New guitar concerto by Clarice Assad

I am commissioning a guitar concerto from the well-known Brazilian composer Clarice Assad (http://clariceassad.com). Clarice is a uniquely qualified composer for this project. She has extensive experience writing and arranging for orchestra (she was the composer-in-residence for the New Century Orchestra) as well as writing concertos (she has, for example, written two for violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.) She also has an intimate knowledge of the guitar (she is the daughter of the legendary guitarist Sergio Assad and has written a double concerto for the Assad duo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMYCoqTPCVY.)

Clarice has chosen for her inspiration a mischievous Brazilian folkloric character named Saci (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saci_(Brazilian_folklore)). This smelly one legged imp with holes in his hands is responsible for many pranks but can also turn into a bird that sings a melancholy song (which is featured in the 2nd movement.) I met with Clarice in NY and she showed me some of the themes that she is going to use for the piece.  The music is already bristling with humor, sadness and menace.  Sergio Assad has also offered his extraordinary expertise to edit the guitar part.

I will premiere this concerto in the fall  of 2015 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music  (where I am a member the classical guitar faculty, http://www.sfcm.edu/web/sfcm/faculty/teicholz.aspx) with my wonderful colleague, conductor Nicole Paiement (http://nicolepaiement.com/index.html) and the New Music Ensemble.  This would be a very important premiere for the SF Conservatory as well as unique educational opportunity for the students to work with such a talented composer in the launching of a new work.

The performance is also notable in its collaboration with the Harris Guitar Foundation-a non profit organization dedicated to supporting the classical guitar in the Bay Area.  The HGF has donated several rare and valuable vintage guitars to the SF Conservatory and I would play one of these exceptional guitars for the performance.

It is a rare opportunity to find a composer who is equally comfortable writing for both orchestra and the guitar.  That is perhaps one of the reasons that few guitar concerti are performed.  It is my hope and belief that many guitarists will champion this concerto in the future and we will have a lasting contribution to our repertoire.