Conrad Yiwen Tao (born June 11, 1994) is an American composer and pianist and former violinist. Tao's piano and violin performances since childhood brought him early recognition at music festivals and competitions. At age 13, he was featured on the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

TV series ''

From the Top From the Top is an independent nonprofit organization known best for its longstanding NPR radio and PBS television programs with the same name. Co-founded by Gerald Slavet and Jennifer Hurley-Wales in 1995, the organization showcases and develo ...

– Live from Carnegie Hall'' as violinist, pianist and composer. He won eight consecutive ASCAP

Morton Gould Morton Gould (December 10, 1913February 21, 1996) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, and pianist. Biography Morton Gould was born in Richmond Hill, New York, United States. He was recognized early as a child prodigy with abilities ...

Young Composer Awards. Among his compositions have been commissions by the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

Hong Kong Philharmonic The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (Cantonese: 香港管弦樂團), commonly abbreviated as HKPO or HKPhil (Cantonese: 港樂), is the largest symphony orchestra in Hong Kong. First established in 1947 as an amateur orchestra under the name Si ...

Pacific Symphony The Pacific Symphony is a symphony orchestra located in Orange County, California. The orchestra performs at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall as a part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. From 1987 to 2016 ...

and

Dallas Symphony Orchestra The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. History The orchestra traces its origins to a ...

. Among other honors, Tao is a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, a Davidson Fellow Laureate and a Gilmore Foundation Young Artist. He was the only classical artist named by ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

'' magazine in 2011 as one of the "30 Under 30" in the music industry. In 2012, Tao released a solo piano EP, ''The Juilliard Sessions: Conrad Tao Plays Debussy and Stravinsky'', and a

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

album, ''Eyelids''. Several more albums have followed. Also in 2012, he was an

Avery Fisher Career Grant {{third-party, date=November 2017 The Avery Fisher Career Grant, established by Avery Fisher, is an award given to up to five outstanding instrumentalists each year (since 2004, chamber music groups are also eligible). The Career Grants are a part o ...

awardee. He produced and hosted a three-night music festival, the UNPLAY Festival, in New York City in 2013. He was artist-in-residence for Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 2015/16 and Hong Kong Philharmonic in 2017.

Early life and career

Tao was born in

Urbana, Illinois Urbana ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. As of the 2010 United States Census, Urbana is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 38th-most pop ...

to Sam Tao, an engineer, and Mingfang Ting, a research scientist. Both parents were born in China and earned doctorates from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

.Jepson, Barbara
"The Tao of Early Musical Success"
''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'', April 1, 2008, accessed November 4, 2011 Hearing his older sister Connie's piano lessons, Tao began to play children's songs on the piano, by ear, at the age of 18 months. He gave his first piano recital at age 4.Scholars
, Presidential Scholars Foundation, accessed November 28, 2011 At age 8, he made his

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...

debut with the Utah Chamber Music Festival Orchestra, performing Mozart's '' Piano Concerto in A major''.Conrad Tao"
Juilliard School of Music, 2008, accessed April 20, 2012 At the age of 9, Tao moved with his family to New York City, and he began studying in the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

's Pre-College Division and at the

Professional Children's School Professional Children's School (PCS) is a not-for-profit, college preparatory school geared toward working and aspiring child actors and dancers in grades six through twelve. The school was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an academic ed ...

. He won the 2003 Walgreens National Concerto Competition as a violinist. In 2004, 2007 (live at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

) and 2011, Tao was featured on the

and

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

series ''

'' as violinist, pianist and composer. Tao won eight consecutive ASCAP

Young Composer Awards from 2004 to 2011.Schweitzer, Vivien
"A Promising Star, Rising Above the Horizon"
''The New York Times'', February 29, 2012 At age 10, his piano composition ''Silhouettes and Shadows'' won the BMI Carlos Surinach Prize. His first

piano concerto A piano concerto is a type of concerto, a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for a piano player, which is typically accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuoso showpiec ...

, ''The Four Elements'', was premiered in 2007 by the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. In 2008, Tao was named a Davidson Fellow Laureate for his project, "Bridging Classical Music from the Past to the Future as Pianist and Composer". In reviewing a 2008 piano recital in

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

, where Tao gave the US premiere of his "Fantasy-Sonata", the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'' wrote: "The four movements of the piece tumble forth in a way that supports its hybrid title, suggesting both a free flow of ideas and an overarching structural framework. There are melodies for the ear to grab onto – especially in the slow movement, set against rippling left-hand accompaniment – and Tao varies and subverts them with glee; the intermezzo, with its spidery octave figures, is a little gem of sardonic wit." Other early compositions include pieces for solo piano and chamber music such as Tao's 2009 piano trio.Shulman, Laurie
"Program Notes: JFK Memorial Concert (Nov. 21–24)"
, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, November 11, 2013 He won both the Juilliard Pre-College Gina Bachauer Piano Competition and the Prokofiev Concerto Competition in 2006. At the 2007 Festival del Sole, the 13-year-old Tao substituted for the ailing Italian pianist Fabio Bidini to play

Serge Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, p ...

's '' Piano Concerto No. 3'' with the Russian National Orchestra. One critic wrote, "nothing could prepare us for the talent that leapt from the stage. ao'scommand of one of the classical repertoire's most difficult works was simply amazing." By the age of 16, Tao had appeared as a piano soloist with the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription ...

Russian National Orchestra The Russian National Orchestra (russian: Российский национальный оркестр) was founded in Moscow in 1990 by pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev. It was the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Apostolic Palace, Va ...

Baltimore Symphony The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, it bega ...

Dallas Symphony The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. History The orchestra traces its origins to a ...

Detroit Symphony The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Jader Bignamini is the current music ...

Utah Symphony The Utah Symphony is an American orchestra based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The orchestra's principal venue is Abravanel Hall. In addition to its Salt Lake City subscription concerts, the orchestra travels around the Intermountain West serving c ...

and

San Francisco Symphony The San Francisco Symphony (SFS), founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San Fr ...

, among many others."Conrad Tao biography"
PENTATONE, accessed September 4, 2014 In 2008, Tao performed both Mendelssohn's '' Violin Concerto in E minor'' and '' Piano Concerto No. 1'' in the same concert with the

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

Piano Festival Orchestra."The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia Featuring Conrad Tao: October 18, 5 PM on WRTI"
WRTI, October 13, 2015 He repeated that feat nine times the next year with the Symphony of the Americas in

Boca Raton Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

.Conrad Tao
, IMGArtists.com, accessed January 13, 2013 The same year, critic Harris Goldsmith, in ''

Musical America ''Musical America'' is the oldest American magazine on classical music, first appearing in 1898 in print and in 1999 online, at musicalamerica.com. It is published by Performing Arts Resources, LLC, of East Windsor, New Jersey. History 1898–19 ...

'', called Tao "the most exciting prodigy ever to come my way. His promise is limitless." ''

'' wrote of a 2008 concert: "In Mozart's dark-hued '' Concerto No. 20 in D Minor'', Mr. Tao showed appealing freshness in his use of telling, expressive details that distinguish one interpretation from the next – a slight decrescendo here, a change of tonal color there, a heartfelt response to the piece. The crossed-hand passages and rapid scale runs were performed with consummate ease." In 2009, Tao's venues included the

Ravinia Festival Ravinia Festival is an outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Illinois. It hosts a series of outdoor concerts and performances every summer from June to September. The first orchestra to perform at Ravinia Festival was the New York Philharmonic unde ...

and Moscow's

Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...

