Clarice Assad

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The Mosaic
Project

A Unique Collection of Collaborative Music

The Mosaic Project is a unique collaborative music experience that brings together people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures to create music.
 

A mosaic is a work of art created by assembling small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. They are the ultimate example of diversity in art. What makes the mosaic unique is the combination of these elements that would only sometimes come together. I love this concept and decided to dive into a quest to replicate this beauty in music by creating “THE MOSAIC PROJECT “because I am attracted to music because it makes me feel connected to everything and everyone at once.

 

The Mosaic Project had Its first installation in Austin, Texas. I collaborated with Austin Classical Guitar from 21-22 on a new work for a guitar orchestra entitled “MOSAIC VARIATIONS,” where 50 young guitar students participated as co-composers.  In this case, the students were asked to write musical ideas based on a melody I created based on a pentatonic scale that I called “the main theme.”  

 

Composing with young musicians made all the difference in how they perceived the creation process. As a result, it catapulted our engagement to stratospheric levels. Seeing students tap into their creativity was magical.  Mosaic Variations was also arranged for a smaller ensemble and premiere by the Miró Quartet and Jorge Caballero.  

 

The latest project is a piano quintet commissioned by the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego, California. The festival’s theme was celebrating women in music, and I was the composer chosen for the occasion. I was thrilled with the invitation, but hearing women’s voices would be much more compelling, so I called for random pieces of music on social media and worked with material from 40 female composers worldwide. The result was TAPESTRY. Premiered at the festival in 2023

 

I aim to add a new piece to the MOSAIC PROJECT each year, and I expect to write a new one later in 2024. In the meantime, please enjoy the videos of the two pieces below, and let’s stay close by! 

Do What's in Your Heart

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"The best ideas often come from collaboration. When multiple people come together to brainstorm, they can build on each other's creativity and come up with more innovative solutions than anyone else could have done alone."

Clarice Assad

Composer & Performer

When is the next Mosaic Project?

The 2024 installment of the Mosaic Project will involve orchestral work. The theme will either be a collage or a jigsaw puzzle. The rules change each time; for example, the first Mosaic piece had a theme that students wrote variations for, and the second was a random call for scores, existing or non-existent, from women composers and songwriters. Not everyone knew how to read or write music; it was a very open call. Let’s see what will happen next !

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