About the Artists

Hailed by Gramophone as “the Heifetz of the flute,” Marina Piccinini is widely recognized across the world as a daring, dynamic artist with varied musical interests. She is internationally-acclaimed for her interpretive skills, intensely communicative performances, technical command, and powerfully magnetic stage presence, with a distinct and global perspective that informs her work as one of the most compelling advocates of both traditional and new works. Much sought after as a soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist, she has garnered special attention for her commitment to the music of our time and for expanding the repertoire of her instrument.

Ms. Piccinini’s intense commitment to education inspired her to create the Marina Piccinini International Masterclasses (MPIMC), which, after a decade at Baltimore’s Peabody Institute, has recently moved to the New World Center in Miami, launching an exciting new partnership with the New World Symphony. She is currently on the faculty of the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and was formerly Professor at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hannover, Germany. She also regularly gives masterclasses worldwide in conjunction with her performances.

Ms. Piccinini will be joined for this performance by Clarice Assad, GRAMMY-nominated vocalist, composer and pianist,  and her father, guitarist Sérgio Assad, of the legendary Assad Brothers.

Brazilian-American Clarice Assad is a Grammy nominated composer, pianist and vocalist of musical depth and ability.  Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “a serious triple threat”, Assad is a vibrant, highly prolific and commissioned composer. Carefully crafted colorful textures permeate her soulful and musical world, which embraces a wide variety of styles, including her own original concepts.

Born into a musical family in Mococa, São Paulo, Brazil, Sergio Assad began creating music for the guitar not long after he began playing the instrument. He learned Brazilian folk melodies from his father. By age 14, he was arranging and writing original compositions for the guitar duo he had formed with his brother, Odair. As a composer Assad has completed more than fifty works for guitar, many of which have become standards in the guitar repertoire.