. Of a 2009 performance of Ravel's

Piano Concerto in G Major Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major, was composed between 1929 and 1931. The concerto is in three movements, with a total playing time of a little over 20 minutes. Ravel said that in this piece he was not aiming to be profound but to enterta ...

, the ''San Francisco Classical Voice'' commented: "The first movement was full of thrills: laser-sharp articulation and accuracy, powerful glissandos ... and, what's more, heartfelt expression. ... Expressiveness came even more to the fore in the second movement. Never have I heard a left hand with such hypnotic affect, with right-hand legato melodies as smooth as a trip down the Seine." Tao studied piano with

Yoheved Kaplinsky Yoheved "Veda" Kaplinsky (born March 23, 1947 in Tel Aviv, British Mandate of Palestine ow Israel">Israel.html" ;"title="ow Israel">ow Israel is a lecturer and professor of music at the Juilliard School. She heads the Pre-College department at Juil ...

and Choong Mo Kang at Juilliard and composition with

Christopher Theofanidis Christopher Theofanidis (born December 18, 1967, in Dallas, Texas) is an American composer whose works have been performed by leading orchestras from around the world, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Mosco ...

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. He studied violin with Catherine Cho at Juilliard's Pre-College Division. He also studied for six summers at the

Aspen Music Festival and School The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado. It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music students. Founded in 1949, the ...

from 2004 to 2009, mostly playing violin, which he believes has helped him to develop "an understanding of the dynamic between orchestra and soloist."Oksenhorn, Stewart
"Music festival: Tao thanks Aspen for lack of direction"
, ''The Aspen Times'', June 28, 2012

2010 to 2011

Tao was composer-in-residence for the 2009–10 season with Chicago's Music in the Loft concert series. As part of this program, the Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music commissioned his "String Quartet No. 2" for the Jasper Quartet, which they performed throughout the USRosenthal, Fran
"Piano Prodigy: Conrad Tao in Recital"
Arizona Musicfest, 2011, accessed April 20, 2012 After hearing Tao play the premiere of his ''Three Songs for Piano'' (2010), the reviewer of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' called them "well-constructed miniatures exploiting different moods and textures on the piano. The juxtaposition was admirable; Tao made no bones about concealing his influences, with

Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

first and foremost. ... But influences aside, his compositional voice is not "derivative" at all; you can discern a clear, fresh imagination". Among Tao's 2010 performances was a concert with

that included

Rachmaninoff's Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini The ''Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini'', Op. 43, (russian: Рапсодия на тему Паганини, ''Rapsodiya na temu Paganini'') is a concertante work written by Sergei Rachmaninoff for piano and orchestra, closely resembling a piano ...

''. In the summer of 2010, Tao returned to the Aspen Music Festival as a guest artist to fill in on short notice as a piano soloist for an ailing

Jeffrey Kahane Jeffrey Alan Kahane (born September 12, 1956) is an American classical concert pianist and conductor. He was music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for 20 years, the longest of any music director in the orchestra's history. He is t ...

Tao completed high school in 2011 by independent study through the

Indiana University High School Indiana University High School (IUHS) is a co-educational, non-denominational, distance education high school with its offices located on the campus of Indiana University Bloomington, in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It serves students aro ...

of Continuing Studies, while studying music in the Juilliard precollege program and performing concerts on tour.Alonso, Nathalie
"Pianist Conrad Tao CC ’15 Explores His Relationship to Music"
''Columbia College Today'', Summer 2013, published online at columbia.edu on January 9, 2014 Of this schedule, he said: "It isn't always easy to be an active performer as well as a student. ... I love doing all of these things at once and giving myself as many challenges as I can, because I learn so much from the experiences that result. Everything I teach myself or see or do can be applied to a larger framework"."Spotlights: Conrad Tao"
, Indiana University High School, School of Continuing Studies, 2010, accessed April 20, 2012 Later the same year, Tao began college in the

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

–Juilliard School joint bachelor's degree program. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' praised Tao's performance of Chopin piano pieces while accompanying

American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...

dancers at a 2011 gala at

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and th ...

. Tao repeated Rachmaninoff's ''Rhapsody'' in 2011 with the

.Schultz, Rick
"Music review: Conrad Tao Plays Rachmaninoff with Carl St.Clair and the Pacific Symphony"
''Los Angeles Times'', June 3, 2011, accessed November 2, 2011 and was featured as both a piano and violin soloist in

Jackie Evancho Jacqueline Marie Evancho ( ; born April 9, 2000) is an American crossover music#Classical crossover, classical crossover singer who gained wide recognition at an early age. Since 2009, she has issued a platinum-selling extended play, EP and nine ...

's 2011 album and PBS

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is pr ...

special ''

Dream with Me ''Dream with Me'' is the second full-length album (first on a major label) by American singer Jackie Evancho. It was released on June 3, 2011 on digital download format, and on June 14, 2011 in the standard CD format."Conrad Tao Is Reshaping the Image of the Piano Virtuoso for the 21st Century"
''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...

'', March 6, 2018 In his 2011 Cliburn Concerts debut in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, Texas, Tao was again a last-minute replacement, where he "continually uncovered the energy and emotional underpinnings inherent in hemusic". Tao was the only classical artist named by ''

'' magazine as one of the "30 Under 30" in the music industry in 2011. He won the 2011 Soloist-Prize at the Festspiele

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...

, he was named a 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and the

National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts YoungArts (previously National YoungArts Foundation and National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, or NFAA) is an American charity established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison to help nurture emerging high-school artists. The foundation is bas ...

YoungArts program awarded him its gold medal in music. He was named a 2012 Gilmore Foundation Young Artist.Conrad Tao
, TheGilmore.org, accessed November 2, 2011Bash, James
"Gilmore Young Artists Awards announced"
''Oregon Music News'', June 27, 2011, accessed November 2, 2011

2012 to 2013

Tao travelled to Europe, South America and throughout North America to play more than 75 concerts in 2012.History
, Calendar archive at conradtao.com, accessed December 20, 2012 His concerts included Tchaikovsky's '' Piano Concerto No. 1'' with the Utah Symphony,Newton, Catherine Reese
"Utah Symphony catches a rising star, pianist Conrad Tao"
''The Salt Lake Tribune'', January 6, 2012 Saint-Saëns' '' Piano Concerto No. 2'' with the

Detroit Symphony Orchestra The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Jader Bignamini is the current music d ...

Johnson, Lawrence B
"Piano phenom, 17, makes a blazing debut with the DSO"
''The Detroit News'', January 22, 2012 and Rachmaninoff's '' Piano Concerto No. 2'' with the Symphony of the Americas in

Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, Florida, showing "a natural feel for the concerto's yearning melodies and restless energy". He gave his second annual recital in New York City called "A Piece for Peace" at

Weill Recital Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built by ...

that included the Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 7.Davidson, Justin
"The Vulnerable Age"
''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...

