MEDIA CONTACT: Judy Moore at (847) 491-4819 or jkm229@northwestern.edu

April 4, 2004

Assad Family Guitarists to Perform

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Three generations of Assads -- one of Brazil’s most multi-talented family of musicians -- will perform an evening of Brazilian folk music known as “chorinho” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 16, at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive, on Northwestern University’s Evanston campus.

“The Assad Family: A Brazilian Song Book” concert will be the final program of the Northwestern University 2003-04 Segovia Classical Guitar Series, which is sponsored in part by the Chicago Classical Guitar Society.

This tour is a reunion for the Assads and marks the first U.S. appearance of family patriarch and mandolinist Jorge. Jorge and his wife -- family matriarch vocalist Angelina (“Ica”) -- will be accompanied by their sons -- guitarists Sergio and Odair -- and daughter Badi, a guitarist, percussionist and vocalist.

Joining them on stage will be grandson and guitarist and vocalist Rodrigo and granddaughters -- vocalist Carolina and pianist, bass guitarist and vocalist Clarice Assad.

Brothers Sergio and Odair have won a Grammy Award and a Latin Grammy for their duets and are considered by some to be one of today’s preeminent guitar duos. In addition to performing on their own, the Assads have collaborated with top artists including Gidon Kremer, Yo Yo Ma, Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg and Dawn Upshaw.

Their younger sister Badi, who fuses jazz, pop, percussion and voice to create a sound that defies categorization, has made several recordings and frequently tours the Unites States, Europe and Israel.

The April 16 concert will open with guitarists Odair and Sergio performing “Baiao Malandro” by Gismonti and “Noites Cariocas” by Bandolim. Other works on the program are by Bellinati, Farias, Veloso, Gil, Bastos and Cartola as well as several pieces written by members of the Assad family. The evening’s finale will be a medley of sambas by various composers performed by the entire Assad family.

Single tickets for this event are $30 for the general public, $24 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff, and $10 for full-time students.

To order tickets, call the Pick-Staiger Ticket Office at (847) 467-4000.