“Composer, pianist, and vocalist Clarice Assad kicks into gear at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music on Aug. 4 with a world premiere work, É Gol (Goal!), inspired by female Brazilian soccer player Marta Vieira da Silva,” writes Lou Fancher in Friday’s (7/26) San Francisco Classical Voice. “The new piece includes audience participation—contributions including singing, breath and body-percussion sounds, and ‘other fun stuff,’ according to Assad…. The percussion section alone has musicians playing triangle, whip, bass drum, tamtam (gong), drum set, toms, snare drum, djembe, congas, cymbals, woodblocks, suspended cymbals, tambourine, xylophone, castanets, and more. Assad, a native of Rio de Janeiro, … from 2007 to 2017 … was the New Century Chamber Orchestra’s primary arranger, and was the orchestra’s featured composer-in-residence in 2008–2009. A passion for sharing music with students energizes Assad, resulting in the creation in 2015 of VOXploration, [which] combines interactive activities and an accessible approach to provide music education for students of any level.” In an interview, Assad speaks about the need for more organizations to present works by women composers, growing up idolizing Bobby McFerrin and George Benson, exploring improvisation in her work, and the use of voice in her compositions.
Posted August 1, 2019
Photo of Clarice Assad by Andrea Santiago