'', March 25, 2012 Tao also played a program with Orquestra Filarmônica de

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

in Brazil and performed three recitals at the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in Michigan, where he gave "a stupendous performance. ... The first half was elegant. Fireworks followed." This was followed by performances in Munich, Paris, Berlin and London. Tao was one of two

awardees for 2012. Also in 2012, Tao played concerts in MexicoMalhotra, Anita
"Interview with Conrad Tao"
Artsmania.com, November 12, 2012, accessed June 25, 2014 and at the

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Chamber Fest, where his Dvořák pieces "stole the show with a once-in-a-lifetime performance of the rarely-encountered '' American Suite'' ... he plays music as if the composer were at his side, with color, joy and spontaneous poetry." At the 2012 Aspen Music Festival, Tao played Gershwin's ''

Second Rhapsody The Second Rhapsody is a concert piece for orchestra with piano by American composer George Gershwin, written in 1931. It is sometimes referred to by its original title, ''Rhapsody in Rivets''. The Second Rhapsody was seldom performed in the twent ...

'',Steiman, Harvey
"Spano, McGegan and raft of pianists lift Aspen Music Fest opening weekend"
, ''The Aspen Times'', July 3, 2012 followed by recitals in

Avery Fisher Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall in New York City's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, designe ...

at the

Mostly Mozart Festival The Mostly Mozart Festival is an American classical music festival based in New York City. Venues The festival presents concerts with its resident ensemble, the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, principally at David Geffen Hall of the Lincoln C ...

. The same year, he performed with the

Oklahoma City Philharmonic The Oklahoma City Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. History As is the case with many American symphony orchestras, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic owes a degree of its heritage to two predecessor professi ...

, and his composition "Pángǔ", an overture-like modern piece inspired by the

Chinese creation myth Chinese creation myths are symbolic narratives about the origins of the universe, earth, and life. In Chinese mythology, the term "cosmogonic myth" or "origin myth" is more accurate than "creation myth", since very few stories involve a creator deit ...

, was premiered by the

, under

Jaap van Zweden Jaap van Zweden (; born 12 December 1960) is a Dutch conductor and violinist. He is currently music director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and of the New York Philharmonic, and music director-designate of the Seoul Philharmonic. ...

. In

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Tao played

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

's '' Third Piano Concerto'' and Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6", and with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, he played Rachmaninoff's '' Piano Concerto No. 3'' He returned to Pacific Symphony to play the Grieg piano concerto with "crisply inflected and strongly sculpted fortissimos and effervescent ''scherzando'' playing." He also played with the Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra at the

Concertgebouw The Royal Concertgebouw ( nl, Koninklijk Concertgebouw, ) is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" translates into English as "concert building". Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls i ...

. In 2013, Tao played Prokofiev's '' Piano Concerto No. 1'' with the

Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra The Jacksonville Symphony is an orchestra based in Jacksonville, Florida. Concert hall As one of a handful of American orchestras with its own dedicated concert hall, the Jacksonville Symphony performs the majority of its programs in the Rober ...

and, on less than three days' notice to replace another pianist, he joined

St. Louis Symphony The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is the second-oldest professional symphony or ...

to play Prokofiev's ''Piano Concerto No. 3''. He next played Mozart's '' Piano Concerto No. 21'' and the "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6" with the Hong Kong Philharmonic. That year, Face the Music's Pannonia Quartet played Tao's ''String Quartet No. 2'', while Tao performed a recital at the Aspen Music Festival and then was in Switzerland playing Prokofiev's ''Piano Concerto No. 3'' with the

Bern Symphony Orchestra The Bern Symphony Orchestra (Berner Symphonie-Orchester) is a Swiss orchestra based in Bern. The orchestra primarily gives concerts at the ''Kursaal'' in Bern, and also acts as the orchestra of the Bern Theatre, for opera and dance performances. ...

. In Florida he played all five of Beethoven's piano concerti with the Symphony of the Americas and also played the five with the

Spokane Symphony The Spokane Symphony is a 70-piece professional orchestra based in Spokane, WA that performs more than 65 concerts per year for more than 150,000 listeners. It was originally incorporated in 1945 as the Spokane Philharmonic before being renamed ...

.Lapidus, Larry
"Virtuoso Conrad Tao carries Beethoven's burden for Spokane Symphony"
''The Spokesman-Review'', May 13, 2013 On short notice, he rejoined Utah Symphony, filling in for an ailing soloist in Tchaikovsky's ''Piano Concerto No. 1''. A ''The New York Times'' review of Tao's concert previewing pieces from his 2013 album ''Voyages'' admired Tao's "confident and sensitive playing ndthe scope of his probing intellect and openhearted vision." In between chamber music and concerto performances that year, using his cash grants, Tao produced and hosted a three-night music festival, the UNPLAY Festival, in New York City in June 2013, which explored the place of classical music in modern culture. His goal was to challenge the role of music as passive entertainment and the "narrow conception of what classical music is for, among not only audiences, but also musicians and presenters". Tao guest-hosted WQXR's ''Hammered!'' with a series of episodes in which he played works by modern composers that evoke memory and remembrance. He then returned to the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to play chamber music. Other performances in 2013 included stops in Sweden and Chile. He played a recital and concertos by

Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major compo ...

and Mozart with the Santa Fe Pro Musica and opened Pacific Symphony's 35th season with "crisp, clear-eyed and thoroughly musical" performances of Rachmaninoff's ''Piano Concerto No. 3''. With Detroit Symphony Orchestra, his Beethoven ''Piano Concerto No. 1'' was described as "crisp and accurate, lively and dynamic, and very musical, with moments of thoughtful reflection". In Brazil, he performed the Britten's Piano Concerto with Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais, conducted by

Fabio Mechetti Fabio Mechetti (born 27 August 1957, São Paulo) is a Brazilian conductor. Biography Mechetti has master's degrees in conducting and composition from the Juilliard School of Music. He won the 1989 Malko International Conducting Competition in D ...

. He returned to Weill Recital Hall in October for his third annual "A Piece for Peace" concert, playing works by Getty,

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

and Ravel. Tao again substituted on short notice with the Stamford Symphony Orchestra. Later in the year Tao premiered an orchestral work that he wrote for

to commemorate the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination, ''The World Is Very Different Now'' (a line from JFK's 1961 inaugural address). A review on DFW.com called it "atmospheric, creating shifting moods. ... There are haunting passages that are strikingly appealing, though there are few, if any, sustained, well-defined melodic lines. Instead the work draws listeners by creating moods and with remarkable orchestral color." With the

National Arts Centre Orchestra The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NAC Orchestra) is a Canadian orchestra based in Ottawa, Ontario led by music director Alexander Shelley. The NAC Orchestra's primary concert venue is Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre. Since its inceptio ...

in Ottawa, Canada, Tao performed Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 19.Todd, Richard
"Mozart, Shostakovich mix proved a rare blend"
, ''Ottawa Citizen'', November 28, 2013

2014 to 2015

In 2014, Tao rejoined the Oklahoma City Philharmonic to play Prokofiev's ''Piano Concerto No. 3'', "illuminating the composer's acerbic wit, sly insouciance and unrelenting rhythmic drive."Rogers, Rick
"Oklahoma City Philharmonic review: 'Sizzling Sparklers' shine"
''

The Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circulation) lists it as the 59th larges ...

'', January 14, 2014 He repeated the concerto with the Utah Symphony.Dixon, Matt
"Powerful, Moving Performance by Utah Symphony Friday"
''Reichel Recommends'', February 1, 2014; Newton, Catherine Reese

, ''The Salt Lake Tribune'', January 31, 2014 With the

Nashville Symphony The Nashville Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The orchestra is resident at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. History In 1920, prior to the 1946 founding of the Nashville Symphony, a group of amateur and ...

