Clara Sverner

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Years Active

1950

Genres

classical music, erudite music, instrumental music

Instruments

piano

Biography

Clara Sverner is an acclaimed Brazilian classical pianist and interpreter whose musical journey began in her hometown of São Paulo under the tutelage of professor Jose Kliass, a student of Martin Krause. She furthered her education internationally, earning a gold medal for her master's degree at the Geneva Conservatory under Louis Hildebrand and later refining her artistry in New York with Leonard Shure. Early in her youth, she established herself as one of Brazil's most prominent virtuosos after winning the Wilhelm Backhaus International Competition.

Throughout her illustrious career, Sverner has performed extensively across Brazil, Europe, the United States, Japan, and Israel, presenting a carefully curated repertoire spanning from 16th-century English virginalists to modern 20th-century masters. Within Brazilian classical music, she played a pivotal role in reviving the works of Glauco Velásquez and championed the piano compositions of Chiquinha Gonzaga through several dedicated recordings. Her artistic versatility also led her to collaborate closely with renowned saxophonist Paulo Moura, bridging classical traditions with popular icons like Pixinguinha and contemporary composers such as Almeida Prado.

Sverner’s extensive discography comprises 25 internationally distributed titles reflecting her avant-garde spirit and refined aesthetic. Her achievements include winning the Prêmio TIM in 2005 for her classical album Mozart Por Clara Sverner Vol. 2, followed by a Latin Grammy nomination for Volume 3 and the 2009 release of Mozart's complete sonatas. Continuing her exploration of the piano canon, she released Chopin por Clara Sverner in 2010, cementing her legacy as a pioneering force in Brazilian classical performance.

Discography

• Piano (1974)
• A Música Brasileira para Piano (1977)
• Clara Sverner, Glauco Velásquez – O Piano Inédito de Glauco nas Mãos de Clara Sverner (1977)
• Rio de Janeiro (1978)
• O Piano de Chiquinha Gonzaga Vol. 2 (1980)
• O Piano de Chiquinha Gonzaga (1980)
• Clara Sverner Interpreta Eduardo Souto – Interpreta Eduardo Souto (1982)
• Clara Sverner e Paulo Moura (1983)
• Paulo Moura, Clara Sverner, Turibio Santos, Olivia Byington – Encontro (1984)
• Devaneio - Clara Sverner Interpreta Glauco Velasquez (1984)
• Joplin e Satie - Clara Sverner e João Carlos Assis Brasil (1984)
• George Gershwin, Maurice Ravel, Gabriel Fauré, Clara Sverner, João Carlos Assis Brasil – Gravado Ao Vivo no Teatro Cultura Artística de São Paulo (1985)
• Alma Brasileira (1985)
• Clara Sverner & Paulo Moura – Vou Vivendo (1986)
• Clara Sverner e Paulo Moura Interpretam Pixinguinha (1988)
• De Chopin a Jobim (1989)
• Clara Sverner, Heitor Villa-Lobos – Alma Brasileira (1991)
• Glauco Velasquez - Clara Sverner – Piano Works (1994)
• Clara Sverner, Paulo Moura – Cinema Odeon (1996)
• Chiquinha Gonzaga por Clara Sverner (1998)
• O Piano nas Américas (2002)
• Mozart: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1 (2003)
• Mozart: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 (2004)
• Mozart por Clara Sverner - Volume 3 (2005)
• Clara Sverner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Mozart por Clara Sverner Volume 4 (2005)
• Clara Sverner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Mozart por Clara Sverner Volume 5 (2005)
• Mozart: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 3 (2005)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Clara Sverner – Mozart por Clara Sverner - Sonatas para Piano K 283, K 284 e K 309 (2006)
• Heitor Villa-Lobos por Clara Sverner: Guia Prático Integral para Piano - O Mundo Sonoro da Infância (2007)
• Mozart: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4 (2008)
• Mozart: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 5 (2009)
• Chopin (2010)
• Ravel + Debussy (2012)
• Reminiscences, Vol. 1 (2020)
• Reminiscences, Vol. 2 (2020)
• Brahms + Fauré (2024)
• 12 Waltzes (2025)
• Clara Sverner, Mozart – Sonatas para Piano K 279, K 280, K 281 e K 282
• Clara Sverner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Mozart por Clara Sverner