Pianist and composer Bernardo Sassetti, who died 12 years ago, will be honored in two concerts, one by Mario Laginha and Pedro Burmester and the other by the João Barradas Quintet, at the end of this month in Oeiras.
The two “unique” shows will take place on June 30 and July 1, “on the occasion of the birthday [he would have turned 54 on June 24] and ten years after the untimely passing [on May 10, 2012] of one of Portugal’s most brilliant composers and performers”, reads a statement issued by the organization.
On June 30, Mário Laginha and Pedro Burmester play Bernardo Sassetti, “twelve years after the last “3 Pianos” concert (which brought the three musicians together on stage for several years)”.
On the stage of the Ruy de Carvalho Municipal Auditorium, Mário Laginha and Pedro Burmester will “pay tribute to their partner’s work and to the moments shared by the three of them”.
The following day, July 1, it’s the turn of the João Barradas Quintet to play Bernardo Sassetti. “The young musician and composer has accepted the challenge of interpreting the tribute compositions with original arrangements for an unprecedented ensemble: Ricardo Toscano on saxophone, Afonso Pais on guitar, Demian Cabaud on double bass and João Lopes Pereira on drums”, explains the organization.
Bernardo Sassetti, who died at the age of 41, was considered one of the most creative pianists of his generation, beyond the boundaries of jazz.
The musician began playing jazz in his late teens, with Carlos Martins and the Moreiras Quartet, but his career cut across Portuguese music, as he worked with fado, pop rock and hip-hop musicians.
In September 2012, Casa Bernardo Sassetti was established to raise awareness of the musician and composer’s work.
In 2019, Casa released an album of previously unreleased works by Bernardo Sassetti, “Solo”, featuring compositions the pianist recorded in 2005 in the Azores.
Tickets for the concerts in Oeiras, organized by the local municipality, are already on sale and prices range from 10 euros to 12.50 euros, for June 30, and from 7.50 to 10 euros, for July 1.
