNYC

WNYC is a set of call letters shared by a pair of co-owned, non-profit, public radio stations located in New York City.WNYC broadcasts on the AM band at 820 kHz, and WNYC-FM is at 93.9 MHz. Both stations are members of National Public Radio and carry distinct, but similar news/talk programs...

 and the Columbia College Chicago

Columbia College Chicago

Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...

 radio station WCRX

WCRX

WCRX is a radio station based in Chicago, Illinois. Located at 33 East Congress in Chicago Columbia College Chicago owns the station's FCC license and facilities. The station is completely run by Columbia College Chicago students and is operated by the school's radio department.-About WCRX:WCRX...

.

Press

• “Her impassioned vocal work and her descent from one of Brazil’s leading musical families have combined to enable her to offer an inimitable style—already matured—that’s unlike anyone else’s. In contrast to the expectation of Brazilian singers remaining within a narrow range of coolness expressing romantic ambivalence, Assad rejoices through singing, her multi-faceted talent uncontainable as she energetically bends music to her will and reshapes it with fascinating results.” — Jazz Improv

• “She has that trademark Assad style of flying-fingered aplomb. At times it sounded like she had eight hands on the keys while her scat style floated effortlessly above it.” — Classical Guitar Magazine

• “[This] siren’s voice croons elegantly and seductively from the speakers on the very first note.” — Indie-Music.com

• “As Brazilian dynasties go, few can rival the breadth or depth of the tri-generational Assad clan.” — JazzTimes

• "...serious triple threat..." - San Francisco Chronicle

• "An arranger and orchestrator of great imagination." - SF Classical Voice

• "A charismatic singer." - The New York Times

Teaching

• California Brazil Camp 2011 | Body Percussion & Vocal Workshop Improvisation - Private Composition Lessons
• Conservatory, Rahway, NJ 2010-present
• Private instruction in classical piano and theory, jazz piano, jazz theory Private Studio, 2004-present
• Private instruction in composition, arranging, theory, jazz and classical piano University of Michigan, 2002-2004
• Tutor in classical and jazz theory, aural skills, dictation Roosevelt University, 1999-2002
• Tutor in classical and jazz theory, aural skills, dictation

Awards & Fellowships

• Van Lier Fellowship – Meet the Composer (2010)
• Latin Grammy Nomination for Best Classical Contemporary Composition (2009)
• The Bobby McFerrin Carnegie Hall Professional Workshop Series (For Vocalists) (2008)
• Yaddo Composer Residency (2009)
• MacDowell Colony Fellowship (2008)
• Osvaldo Golijov | Dawn Upshaw Carnegie Hall Workshop Series (For Composers & Singers) (2007)
• The Aaron Copland Award (2006)
• ASCAP Plus Award (4) 2007-Present
• ASCAP’s Morton Gould Young Composer Award (2005)
• Encore Grant - Meet the Composer (2005)
• RUMOS Itaú Cultural - São Paulo, Brazil. (2005)
• International Association for Jazz Education Award (IAJE) (2005)
• All Songs Considered NPR (Best Song Competition) (2004)
• University of Michigan. (Graduate Fellowship) (2003)
• Samuel Ostrowsky Humanities Award (2002)
• Franklin Honor Society Award (2002)
• Chicago College of Performing Arts (Undergraduate Scholarship) (2001)

Partial List of Works

OPERA

• Ópera Das Pedras Commissioned by the SESC Foundation, São Paulo, Brazil. Libretto by Denise Milan, directed by Lee Breuer, 2010

BALLET

• Essentials of Flor Choreography by Kristi Spessard Mabou Mines
  Mabou Mines
  Mabou Mines is an avant-garde theatre company founded in 1970 and based in New York City.-History:Mabou Mines is a collaborative, avant-garde theater company based in New York City...
  
