César Haas

Assistant Professor, Jazz and Classical Guitar

“He sounds so good – combining the best elements of his Brazilian heritage with the authenticity of the guitar greats of the post-bop era.”
Walt Weiskopf (Steely Dan, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra.)

“César has a great sound with clean technique.”
Mark Sherman (The Juilliard School)

“César’s writing and arranging are quite enjoyable, interesting, catchy and swinging!”
Paul Meyers (William Paterson University)

Listen to César’s latest recordings:

Brazilian Images | feat. Bobby Militello

The Sextet Sessions | David Larsen

Degrees:
DMA, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester
MM, New Jersey City University
BM, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)

César Haas is a guitarist, composer, and educator. César recorded and performed nationally and internationally with renowned jazz, classical, pop, and Brazilian musicians, such as Bobby Militello, Clay Jenkins, Jeff Campbell, John Benitez (Grammy Award Winner), Chris Byars, Alex Noris, Brian Dickinson, Fernando Huergo, Paul Meyers, Richie Vitale, Angélica de la Riva, Anaadi (Latin Grammy Award Winner), Luciane Dom (Africa Entertainment Awards USA 2022).

In 2022, César released an album through the peer-review label WSU Recordings featuring original compositions based on Brazilian rhythms with renowned jazz saxophonist Bobby Militello (former member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet). Also in the recording is NYC-based Brazilian drummer Graciliano Zambonin, from the iconic Brazilian jazz group Don Salvador Trio. The album received excellent reviews by acclaimed jazz musicians and scholars and was featured in radio shows internationally.

Also in 2022, César recorded with the David Larsen Sextet, the project was released by the German label G2 Records and Publishing. The session included former Gerry Mulligan sideman Dave Glenn (trombone) and featured original tunes and arrangements by César Haas and David Larsen.

César presented research locally, nationally, and internationally at the ANPPOM Congress (Brazilian National Association for Music Research), at UFRGS (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil), at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, at the New Jersey City University, and at WSU FOCAM. César’s current research work is to examine harmonic techniques from 20th century composer Vincent Persichetti and apply them to jazz improvisation, composition, and arrangement on the guitar. His doctoral lecture recital presentation on this topic was nominated to the Eastman Lecture Recital Prize.

César arranges and composes for a variety of ensembles in different styles, ranging from classical chamber music to large jazz ensemble.

César also works as a clinician and adjudicator at the national and international level, working with students ranging from middle-school, high-school, college, to professional level. César gave clinics and workshops at places such as WSU Jazz Festival, the Mead High School Jazz Festival in WA state, Pullman High School, at the Spokane Falls Community College, at the 2023 NAFME All-NW Conference, at Tec Audio Studios in Porto Alegre (Brazil).

While working on his DMA in Jazz Studies at Eastman School of Music, César taught jazz guitar and jazz theory and was awarded with the Eastman School of Music Teaching Assistant Prize 2020-2021. While in Rochester, NY, César co-lead the Ibeji Quartet, a group that performed original music and arrangements of jazz and Brazilian tunes, with media appearances and performances at the main jazz venues in upstate NY, as well as in the Rochester International Jazz Festival. His original composition Mangabeu, freely inspired by rhythmic counterpoint of Central African music, was selected to be part of the Jazz at Eastman CD.

While working on his master’s degree in jazz performance in the NYC metropolitan area, along with performing with renowned jazz and Latin musicians in the NYC jazz scene in well-known venues such as Club Bonafide, Le Poisson Rouge, and the Cornelia Street Café as a leader and as a sideman, he was part of the New Jersey City University Tenor Conclave Combo. The ensemble was selected to record a live session at the iconic WBGO radio studios in Newark, NJ, under the supervision of award-winner saxophonist Walt Weiskopf. César also participated in recording sessions with Gian Stone at Stone Recording Studios in Brooklyn, NY. Gian Stone is a Grammy nominated producer and songwriter that works with Maroon Five, Arianna Grande, The Jonas Brothers, among others.

César has been performing regularly in Brazil as a leader with many appearances in newspapers, radio, and TV shows, as well as a sideman, accompanying groups and singers such as Anaadi, Latin Grammy Award 2018 winner, at radio/tv performances and opening for the Chris Potter Quintet at the Canoas Jazz Festival.