One of the world’s most talented clarinetists brings a new voice to her new album. Her own.
Kristen Mather De Andrade’s Sem Fim (‘Endless’) is an artfully recorded collection of vocals and instrumentals celebrating the authentic creativity of Brazilian jazz.
These days, ‘unique’ might very well be one of the most overused words in the English language. But set that notion aside, because after appreciating Kristen Mather de Andrade’s Sem Fim, it could be the best way to describe this album.
Released in November 2025, Sem Fim has attracted praise from critics and fans alike for its artistic fluidity. Mather de Andrade moves with ease through this 11-song collection of Brazil’s musical diversity.
Fans who embraced her critically acclaimed album Clarão point to Sem Fim’s classical, jazz, and Brazilian influences. This creative combination elevates her passion for Brazilian music, especially Choro, Samba, Frevo, MPB, and… more.
With Sem Fim, the ‘more’ part comes as a surprise halfway through its journey. ‘Endless and Blind’ unveils another aspect of Kristen Mather de Andrade’s talent. Composer Daniel Freiberg and lyricist Steven Sater (both Grammy Award winners) have provided this album with a poignant love story, beautifully sung by Mather de Andrade.
Recently we caught up with Kristen, and here’s our conversation. Enjoy!
Kristen Mather De Andrade’s Sem Fim
Sem Fim impresses as evolutionary. The album finds you wearing several hats: artist, producer, and more. How did your creative approach come about for Sem Fim?
Every collaboration or project helps me learn more about myself and reflect on my direction. I’ve often navigated the challenge of defining my sound because I genuinely love exploring different ways to make music. I often hesitate to share that versatility, fearing it might be seen as a lack of specialization, but I try to move past that hesitation.
The creative approach for Sem Fim was really about pulling from what I love, trusting my own ears, and pulling from a lifetime of musical conversations.
Kristen Mather De Andrade’s Sem Fim: A Lineage of women
It’s intriguing that you chose to enlist a Grammy-winning, all-female engineering team for Sem Fim. How does Sem Fim carry its feminine signature? Are there qualities or aspects to the recording that reflect the team’s interaction?
Brandie and Darcy are incredible artists at the top of their craft. Being able to collaborate with them and contribute to a lineage of women putting music into the world is a beautiful thing, and that lineage is built on talent and hard work. If there is a discernible feminine signature on the album, I think it’s due to the open-mindedness and clear communication that felt very natural and supportive. That environment allowed the music to breathe and feel as lush as I had always imagined.
Sem Fim’s instrumental diversity
Fans know you best as a contemporary champion of Choro, Brazil’s jazzy, singular instrumental style. Take us on a tour of Sem Fim’s instrumental diversity, beginning with Pitanguinha’s ‘Clarinete Dengoso’.
In ‘Clarinete Dengoso,’ I wanted to channel the big band style of the great Brazilian clarinetist and bandleader Severino Araújo. My arranger (and saxophonist), Lívio Almeida, was the perfect collaborator to help capture that. Writing for the clarinet wind through its whole range on top of the orchestra with that ‘dengoso’ or whimsical spirit, let the instrument shine.
Chiquinha Gonzaga and Tia Amélia were pioneers who faced huge obstacles. But their ability to simply exist and thrive in the music world was their ultimate victory. They created beautiful music that stands the test of time! Chiquinha’s piece, ‘Atraente,’ so rhythmic and playful, while Tia Amélia’s ‘Bordões ao Luar’ has this deep groove with conversational countermelodies.
That same vibrant energy is in ‘Castle Maxixe,’ which is a nod to my own experience as an Army musician. It was written by James Reese Europe, who led the Harlem Hellfighters’ band during WWI. He was a trailblazer who famously sparked the jazz craze in France. He effectively introducing that sound to the rest of Europe. With him having written a Maxixe, which is a Brazilian dance, it was hard to pass the opportunity to include it on the album.
We end with ‘Frevo Novo,’ which was written by the legendary Hermeto Pascoal. It’s a dazzling, high-speed conversation between me, the band, and my hometown friend, Sean Jones. Sean is a world-renowned trumpeter and educator who now chairs the jazz department at the Peabody Institute. Having his virtuosity on this track brings the whole journey full circle.
Kristen Mather De Andrade’s Respect For The Music
This is the time of year when we celebrate Brazil’s contributions to the world of Jazz. Sem Fim provides a delicate counterpoint that harkens to the early 1900s for its jazzy inspiration. Maxixe, Frevo, and even Choro are not jazz, but your performances make them seem as if they are. How do you balance originality against tradition?