, he played Ravel's Piano Concerto in G, and with the

Colorado Springs Philharmonic The Colorado Springs Philharmonic is a professional orchestra based in Southern Colorado. The current music director is Josep Caballé Domenech. The Philharmonic performs at the Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado and offers sever ...

, he played Rachmaninoff's ''Rhapsody'' and Liszt's "

Totentanz The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ) (from the French language), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory of the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of ...

". He performed Rachmaninoff's ''Piano Concerto No. 3'' with the

Reno Philharmonic Orchestra The Reno Philharmonic Orchestra (Reno Phil) is a professional symphony orchestra based in Reno, Nevada. Its season runs from late September through April. The current music director is Laura Jackson. History and organizational facts The orches ...

and played ''Totentanz'' and ''Rhapsody No. 6'' with the

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The orchestra gives the majority of its performances in the Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons. It is also the resident orchestra for the Calgary Opera, A ...

. With the

Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra ( sv, Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester) is a Swedish radio orchestra based in Stockholm, affiliated with Sveriges Radio (Sweden's Radio). Its principal performing venue is the Berwaldhallen (Berwald Hall). The o ...

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, he performed Gershwin's ''

Concerto in F Concerto in F is a composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and orchestra which is closer in form to a traditional concerto than his earlier jazz-influenced ''Rhapsody in Blue''. It was written in 1925 on a commission from the conductor an ...

'', followed by recitals and private concerts in Amsterdam,

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

China, and the US, as well Saint-Saëns' ''Piano Concerto No. 2'' in Pennsylvania. Tao again played the Saint-Saëns with the St. Louis Symphony, followed by concerts in Mexico, the Grieg piano concerto with Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 with Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO). Later in the year, he played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in North Carolina and gave recitals, including at the Aspen Music Festival and in Switzerland, before playing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the

. He recorded a video for ''The New York Times'' playing the final movement of Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 7. He opened the

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

Symphony's season with Rachmaninoff's ''Rhapsody''Sandresky, Margaret
"Audience enthusiastic as Moody celebrates 10th anniversary at symphony"
''

Winston-Salem Journal The ''Winston-Salem Journal'' is an American, English language daily newspaper primarily serving Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. It also covers Northwestern North Carolina. The paper is owned by ...

'', September 21, 2014 and played Ravel's '' Concerto for the Left Hand'' with the

Battle Creek Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which en ...

Symphony Orchestra. In October, the

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Edmonton, Alberta. As the professional orchestra of Alberta's creative capital city it presents over 85 concerts a year of symphonic music in all genres, from classical to co ...

played Tao's "Pángǔ", and he joined them to play Grieg's Piano Concerto. In Amsterdam, he made his debut with the

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra ( nl, Koninklĳk Concertgebouworkest, ) is a Dutch symphony orchestra, based at the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw (concert hall). Considered one of the world's leading orchestras, Queen Beatrix conferred the "R ...

, performing Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1. He played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in Norway with the

Stavanger Symphony Orchestra The Stavanger Symphony Orchestra ( no, Stavanger Symfoniorkester, SSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Stavanger, Norway. The SSO principal venue is the Stavanger Concert Hall (Stavanger konserthus), performing in the Fartein Valen concert hall. ...

and then reprised the Grieg with the

Toronto Symphony Orchestra The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toronto ...

and Maine's

Portland Symphony Orchestra The Portland Symphony Orchestra was established in 1923 in Portland, Maine as the Amateur Strand Symphony Orchestra. Started by a small group of musicians who had sent out invitations to join their organization to people in the area, they had their ...

. Tao rejoined Baltimore Symphony to play Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 1 at several venues.Smith, Tim
"Pianist Conrad Tao an explosive force in the BSO's latest program"
''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...

'', October 31, 2014 He opened the

New York Youth Symphony The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS), founded in 1963, is a tuition-free music organization for the youth in New York City, widely reputed to be one of the best of its kind in the nation and world. Its programs include its flagship Orchestra, Cha ...

season at

with Rachmaninoff's ''Rhapsody''. Tao's composition "Public Service Announcement (dogs and cats)" was premiered at

Merkin Hall Merkin Hall is a 449-seat concert hall in Manhattan, New York City. The hall, named in honor of Hermann and Ursula Merkin, is part of the Kaufman Music Center, a complex that includes the Lucy Moses School, a community arts school, and the Speci ...

in New York City in November by the New York Virtuoso Singers. He reprised the ''Rhapsody'' in Malaysia and also with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm. NPR selected Tao's performance of Bach's Toccata in F-sharp minor as one of public radio's best in-studio performances of 2014. Tao played Beethoven's ''

Emperor Concerto The Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, known as the Emperor Concerto in English-speaking countries, is a concerto composed by Ludwig van Beethoven for piano and orchestra. Beethoven composed the concerto in 1809 under salary in Vienna, ...

'' among other pieces with the

Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1958, is a professional symphony orchestra based in Boulder, Colorado. It is led by Music Director Michael Butterman. The Boulder Philharmonic’s season at Macky Auditorium on the University of Colo ...

, which also played his piece, "Pángǔ". He played Mozart's ''Piano Concerto No. 21'' with the

Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is Central Florida's resident professional orchestra, appearing in more than 125 performances each season. Founded in 1993. At over $4 million, the Orlando Philharmonic has the largest endowment of any arts in ...

Palm, Matt
"Review: Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra's 'Tao Plays Mozart'"
''Orlando Sentinel'', February 21, 2015 and, at short notice with the Utah Symphony, played Beethoven's ''Piano Concerto No. 5''. He joined the

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra in Knoxville, Tennessee. The orchestra was established in 1935 and is the oldest continuing orchestra in the southeastern United States.Roy C. BrewerSymphony Orchestras ''Tennessee Enc ...

to play Mozart's '' Piano Concerto No. 25'', with "exuberant enchantment" and "seemingly innate storytelling ability". Tao was the 2015/16 DSO Artist-in-residence, with whom he performed Rachmaninoff's ''Rhapsody'',Isaacs, Gregory Sullivan
"The Dallas Symphony goes out of its comfort zone with a young, living, electronic composer; plus an admirable performance from artist-in-residence Conrad Tao"
TheaterJones.com, January 16, 2015

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...

's piano sonata, four of Rachmaninoff's ''

Études-Tableaux, Op. 39 Written in 1917, the ''Études-Tableaux'' ("study pictures"), Op. 39 is the second set of piano études composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Structure The Op. 39 set comprises nine études: # Allegro agitato in C minor :: This quick-paced étud ...

'', the violin-and-piano version of Rachmaninoff's ''Vocalise'', Bartók's " Contrasts", Prokofiev's " Piano Sonata No. 7"Cantrell, Scott
"Classical music: Conrad Tao and friends play Rachmaninoff, Bartók and Copland"
''

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

'', May 9, 2015; and Smith, Linda
"Soluna Review: Copland + Bartok"
TheaterJones, May 10, 2015 and

Miklós Rózsa Miklós Rózsa (; April 18, 1907 – July 27, 1995) was a Hungarian-American composer trained in Germany (1925–1931) and active in France (1931–1935), the United Kingdom (1935–1940), and the United States (1940–1995), with extensi ...