  Suite Resident Artist Program. Premiere: January 2011
• Impressions Suite - For String Orchestra - Choreographed by Steve Rooks - Masterworks Festival, Indiana, 2011
• Steps To Grace Commissioned by Lou Fancher, 2002

PLAYS

• A Lição de Anatomia By Carlus Mathus, 2003

Large Ensembles

• Toward the Unknown Region - Commissioned by the Rochester Chamber Orchestra, 2010
• Suite Back To Our Roots (co-written by Sergio Assad) For strings, winds, guitar and sazouki
• Scattered Concerto for scat singing, piano and orchestra (Possible through a grant by Meet The Composer’s Van Lier Fellowship) 2009
• Dreamscapes: Fantasia for Strings and Solo Violin, 2009
• Impressions: Suite For Chamber Orchestra Commissioned by the New Century Chamber Orchestra, 2008
• Circense: For Wind Ensemble, 2007
• Brazilian Fanfare: Overture For Orchestra Commissioned by the Chattanooga Orchestra, 2005
• Concerto for Violin and Orchestra Commissioned by Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, 2004

Small Ensembles

• Suite Back To Our Roots (co-written by Sergio Assad) Arabic text by Christiane Karam, Portuguese translation by Daniel Basilio
• Z Sonata (piano, cello & violin)
• Scatocello Variations (cello and scat singing)
• Obrigado (string quartet and solo mandolin) Commissioned by the Concordia Chamber Players, Premiere 2011
• Cirandada, Clássicas Cantigas Commissioned by American Composers Alliance, 2010
• Quebra-Queixo Commissioned by the Trépanier/Donkin guitar piano duo, 2008
• Ratchenitsa (string quartet and two guitars) 2008
• Three Balkan Dances Commissioned by the Cavatina Duo, 2007
• Pole To Pole - 2 Flutes, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, piano and 2 percussionists - Commissioned by the Cube Ensemble, 2007
• O Curupira (percussion ensemble) Commissioned by the Ethos Percussion Group, 2006
• Song for my father (mandolin orchestra) Commissioned by the Providence Mandolin Orchestra, 2004
• Three Sketches Commissioned by the Assad Brothers, 2003
• Flutuante (guitar and clarinet) Commissioned by Gabriele Mirabassi, 2000
• The Imperial City (violin, clarinet, cello and piano) 1999

Guitar

• The Last Song (guitar arrangement by Ondrej Vesely) 2011
• Maré de Água Viva (guitar version by Sergio Assad) 2010
• Danças Nativas Commissioned by the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet (Nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Composition – 2009)
• Brasileirinhas Commissioned by the Eterna Guitar Duo, 2004
• Bluezilian Commissioned by the LA Guitar Quartet, 2004
• Valsas do Rio (guitar duo) 2001
• Mercador de sonhos (guitar duo) 1997

Arrangements

• Nightclub (Piazzolla) - For guitar, violin & cello Commissioned by Sens Management, Korea, 2011
• Cinema Paradiso - For guitar, violin & cello, Commissioned by Senes Management, Korea, 2011
• 4 Schubert Lieder - Commissioned by the New Century Chamber Orchestra, 2011
• Tango Suite – Astor Piazzolla (piano four-hands) Commissioned by Svetlana Gorokhovich, 2010
• Pictures At An Exhibition – Modest Mussorgsky (string orchestra, prepared piano & percussion) - Commissioned by New Century Chamber Orchestra, 2009
• O Magnum Mysterium – Morten Lauridsen (string orchestra and soprano) Commissioned by New Century Chamber Orchestra, 2008
• An International Holiday Medley (string orchestra, flute, oboe, trumpet chorus and soprano) Commissioned by New Century Chamber Orchestra, 2008
• Three Piazzolla Etudes For Solo Flute (guitar & flute) Commissioned by the Cavatina Duo, 2008
• Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 – Villa-Lobos (string orchestra) Commissioned by the New Century Chamber Orchestra, 2007
• Praeludium & Allegro – Fritz Kreisler (string orchestra) Commissioned by the New Century Chamber Orchestra, 2007

Piano

• CAMINHO PRA SANTIAGO (2010)
• WHEN ART SHOWED UP (2008) - Commissioned by Anne-Marie McDermott
• THE GRAND CIRCUS (2003)
• THE PRIMARY COLORS (1999)

Song Cycles

• Noite Fria, Commissioned by DavidMichael Schuster & Peter Fletcher (Amocanti) - Lyrics by Daniel Basilio
• The Four Elements - For piano & soprano - Commissioned by soprano Nihan Devecioglu 2010 - Lyrics by Daniel Basilio
• Love, All That It Is - 2008
• Confessions - For soprano, piano, violin & cello - Commissioned by Carnegie Hall, 2007

External links

• Official Website
• Clarice Assad on Last fm
• New Century Chamber Orchestra
• http://www.cduniverse.com/sresult.asp?qs=m691406