For me, the balance is about staying true to the composers who came before me while letting the music breathe in a modern way. The music often feels like jazz because we are approaching these traditional Brazilian styles with the same sense of freedom and conversation that defines the genre.
It helps that many of the musicians on the record come from a jazz background. We are not trying to force a specific label onto the music because we are just using our musical perspectives to interpret these pieces. I want to share these songs so people can enjoy them even if the titles or the composers are not yet familiar to them.
Sem Fim and the challenge of ‘Endless And Blind’
“Lush Brazilian orchestral meets Jazz.” Nearly half of the album features your beautiful vocals. Turning to the emotional ‘Endless and Blind’ was a bold move that really paid off. I’ve heard that this song was challenging for you. How so? And how were you able to own its story so convincingly?
It was an incredible honor to make the first recording of a song by creators as accomplished as Daniel Freiberg and Steven Sater. When you are handed a piece by artists of that caliber, there is a real responsibility to do it justice. The song is smoldering and romantic, and because I am usually a private person, it felt like a bold move for me to take it on.
When I am singing in Portuguese, it is like a little bit of a veil to hide behind because it is my second language. Singing ‘Endless and Blind’ in English meant there was nowhere to hide, and that certainly contributed to my feeling vulnerable! To own the story convincingly, I really had to wear my heart on my sleeve and step outside my comfort zone to match the intimate nature of the lyrics and the lush orchestral arrangement.
Kristen Mather De Andrade’s Sem Fim: The Vision
What moment in the recording of Sem Fim really stands out as the moment that you realized your vision for the album?
Honestly, it wasn’t until I heard the first round of the mastering that I started to feel confident that all the work had come together. This album was recorded in multiple phases and edited and mixed in even more. It was an incredibly emotional experience to hear it finally come together.
Sem Fim: Opening Our Ears
So… Lawrence Welk. That was a surprise! Care to explain?
I both stand behind and regret saying it! I know it might seem like a surprise, but I really admire performers like Lawrence Welk for their ability to connect with an audience. He would program music from almost any genre, whether it was a Strauss waltz or a contemporary popular tune, and make it feel accessible to people who might not have had a frame of reference for it.
In my own work, jazz, classical, and Brazilian music all come together to honor tradition while reaching a broader audience. I want to take music that could be seen as complex or niche and present it in a way that allows anyone to find a way in. I feel a similar pull toward composers like Leroy Anderson and Johann Strauss because they occupied that same space where high-level craft meets public appeal. My hope is to keep adding to these musical stylings over time as I continue to explore new ways to share this music.
Sometimes a bit of levity can lead to great things in the studio. Do you have any moments from Sem Fim’s ‘Outtake Reel’ that you would care to share with us?
I spent the most time working on this project with the album’s engineer, Brandie Lane. We have been friends for many years, but I think this project really cemented our friendship through a shared desire to make our lives more complicated. We had many laughs, some great snacks, and perhaps a few frustrated tears…
Kristen Mather De Andrade’s Sem Fim: Contrast and Flow
Sem Fim is blessed with stylistic contrast. But this album, from the arrangements to the performances to the final mix, flows with seamless ease. Does the Producer get the credit for this?
I worked with Vítor Gonçalves and Eduardo Belo to really consider who we should bring in to work on this project and get a cohesive sound. I really owe them so much for their friendship, time, and their deep knowledge of Brazilian music. Talking about the styles and which musicians we should pull in to capture the spirit was really important to keeping the vision alive in the process. Having a strong vision made such a positive impact on the recording and mixing process because the goal was clear. I really enjoyed being involved in every aspect of the creation of this album and am already thinking about how I can try to pull this off again!
Kristen Mather De Andrade’s Sem Fim: What’s Next?
You have expressed a desire to perform more often in symphonic settings as you plan to tour with the album. So what is next for Sem Fim, and what are your early thoughts on your next project?
I am really looking forward to bringing this program to more concert stages because it was designed to live in a symphonic setting. I would love to perform this music with more orchestras, and I am certainly open to the right invitations. If there are orchestras or local ensembles looking for a touch of Brazil, I would love for a good word to be put in for me! The goal is to use these performances to share the stories behind the pieces because those narratives really help the music come alive.
As for what is next, I am staying open to new possibilities as they arise. I hope to explore different ways to share this music. It is exciting to think about where the music might lead and what new collaborations might help bring more of these timeless melodies to life.
Music, Travel, Friends, And Fun!
Kristen Mather De Andrade’s Sem Fim
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