's ''Spellbound Concerto'', among other pieces. He also composed for the orchestra, curated concert programs, participated in radio broadcasts and gave recitals and master classes. Also in 2015, Tao played Gershwin's ''

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

'' with the Hawaii Youth SymphonyConrad Tao: Past
, ConradTao.com, accessed January 23, 2016 and gave several performances with

San Diego Symphony The San Diego Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in San Diego, California. The orchestra is resident at Copley Symphony Hall. The orchestra also serves as the orchestra for the San Diego Opera. History On December 6th 1910, the ...

, playing Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 1, among other pieces. With

Alabama Symphony Orchestra The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra based in Birmingham, Alabama. The orchestra's resident and principal conductor is Christopher Confessore. The Orchestra was first formed in April 1921 but had to close because of financial issu ...

, he played Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3. He played Beethoven's ''Emperor Concerto'' and other works at the Music in the Mountains festival in California, Rachmaninoff's ''Rhapsody'' with San Francisco Symphony, and Gershwin's ''Rhapsody in Blue'' with Sun Valley Summer Symphony.Kruger, Steven
"Summer Russians: The San Francisco Symphony, Edwin Outwater, conductor Conrad Tao, piano"
''New York Arts'', August 24, 2015 He returned to the Aspen Music Festival to play several programs that included

Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

's " Carnaval", Poulenc's sextet for piano and wind, and Beethoven's '' Fantasia in C minor''. Later in 2015, Tao premiered his concerto ''An Adjustment'' for piano, chamber orchestra, and iGadgets, at the

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts venue at 300 South Broad Street and the corner of Spruce Street, along the stretch known as the Avenue of the Arts in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned and ...

in Philadelphia, where he was also the soloist in Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2. Inspired by Tao's experiences with depression, ''An Adjustment'' combines "in the most imaginative way the current style of spiritual post-Romanticism and '90s techno club music."Dobrin, Peter
"Review: A 'screen test' for Chamber Orchestra"
Philly.com, September 22, 2015 His "Pángǔ" was performed by the

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra The ''Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra'' (''PSO'') is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Pittsburgh, Cultural District. History The Pittsburgh Sy ...

, and Tao joined the orchestra to give a "not only thrillingly rhythmical, but extraordinarily sensitive" account of Gershwin's ''Concerto in F''. Tao made stops in Europe, Brazil and the US to play concerts including a recital based on his album, ''Pictures''. He rejoined Pacific Symphony with Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3.

2016 to 2017

In 2016, Tao played Schumann's

Piano Concerto A piano concerto is a type of concerto, a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for a piano player, which is typically accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuoso showpiec ...

with the

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

Symphony in Florida, and Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the

Conrad Tao: Past Shows
, ConradTao.com, accessed April 26, 2016 and Mozart's Concerto No. 7, among other pieces, with the San Diego Philharmonic. With

Cincinnati Symphony The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its primary concert venue is Music Hall. In addition to its symphony concerts, the orchestra gives pops concerts as the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The Cinci ...

, he played Rachmaninoff's ''Rhapsody''. With West Michigan Symphony, he played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 and next performed the Grieg Piano Concerto in Calgary,

Karol Szymanowski Karol Maciej Szymanowski (; 6 October 188229 March 1937) was a Polish composer and pianist. He was a member of the modernist Young Poland movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century. Szymanowski's early works show the inf ...

's Symphony No. 4, ''Symphonie Concertante'', with the

Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO; ms, Orkestra Filharmonik Malaysia) is a Malaysian orchestra based in Kuala Lumpur. The orchestra is resident at the Petronas Philharmonic Hall (Dewan Filharmonik Petronas). It is one of Asia's leading ...

, Tchaikovsky's No. 1 with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra, and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 with Santa Fe Pro Musica. With the Swedish Radio Symphony, he played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 4, and he played Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 with the

Symphony. Tao returned to the DSO to finish his year as artist-in-residence with a recital and the premiere of his orchestral composition, ''Alice'', which was inspired by his recurring childhood nightmares, sometimes described as

Alice in Wonderland syndrome Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS), also known as Todd's syndrome or dysmetropsia, is a neuropsychological condition that causes a distortion of perception. People may experience distortions in visual perception of objects, such as appearing sma ...

. He accompanied the premiere of David Lang's opera ''The Loser'' on stage at the

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

. Tao played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Giuseppe Verdi Symphonic Orchestra in Milan, Italy, and his composition, ''I got a wiggle that I just can’t shake'' was premiered by the Pacific Symphony. He played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with

Virginia Symphony Orchestra The Virginia Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is an American orchestra administratively based in Norfolk. The VSO performs concerts in various venues in Virginia, including: * Chrysler Hall, Norfolk * The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia ...

,Shulson, John
"Virginia Symphony Orchestra starts season with 'fireworks'"
''

The Virginia Gazette ''The Virginia Gazette'' is the local newspaper of Williamsburg, Virginia. Established in 1930, it is named for the historical ''Virginia Gazette'' published between 1736 and 1780. It is published twice a week in the broadsheet format. Historical ...

'', September 28, 2016 Rachmaninoff's ''Rhapsody'' with the Hawaii Symphony, Grieg's Piano Concerto with the

,Pitcher, John
"The Biggest Attraction of the Nashville Symphony’s Program Was a Blast From the Past"
''

Nashville Scene ''Nashville Scene'' is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with ...

'', October 13, 2016 both Schumann's Piano Concerto and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 at the

National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre (NAC) (french: Centre national des Arts) is a Arts centre, performing arts organisation in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre build ...

in Canada,Gauthier, Natasha
"Jubilant, fresh takes on Beethoven, Schumann from NACO"
''

Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the '' ...

'', October 19, 2016 Szymanowski's Symphony No. 4 with the

Szczecin Philharmonic Szczecin Philharmonic, officially Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic ( pl, Filharmonia im. Mieczysława Karłowicza), founded in 1948, is a philharmonic of the city of Szczecin, Poland.

in Poland and Bernstein's Symphony No. 2, ''

The Age of Anxiety ''The Age of Anxiety: A Baroque Eclogue'' (1947; first UK edition, 1948) is a long poem in six parts by W. H. Auden, written mostly in a modern version of Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse. The poem deals, in eclogue form, with man' ...

'', with Staatskapelle Halle in Germany. He also played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México, Schumann's Piano Concerto with the Peninsula Symphony,Iisaka, Ken
"Peninsula Symphony and Conrad Tao Take Schumann Deep"
''San Francisco Classical Voice'', November 8, 2016 Gershwin's ''Concerto in F'' with the

Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia ( en, National Academy of St Cecilia) is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world, founded by the papal bull ''Ratione congruit'', issued by Sixtus V in 1585, which invoked two saints prom ...

in Italy and Gershwin's ''Rhapsody in Blue'' with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra.McIrvine, Ted
"Conrad Tao and the ASO Present Copland, Diamond and Gershwin"
CVNC.org, November 19, 2016 In 2017 he gave a recital for the Van Cliburn Foundation in Dallas and a concert with the

Royal Conservatory of Music The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher (musician), Edward ...

in Toronto, playing

Charles Ives Charles Edward Ives (; October 20, 1874May 19, 1954) was an American modernist composer, one of the first American composers of international renown. His music was largely ignored during his early career, and many of his works went unperformed f ...

Piano Trio A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music. The term can also refer to a group of musi ...

, and the Dvořák Piano Trio No. 3 in F Minor. With Portland Ovations in Maine, he played the same two trios, plus the

Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...

