Jan. 23, 2009 – The Forum will present Brazilian-born brothers Sergio and Odair Assad, who have set the benchmark for all other guitarists by creating a new standard of guitar innovation, ingenuity and expression. They will perform at 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 5, at Prior-Jollek Hall, Antilles Campus.
Their exceptional artistry and uncanny ensemble playing come from both a family rich in Brazilian, musical tradition and from studies with the best guitarists in South America. In addition to setting new performance standards, the Assad's have played a major role in creating and introducing new music for two guitars. Their virtuosity has inspired a wide range of composers to write for them. They have worked extensively with such renowned artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Fernando Suarez Paz, Paquito D'Rivera, Gidon Kremer and Dawn Upshaw.
Their repertoire includes original music composed by Sergio Assad and his re-workings of folk and jazz music as well as Latin music of almost every style. Their standard classical repertoire includes transcriptions of the great Baroque keyboard literature of Bach, Rameau and Scarlatti, as well as adaptations of works by such diverse figures as Gershwin, Ginastera and Debussy.
Grammy Award winners, they have played at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and around the world. The Assads will be featured on the sound track of the upcoming Julie Roberts movie, "Duplicity."
Tickets are $40 and $10; they can be purchased at Reichhold Center for the Arts (693-1559), Dockside Bookshop, Interiors (Ft. Mylner) or Home Again (Red Hook Plaza)
