Acclaimed Brazilian-American composer, singer and pianist Clarice Assad has written more than 90 works, which have been performed around the world.  Her manifold activities encompass the worlds of classical, jazz, pop, and world music, where one area constantly influences and enriches the others.  Her father Sérgio Assad and her uncle Odair are both virtuoso guitarists who have formed the Assad Brothers Duo, and Clarice also frequently collaborates with her father performing their own special brand of Brazilian music.

Long based in the United States, Clarice Assad is a perfectly bicultural musician, a fact she celebrates in Baião N’ Blues.  This work was commissioned by KMFA, Classical 89.5 in Austin, Texas, and premiered in Austin by the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Douglas Kinney Frost, on September 24, 2023.

The baião is a musical style originating in the Northeastern regions of Brazil, and is characterized by a strong rhythmic beat.  In this brief composition it meets, and blends with what the composer calls the “soulful essence of American blues.”  As the composer further noted:  “Baião N’ Blues showcases the power of music to transcend cultural boundaries and connect people through the art of listening.”