Piano Trio No. 39 in G Major. Among other concerts, he played with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco of

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...

, Mexico and gave recitals at the Aspen Music Festival. With the

Tucson Symphony Orchestra The Tucson Symphony Orchestra, or TSO, is the primary professional orchestra of Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1928, when the season consisted of just two concerts, the TSO is the oldest continuously running performing arts organization in the South ...

in Arizona, he performed Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" Variations, ''Rhapsody in Blue'' and Copland's Suite from "Billy the Kid". He premiered his own "free-form" piano concerto, ''The

Oneiroi In Greek mythology, dreams were sometimes personified as Oneiros () or Oneiroi (). In the ''Iliad'' of Homer, Zeus sends an Oneiros to appear to Agamemnon in a dream, while in Hesiod's ''Theogony'', the Oneiroi are the sons of Nyx (Night), and b ...

in New York'' with the Atlantic Classical Orchestra in

Palm Beach Gardens Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida, 77 miles north of downtown Miami. , the population was 59,182. Palm Beach Gardens is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6 ...

, Florida. Tao was the Hong Kong Philharmonic's 2017 artist-in-residence, with whom he premiered his ''swallow harbor''. He played the Grieg piano concert with Stamford Symphony in Connecticut and his own concerto, ''An Adjustment'', with Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. With

Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra The Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Lexington, Kentucky. The orchestra performs concerts principally at the Singletary Center for the Arts. History In 1961, the orchestra was formed from the Central Kentucky ...

, he played his piece, "Pángǔ", and Gershwin's ''Concerto in F''. Winston-Salem's symphony orchestra performed his ''The world is very different now'', and he joined them to perform Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3. Tao played Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 8 at the

Mainly Mozart Festival Mainly Mozart is a 501(c)3 non-profit based in San Diego, California. Mainly Mozart was created in 1988 by Maestro David Atherton and Executive Director Nancy Laturno, formerly of the San Diego Symphony, to give the people of Southern California and ...

in San Diego, California, and Khachaturian's piano concerto with the

Grant Park Orchestra The Grant Park Symphony Orchestra or simply the Grant Park Orchestra is a publicly sponsored symphony orchestra that provides free performances in the Grant Park Music Festival during the summer months in Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois. ...

in Chicago before returning to the Aspen Music Festival. With Philadelphia Orchestra he played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concert No. 2 and with the Columbus ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, he premiered his own work for piano and orchestra, ''Over'', and played Haydn's '' Keyboard Concerto 11''. With

Eugene Symphony The Eugene Symphony is an American orchestra based in Eugene, Oregon. Its home venue is the Silva Concert Hall at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Approximately 27,000 people attend Eugene Symphony's classical and pops concert performan ...

he played Ravel's ''Piano Concerto for the Left Hand'' and Liszt's ''Totentanz'', and with

, he returned to Saint-Saëns' ''Piano Concerto No. 2''. He then played Schumann's Piano Concerto with Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. Later in 2017 he made his

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

recital debut, where he received an Emerging Artist Award, and returned to Berkeley to play Rachmaninoff's ''Rhapsody'' and Liszt's "Totentanz" He wrote an encore, "All I Had Forgotten, Or Tried To", inspired by

Kevin Killian Kevin Killian (December 24, 1952 – June 15, 2019) was an American poet, author, editor, and playwright primarily of LGBT literature. ''My Vocabulary Did This to Me: The Collected Poetry of Jack Spicer'', which he co-edited with Peter Gizzi, wo ...

's collection of erotic fiction, ''Impossible Princess''.

Since 2018

In early 2018, in addition to recitals, Tao's schedule included Bernstein's ''The Age of Anxiety'' with the

, Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto with Seattle, Schumann's Piano Concerto with the Santa Fe Pro Musica and Gershwin's ''Concerto in F'' with the

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York led by Music Director JoAnn Faletta. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Each season it p ...

, with which he toured Poland in March 2018.Goldman, Mary Kunz
"Concert shows that high-energy BPO is ready for Poland"
''

The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...

'', March 10, 2018 He also formed the JCT Trio with violinist Stefan Jackiw and cellist Jay Campbell. In contrast to Tao's solo recitals, which focus on unconventional programming, the JCT Trio programs traditional repertoire. In April, he joined

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The ASO's main concert venue is Atlanta Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center. History Though earlier organizations bearing the same name date b ...

to perform Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 1Gresham, Mark
"Review: ASO guest pianist Conrad Tao steals the show with his adventurous encore"
ArtsATL.com, April 13, 2018 and

Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Hamilton, Ontario. The orchestra gives concerts primarily at the FirstOntario Concert Hall. History The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1949. Its first co ...

for Bartók's Piano Concert No. 3. The same month, Tao's violin sonata, ''Threads of Contact'', premiered by Paul Huang and commissioned by Washington Performing Arts, for whom Tao has been a recitalist, was performed at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

. In May, Tao's dance composition, ''More Forever'', was premiered by Caleb Teicher and Company in New York City, beginning an ongoing collaboration with Teicher. Tao was nominated for a 2019

Bessie Award The New York Dance and Performance Awards, also known as the Bessie Awards, are awarded annually for exceptional achievement by independent dance artists presenting their work in New York City. The broad categories of the awards are: choreography, ...

for Musical Composition of ''More Forever''. Tao returned to Aspen in June. In September, the

premiered Tao's ''Everything Must Go'', the fifth Tao work premiered by conductor Jaap van Zweden; the piece was commissioned as a prelude to Bruckner's Symphony No. 8 and takes inspiration from that piece. In October he again performed with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In November, Tao performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with San Diego Symphony. In January 2019, Tao repeated Teicher's ''More Forever'' at the

Guggenheim Museum The Guggenheim Museums are a group of museums in different parts of the world established (or proposed to be established) by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Museums in this group include: Locations Americas * The Solomon R. Guggenhei ...

in New York (and then on tour) and also continued to collaborate with Jackiw in Vancouver, Canada, at the

92nd Street Y 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) is a cultural and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the corner of East 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Founded in 1874 as the Young Men's Hebrew Association, the ...

in New York, and on tour.Looseleaf, Victoria
"It's a Great Time to Be Conrad Tao"
''San Francisco Classical Voice'', May 9, 2019 The next month, he reprised his performance in Lang's ''The Loser'', this time with the

Los Angeles Opera The Los Angeles Opera is an American opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth-largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center. Leadersh ...

, In March he performed Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Pacific Symphony. In May, he performed Ravel's

with Colorado Symphony and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...

. In July, Tao, together with violinist Stefan Jackiw and cellist Jay Campbell, who frequently perform as the JCT Trio, played Beethoven's

Triple Concerto A triple concerto (Italian: ''Concerto triplo'', German: ''Tripelkonzert'') is a concerto with three soloists. Such concertos have been composed from the Baroque period, including works by Corelli, Vivaldi, Bach and Telemann, to the 21st century ...

with

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra, and the resident summer orchestra of the Chautauqua Institution in western New York State. Founded in 1929, the ensemble plays concerts on most Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights thro ...

in July. The same month, with

Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Sev ...

, he played Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3,Lewis, Zachary
"Jahja Ling conjures true spirit of Blossom with Cleveland Orchestra, Conrad Tao"
''

The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of Ma ...

