Brazilian-born brothers Sérgio and Odair Assad have set the benchmark for all other guitarists by creating a new standard of guitar innovation, ingenuity and expression. 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 Assads 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: Astor Piazzolla, Terry Riley, Radamés Gnattali, Marlos Nobre, Nikita Koshkin, Roland Dyens, Jorge Morel, Edino Krieger and Francisco Mignone. Now Sérgio Assad is adding to their repertory by composing music for the duo and for various musical partners both with Symphony Orchestra and in recitals. 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 ... read full bio

Brazilian-born brothers Sérgio and Odair Assad have set the benchmark for all other guitarists by creating a new standard of guitar innovation, ingenuity and expression. 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 Assads 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: Astor Piazzolla, Terry Riley, Radamés Gnattali, Marlos Nobre, Nikita Koshkin, Roland Dyens, Jorge Morel, Edino Krieger and Francisco Mignone. Now Sérgio Assad is adding to their repertory by composing music for the duo and for various musical partners both with Symphony Orchestra and in recitals. 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.

The Assads began playing the guitar together at an early age and went on to study for seven years with guitar/lutenist Monina Távora, a disciple of Andrés Segovia. Their international career began with a major prize at the 1979 young artists competition in Bratislava. Odair is based in Brussels where he teaches at Ecole Supérieure des Arts, and Sérgio resides in Chicago & Paris, yet the majority of their time is spent on tour throughout the Americas, Europe and the Far East.

The Assads' repertoire includes original music composed by Sérgio Assad and his reworkings 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; and adaptations of works by such diverse figures as Gershwin, Ginastera and Debussy. Their programs are always a compelling blend of styles, periods and cultures.

The Assads are also recognized as prolific recording artists, primarily for the Nonesuch and GHA labels. In 2001, Nonesuch Records released "Sérgio and Odair Assad Play Piazzolla," which won a Latin Grammy in September 2002. Other duo CDs include an album of Baroque works and "Saga dos Migrantes" for Nonesuch. They have recorded Piazzolla discs with Gidon Kremer (Nonesuch) and Yo-Yo Ma (Sony Classical), the latter a Grammy winner in 1998.

A Nonesuch collaboration with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg in 2000 featured a collection of pieces based on traditional and Gypsy folk tunes from around the world. Since that recording the Assads and Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg have made three highly successful tours of the United States, displaying unique chemistry, humor and stunning virtuosity. In 2003, Sergio Assad wrote a triple concerto for this trio that has been performed with the orchestras of São Paulo, Seattle and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. They also went on an 18-city tour as soloists with the Orquestra de São Paulo playing Marlos Nobre's Concerto Duplo.

The Assad Brothers collaborated again with Yo-Yo Ma on his popular release, "Obrigado Brazil", a CD that surveyed the musical landscape of the country from classical to tropicalia music, and also featured Rosa Passos, Egberto Gismonti, Paquito D'Rivera and Cyro Baptista. Sergio arranged several of the works on the disc, which captured a Grammy in 2004. Following the release, the Assads toured with Mr. Ma at several summer festivals in the United States, followed by concerts in Europe and Japan. In September 2003 they performed in live concerts at the opening of Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall and Sony released a live CD of these concert performances.

In the summer of 2004, Sérgio & Odair arranged a very special tour featuring three generations of the Assad Family. The family presented a wide variety of Brazilian music featuring their father Jorge Assad on the mandolin and the voice of mother Angelina Assad. Sister Badi brought her unique vocal style and extraordinary guitar ability, and Sergio and Odair's children Clarice, Carolina, and Rodrigo finished the picture on the piano, guitar and vocals. GHA records has released a live recording and a DVD of the Assad Family live at Brussels' Palais des Beaux-Arts. The cultural channel of Belgian television, RTBF La deux, made a documentary on the Assad Family featuring excerpts of the Brussels' concert. In 2005, the Assads began a fruitful collaboration with famed Cuban clarinetist, Paquito D'Rivera in the States and Europe.

In the 2006-2007 season, the Assad Brothers performed Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto Madrigal for Two Guitars with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, where the piece was originally premiered. Also included in the program was Sergio's arrangement of the Four Seasons of Buenos Aries by Piazzolla for two guitars and orchestra. In the winter of 2007 the brothers toured with the Turtle Island Quartet in a program called "String Theory". The tour was so successful that they decided to record the project and tour again in the fall of 2008 in the States and in Europe. Highlights of the 2007-8 season include a guitar festival at the 92nd St. Y in New York, curated by the Assads followed by a tour called "The Brazilian Guitar Festival," featuring Badi Assad, Romero Lubambo and Celso Machado. In November 2007, the Assads return to Australia to inaugurate the first Adelaide Guitar Festival, as well as recitals at the Sydney Opera House. The Assads will also appear with L'Orchestre National de Belgique in Brussels performing the Castelnuevo Tedesco Concerto for Two Guitars with Roberto Minczuk to conduct.The brothers latest recording for Nonesuch Records was  released in September 2007.  Entitled "Jardim Abandonado" it features the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Adam Guettel, Debussy, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and compositions by Sérgio and his daughter, Clarice.