“The Olson/De Cari Duo straddle science and art gloriously.”
The Olson/De Cari Duo, a husband-and-wife ensemble, is dedicated to expanding the repertoire for classical guitar and voice. Their innovative repertoire includes many pieces written for them, including compositions from their Science/Music Commissioning Project, which seeks to celebrate the science-informed worldview and illuminate the human side of science through song, with the most recent commission being Archimedes by Andrew York. “The Olson/De Cari Duo straddle science and art gloriously" (Science Friday). Their latest album, Eve’s Diary, features new compositions and arrangements commissioned by the Duo, including a song cycle by David Leisner, arrangements of Jobim songs by João Luiz, and arrangements of theatre songs by Clarice Assad, together with a science-themed commission by the late Frank Wallace on texts by Nobel Laureate scientist and poet Roald Hoffmann. Sparked by the challenges to live performance posed by the pandemic, the Duo has recently forged new paths in classical music videography, creating an inventive music video series in narrative style.
“De Cari . . . let her crystalline voice burst out in sumptuous song.”
The Duo’s unique approach draws on the hybrid nature of Gioia and John’s backgrounds and expertise. Gioia De Cari is an award-winning writer, actor and singer and a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors’ Equity, and the Dramatists Guild of America. She holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Gioia’s critically-acclaimed play Truth Values, on themes of belonging for women in the male-dominated world of mathematics and science, has been presented at more than 50 venues across the United States, including the La Jolla Playhouse, the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and Ensemble Studio Theatre.
John Olson has performed with a variety of New York–based ensembles, including the Brooklyn Guitar Quartet and Nylon Wound. Since 2007 he has served as President of the New York City Classical Guitar Society, revitalizing the organization and making it a thriving and central part of the city’s guitar community. He served as a member of the Guitar Foundation of America Board of Directors for six years, and has directed the Ben Verdery Maui Master Class since 2013. He received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.