'', July 15, 2019 and with the

Bravo! Vail Bravo! Vail is an annual classical music festival held in Vail, Colorado. Its current artistic director is Anne-Marie McDermott. Overview The six-week-long festival begins in late June and ends in early August. Programming consists of chamber mus ...

, he played Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2. Also in 2019, Tao gave a recital at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall.

Reputation as a pianist

Teenage performances

Rick Schulz of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' wrote of a concert by the 16-year-old Tao: "In a dashing account of Rachmaninoff's ''Rhapsody'', his attacks were crisp, with rhythmically tricky high-velocity passages cleanly articulated. ... Tao avoided sentimentality, his concentration drawing us into the composer's spare and witty work as few virtuosos of any age can do." Of his 2012 performance of Tchaikovsky's ''Piano Concerto No. 1'', Catherine Reese Newton of ''

The Salt Lake Tribune ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871." History ...

'' commented: "Not only did Tao demonstrate prodigious technique and a decisive attack in the ... outer movements of the concerto, he showed reflective musicianship in the slow movement. isencore asa dazzling performance of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6." Of Tao's Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 7,

Justin Davidson Justin Davidson (born in Rome, Italy, in 1966) is a classical music and architecture critic. In 1983, he graduated from the American Overseas School of Rome, where his mother was an English teacher. Davidson began his journalism career as a loc ...

wrote in ''

'': "No 17-year-old should be able to do justice to one of the most bleakly adult pieces in the literature, yet he played it with aggressive charm and flashes of genuine wisdom." Lawrence Johnson of ''

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...

'' reviewed Tao's performance the same year of Saint-Saëns' ''Piano Concerto No. 2'': At the 2012 Aspen Music Festival, Tao "delivered the most arresting performance, attacking ershwin's''

'' with a lethal combination of power, rhythmic thrust, technical perfection and sheer joy." The following year, on less than three days' notice to replace an ailing pianist, Tao played Prokofiev's ''Piano Concerto No. 3'' "with insouciant ease and apparent enjoyment ... flair and musicality". Of Tao's performance of all five of Beethoven's piano concerti that year, David Fleshler commented in ''South Florida Classical Review'': "The mastery he displayed was more than the predictable brilliance of the grown-up prodigy, it was a performance that brought out the nobility, the eloquence and the dramatic power of these works." Larry Lapidus of ''The Spokesman-Review'' called the five concerti "a richly rewarding – indeed, unforgettable – musical experience" noting, that "Tao played the lengthy and difficult ''Concerto No. 1'' ... without a flaw: not a missed or imperfectly struck note, not a careless or routine phrase, not a poorly voiced chord." Richard Todd of the ''

'' termed Tao's Piano Concerto No. 19 by Mozart, with

in Ottawa, Canada, "almost startling in its clarity of sound and purpose."

Since 2014

In 2014, Matt Dixon wrote of Tao's Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3: "The level of precision on display was beyond impressive, and the closing minutes of the third and final movement revealed an energy that was simply exhilarating. Tao's ... approach to the music itself was dynamic, unusually expressive, and engaging, with the technical mastery always serving to aid in the interpretation." Margared Sandresky of the ''

'' commented of his Rachmaninoff ''Rhapsody'': "Tao ... realized with ease both the prodigious technical difficulties and the many varied expressive demands of the piece, leading the orchestra players on a merry chase as the difficult passage work streamed from his fingers like mercury." Scott Smith of ''

'' stated of his performance of Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 1 that Tao possesses "an ability to communicate clearly, no matter how thorny a score may become ... Tao brought remarkable spontaneity and colorful phrasing. ... There was always musicality, not just virtuosity". Of his Rachmaninoff ''Rhapsody'', Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of TheaterJones judged that Tao "displayed impeccable technique ... clean and crystal clear, bordering on brittle. Some warmth throughout, not just in the lush melodic parts, would have been welcome. ... This is not to say that his performance lacked nuance, because there were many lovely turns of phrases. However, it left the impression that he was impatient to get through the slow parts and back to the flights of virtuosity. ... But there is no denying Tao's brilliance and technical mastery. All of the above reservations about the performance are the sins of the young." In the Mozart ''Piano Concerto No. 21'' in 2015, according to Matt Palm of the ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

'', "Tao's energetic work blended seamlessly with his fellow musicians to create both elegance and exuberance." Scott Cantrell of ''

'' called Tao's Aaron Copland piano sonata "gripping ... finely timed and layered, but the rhythmic quirks of the ''scherzo'' would have been set in higher relief at a marginally slower pace", and thought of his Rachmaninoff ''

'' that "the F-sharp minor felt a bit pressed, and the D minor was pushed and pulled about too much. The A minor ... was ravishing, though, and the D major was genuinely exciting". Steven Kruger of ''New York Arts'' wrote that Tao's "was the best performance of the Rachmaninoff ''Paganini Variations'' I have ever heard, on or off disc. Tao was so vivid, he might as well have been Gershwin at the keyboard. Every note was electric. And the last movement of the Prokofiev Seventh Sonata, offered as an encore, simply made everyone's jaw drop." Peter Dobrin of Philly.com wrote that, in Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2, Tao "kept his monstrous technique on a leash ndused it for sincerity and wit – waiting a split second in certain entrances for a flash of humor, or holding back for emphasis. The opening was moving, and the way he paced mounting intensity in the last minutes uncovered the best in this work". In a performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in 2016, John Shulson of ''

'' commented that Tao's "performance ... was one of the most thrilling to be heard on stage with this symphony. ... Tao was the master of the Rachmaninoff and its many moods, offering inspired lyricism and ponderous power." John Pitcher of ''

'' wrote that, in the Grieg, Tao "emphasized the concerto’s showy side utthere was more ... than mere razzle-dazzle. He was an imaginative tonal colorist who used the piano’s sustain pedal to create a wash of prismatic overtones." He also commented, of Tao's encore, Carter's "fiendishly difficult, cerebral" piece, "Caténaires", that "the audience listened with breathless excitement. In the end, they roared their approval, giving Tao a sustained ovation." In the ''Ottawa Citizen'', Natasha Gauthier judged that Tao "brought an original, modernist sensibility" to the Schumann Concerto and Beethoven's Emperor Concerto. She noted:

Tao has a trick of subtly emphasizing bass lines and syncopations in a way that sounds fresh yet organic, never forced or overblown. He has huge technique and facility, but it's his relaxed, almost jazzy approach to the music that stood out. The Schumann was all restless energy and shifting, interior light. The Beethoven had a lively, prancing magnificence, vivid as a film. An encore of "Caténaires" ... had both meticulous control and lethal attack.

Of Tao's performance of Schumann's piano concerto with the Pacific Symphony, Ken Iisaka of ''San Francisco Classical Voice'' commented: "With clear, articulate lines, Robert Schumann's passionate ardor towards Clara was expressed with determination, through deliberate tempos. Rather than letting the music be overly sentimental, rendering it a torrent of rage, Tao illustrated its volatile, bipolar personality with an unusual level of clarity and dryness. It almost felt as if the music gave a third-person account of the composer, rather than the music being by Schumann himself. Tao’s fresh perspective laid strong emphasis on the music’s architecture." Another reviewer thought that, in his rendition of ''Rhapsody in Blue'', Tao "bent the rhythms at times, showing his mastery of jazz style without disturbing his rapport with the accompanying sheveille Symphonyorchestra. He found connections and bridges that I had been unaware of, observed pauses that emphasized the importance of silence in the midst of music, and generally convinced the audience that this was a performance to remember."

