Sérgio Assad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sérgio Assad
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Assad performing in July 2012
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| Background information | |
| Born | 26 December 1952 Mococa, Brazil |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, composer, arranger, teacher |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | fl. ca. 1966–present |
| Labels | Nonesuch/Elektra Records |
| Associated acts | Assad Brothers, Duo Assad |
Sérgio Assad (born December 26, 1952) is a famous Brazilian guitarist, composer, and arranger. He often plays music with his brother, Odair, as a guitar duo. They are known as the Assad Brothers or Duo Assad. Sérgio's younger sister, Badi, is also a guitarist. His daughter, Clarice Assad, is a composer, singer, and pianist. Sérgio is married to Angela Olinto.
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About Sérgio Assad
Sérgio Assad grew up in a musical family in Mococa, Brazil. He started making music for the guitar soon after he began playing it. His father taught him many Brazilian folk songs. By the time he was 14, Sérgio was already writing and arranging his own music. He created pieces for the guitar duo he had formed with his brother, Odair.
When he was 17, Sérgio and Odair began studying with Monina Tavora. She was a well-known classical guitar teacher in Brazil. Later, Sérgio studied conducting and composing in Rio de Janeiro. He also worked with a Brazilian composition teacher named Esther Scliar.
Music Arrangements
For the past twenty years, Sérgio Assad has focused on creating music for his guitar duo. He has made many arrangements of songs for two guitars. An arrangement is when you take a piece of music and change it for different instruments or a different group of players.
Sérgio has arranged music by famous composers like Piazzolla and Bach. He has also arranged music for other musicians. These include Gidon Kremer (a violinist) and Yo Yo Ma (a cellist). He has made over 300 arrangements for different groups of instruments.
Composing Music
Sérgio Assad has written more than fifty original pieces for the guitar. Many of these pieces are now very popular in the guitar world. For example, his solo guitar piece "Aquarelle" was chosen for a big guitar competition in 2002. In 2007, he wrote another piece called "Valsa de Outono" for a competition.
Sérgio has also composed music for orchestras. His works include a ballet called "Scarecrow." He also wrote "Fantasia Carioca" for two guitars and orchestra. He and Odair played this piece for the first time with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in 1998. Another piece, "Interchange," is a concerto for four guitars and orchestra. The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet performed it in 2009.
Teaching Music
Sérgio Assad has taught special music classes called master classes. He has taught at music schools and universities all over the world. These places include the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia.
From 1994 to 1996, he taught at the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in Belgium. He also taught at Roosevelt University in Chicago from 2003 to 2006. Currently, he is a teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Working with Other Artists
The Assad Brothers have performed and recorded music with many classical artists. These include Gidon Kremer, Yo Yo Ma, and Dawn Upshaw. Their work with violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg inspired Sérgio to write a special concerto. This piece, called "Originis," is for violin, two guitars, and a chamber orchestra.
"Originis" celebrates the Italian roots of Nadja and the Brazilian roots of the Assad Duo. It has been played by several orchestras, including the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
Awards and Recognition
Sérgio Assad has received many awards for his amazing music.
- 2022: His piece "Anido's Portrait" won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.
- 2021: His work "Archetypes" was nominated for three Grammy Awards. This was a collaboration with his daughter Clarice Assad.
- 2012: He received an Honorary Degree from the University of Arizona. This means they recognized his great contributions to music.
- 2010: His concerto "Interchange" was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award.
- 2010: "Maracaípe," a piece for guitar duo, was also nominated for a Latin Grammy Award.
- 2008: His composition "Tahhiyya Li Ossoulina" won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Composition.
- 2002: The album "Sérgio and Odair Assad Play Piazzolla" won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Tango Album.
- 1979: He won an award at The International Music Competition of Bratislava.
See also
In Spanish: Sérgio Assad para niños