Anthony Tommasini Anthony Carl Tommasini (born April 14, 1948) is an American music critic and author who specializes in classical music. Described as "a discerning critic, whose taste, knowledge and judgment have made him a must-read", Tommasini was the chief ...

of ''The New York Times'' reviewed one of Tao's "Crypt Sessions" recitals at the Church of the Intercession in Harlem, New York (Tao substituted on two days' notice for an ailing David Greilsammer), writing:

In the crypt, the sheer volume of Mr. Tao's sound during frenzied climaxes f_Frederic_Rzewski's_"Which_Side_Are_You_On?".html" ;"title="Frederic_Rzewski.html" ;"title="f Frederic Rzewski">f Frederic Rzewski's "Which Side Are You On?"">Frederic_Rzewski.html" ;"title="f Frederic Rzewski">f Frederic Rzewski's "Which Side Are You On?"was near-deafening, yet exhilarating. ... It was fascinating, though, to hear Mr. Tao draw out every dissonance-statured, vehement element of [Copland's piano] sonata while also bringing affecting tranquillity to the pensive conclusion of the last movement."Tommasini, Anthony
"Review: A Pianist Brings American Rage to a Church Crypt"
''The New York Times'', April 7, 2017

Of his 2018 performance of Gershwin's ''Concerto in F'' with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Mary Kunz Goldman wrote: "Tao has a fine percussive touch. He hammers away at the piece with flawless staccato energy. ... The end of the first movement was so tumultuous and perfectly calibrated that the crowd burst into illicit applause. The Andante movement had a bluesy, bittersweet quality. The concluding Allegro brought Tao back to attack mode. ... The snap-bang ending brought the listeners to their feet ... happy and shouting." Mark Gresham, writing in ArtsATL called Tao's performance of Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 1 "brilliantly virtuosic", and he joined the critics who have particularly remarked upon Tao's playing of his encore, "Caténaires", calling it "perhaps the most adventurous encore to be heard on the ASO stage in a long, long time. ... It was by far the ear-opener of the evening." Reviewing Tao's 2019 debut with Cleveland Orchestra, Zachary Lewis commented: "Technique? Tao had it in spades. He oundwarmth, nuance, and haunting expression where many see little more than virtuoso display. esidesa ferocious but still sparkling third movement ... the highlight was the Andantino. ... Tao ably guided his listeners through the eerie, twisted thicket that is a set of variations, conversing gently with his colleagues all the way.

Recordings

In early 2012, Tao released his first solo recording with

EMI Classics EMI Classics was a record label founded by Thorn EMI in 1990 to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogues for internationally distributed classical music releases. After Thorn EMI demerged in 1996, its recorded musi ...

, an EP, ''The Juilliard Sessions: Conrad Tao Plays Debussy and Stravinsky''. Justin Davidson wrote of this album, "he plays his confidently poetic ''Three Songs'', which hold their own with a pair of Debussy preludes and Stravinsky's '' Three Movements from Petrushka''." Peter Joelson wrote: "The Debussy ''Preludes'' are thoroughly in his bones, but the Stravinsky I must say is given a breathtakingly good account. Technically faultless and interpretively mature, this is a knock-out." The same year, Tao released a

album, ''Eyelids'', and a recording of Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 17 and 25 with Santa Fe Pro Musica Orchestra. In early 2013, Tao released an album, ''

Gordon Getty Gordon Peter Getty (born December 20, 1933) is an American businessman and classical music composer, the fourth child of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. His mother, Ann Rork, was his father's fourth wife. When his father died in 1976, Gordon assumed ...

: Piano Pieces'', on the PENTATONE label. Tao's debut full-length solo album, on EMI Classics, ''Voyages'', featuring Tao's compositions together with pieces by

Meredith Monk Meredith Jane Monk (born November 20, 1942) is an American composer, performer, director, vocalist, filmmaker, and choreographer. From the 1960s onwards, Monk has created multi-disciplinary works which combine music, theatre, and dance, recording ...

, Rachmaninoff and Ravel, was released on June 11, 2013. The album reached No. 8 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart. Allmusic rates the album four stars out of five. Davidson wrote: "The playing induces shivers. The achmaninoffC minor prelude (Op. 23, No. 7) gushes out in quiet cataracts, lyrical and shimmering, a tour de force of delicacy and power." Despite Tao's skepticism about a classical music establishment that is "grossly normative, capitalistic, and steeped in established, unchallenged practices", commented one reviewer, ''Voyages'' is "perfect in all the conventional ways: masterfully performed and composed ... cleanly produced, and impeccably sequenced. ... It's an absolute joy to hear him fly through each of these pieces, the essences of which are not overwhelmed but rather recontextualized, given new life ... aohas the creative mind to think of them in new ways." ''

Fanfare A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets, French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introduction to an instrumental perfo ...

'' magazine also gave the album a very warm review, and the producers of the album were nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

. A reviewer for NPR wrote: In 2015, Tao released ''Pictures'', an album of piano music, on the

Warner Classics Warner Classics is the classical music arm of Warner Music Group. The label began issuing new recordings under the Warner Classics banner in 1991. The company also includes the Erato Records, Teldec Records and NVC Arts labels. Based in France, W ...

label. It features Mussorgsky's ''

Pictures at an Exhibition ''Pictures at an Exhibition'', french: Tableaux d'une exposition, link=no is a suite (music), suite of ten piano pieces, plus a recurring, varied Promenade theme, composed by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. The piece is Mussorgsky's ...

'', together with works by Elliott Carter,

Toru Takemitsu TORU or Toru may refer to: *TORU, spacecraft system *Toru (given name), Japanese male given name *Toru, Pakistan, village in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan *Tõru Tõru is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Est ...

, David Lang and Tao. In 2019 he released another album, ''American Rage''. He followed this in 2021 with ''Bricolage'' together with the brass quartet The Westerlies.Wilson, Emily
"From Piano Trios to Protest Music, Conrad Tao Does It All"
''San Francisco Classical Voice'', November 21, 2022

References

External links

Official website

Photo of Tao on the cover of
''Pasatiempo'' magazine, Santa Fe, New Mexico (September 2013) ;Interviews
video interview of Tao
2011
The Digital Debut Project
- Tao discusses The Juilliard Sessions recordings, 2012
NYC-ARTS on Channel THIRTEEN NY profile of Tao
September 2012, with his performance of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 from May 2012 Avery Fisher Career Grant ceremony
Chris Johnson interview of Tao
July 2013 ;Performances
Tao playing the violin and piano (in his own chamber music composition)
on '' From the Top at Carnegie Hall'' (2007)
Tao playing Rachmaninoff ''Piano Concerto No. 3''
with the

(2010)
Tao performing Saint-Saëns ''Piano Concerto No. 2''
with

(2012)
Video from Tao's album ''Voyages''
(2013)
Tao performing Beethoven ''Piano Concerto No. 1''
with

(2013) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tao, Conrad 1994 births 21st-century American composers 21st-century classical pianists 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American pianists American male classical composers American classical pianists Male classical pianists American male pianists American classical musicians of Chinese descent Aspen Music Festival and School alumni Child classical musicians Classical musicians from Illinois Columbia College (New York) alumni Juilliard School Pre-College Division alumni American LGBT musicians Living people People from Urbana, Illinois