Conrad Tao

Hillary Clinton with Tao, in 2008, to recognize his being named a Davidson Fellow Laureate

Conrad Yiwen Tao (born June 11, 1994) is an American composer, pianist and violinist. Tao's piano and violin performances since childhood brought him early recognition at music festivals and competitions, and he is receiving critical praise for his recitals and concerts with symphony orchestras. He was featured on the PBS TV series From the Top – Live from Carnegie Hall as violinist, pianist and composer. Critics have found promise in his early compositions, and he won eight consecutive ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. Dallas Symphony Orchestra commissioned and premiered, in November 2013, an orchestral work by Tao, to observe the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

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 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 album, Eyelids. That year, he was an Avery Fisher Career Grant awardee. He produced and hosted a three-night music festival, the UNPLAY Festival, in New York City from June 11–13, 2013. In 2013, he also released two albums, Gordon Getty: Piano Pieces and Voyages. Tao travels around the U.S. and abroad performing concerts and, at the same time, he attends the Columbia University–Juilliard School joint degree program. He is the 2015/16 Dallas Symphony Orchestra Artist-in-residence.

Early life and career

Tao was born in Urbana, Illinois to Sam Tao, an engineer, and Mingfang Ting, a research scientist. Both parents were born in China and earned doctorates from Princeton University.[1] Hearing his older sister Connie's piano lessons, Tao began to plink out children's songs on the piano, by ear, at the age of 18 months.[2] He gave his first piano recital at age 4.[3] At age 8, he made his concerto debut with the Utah Chamber Music Festival Orchestra, performing Mozart's Piano Concerto in A major.[3][4] At the age of 9, Tao moved with his family to New York City, and he began studying in the Juilliard School's Pre-College Division[5] and at the Professional Children's School.[6] He won the 2003 Walgreens National Concerto Competition as a violinist.[4] In 2004, 2007 (live at Carnegie Hall) and 2011, Tao was featured on the PBS and NPR series From the Top as violinist, pianist and composer.[7][8]

Tao won eight consecutive ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, from 2004 to 2011.[3][9] At age 10, his piano composition Silhouettes and Shadows won the BMI Carlos Surinach Prize.[4] His first piano concerto, The Four Elements, was premiered in 2007 by the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, Ohio.[1] 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".[10] In reviewing a 2008 piano recital in Berkeley, where Tao gave the U.S. premiere of his "Fantasy-Sonata", the San Francisco Chronicle 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."[11] Other early compositions include many pieces for solo piano and chamber music such as Tao's 2009 Piano Trio.[12]

He won both the Juilliard Pre-College Gina Bachauer Piano Competition and the Prokofiev Concerto Competition in 2006.[4] At the 2007 Festival del Sole, the 13-year-old Tao substituted for the ailing Italian pianist Fabio Bidini to play Serge Prokofiev'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. [Tao's] command of one of the classical repertoire’s most difficult works was simply amazing."[13] By the age of 16, Tao had appeared as a piano soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Utah Symphony and San Francisco Symphony, among many others.[1][14]

It isn’t always easy to be an active performer as well as a student. It's a delicate balance that you never quite learn to master – but that’s also part of the fun. 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, and this is what I really love about being a teenager, a high school student, and a working musician all at once.

— Conrad Tao, 2010[15]

In 2008, Tao performed both Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor and Piano Concerto No. 1 in one concert with the Miami Piano Festival Orchestra.[4] He repeated that feat nine times the next year with the Symphony of the Americas in Boca Raton.[16] The same year, critic Harris Goldsmith, in Musical America, called Tao "the most exciting prodigy ever to come my way. His promise is limitless."[17] The Wall Street Journal 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."[1] In 2009, Tao's venues included the Ravinia Festival[18] and Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre.[19] Of a 2009 performance of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major, 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."[20]

Tao has long studied piano with Yoheved Kaplinsky and Choong Mo Kang at Juilliard and composition with Christopher Theofanidis of Yale University,[21][22] and for five years he studied violin with Catherine Cho at Juilliard's Pre-College Division.[14][16] He also studied for six summers at the Aspen Music Festival and School from 2004 to 2009, mostly playing violin, and although "he has moved his focus away from violin, Tao considers his [summers] as a member of the [Aspen] violin section critical to his success as a piano soloist. ... 'I've gained an understanding of the dynamic between orchestra and soloist'."[23][24]

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 U.S.[25][26] After hearing Tao play the premiere of his Three Songs for Piano (2010), the reviewer of The Washington Post 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 first and foremost. ... But influences aside, his compositional voice is not "derivative" at all; you can discern a clear, fresh imagination".[27] Among Tao's 2010 performances was a concert with Utah Symphony that included Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.[28] In the summer of 2010, Tao returned to the Aspen Music Festival as a guest artist on short notice to fill in as a piano soloist for an ailing Jeffrey Kahane.[23]

Tao completed high school in spring 2011 by independent study through the Indiana University High School of Continuing Studies, while studying music in the Juilliard precollege program and performing dozens of concerts on tour.[29][30] Of this hectic schedule, he said: "It isn't always easy to be an active performer as well as a student. It's a delicate balance that you never quite learn to master – but that’s also part of the fun. 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, and this is what I really love about being a teenager, a high school student, and a working musician all at once."[15]

Tao in 2011

The New York Times praised Tao's performance of Chopin piano pieces while accompanying American Ballet Theatre dancers at a March 2011 gala at New York City Center.[31] The Los Angeles Times wrote of Tao's 2011 concert with the Pacific Symphony: "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."[32] Also in 2011, Tao was featured as both a piano and violin soloist in singer Jackie Evancho's album and PBS Great Performances special Dream with Me.[21] In his Cliburn Concerts debut in Dallas, Texas, in September 2011, Tao was again a last-minute replacement, this time for ailing pianist Louis Lortie,[33] earning praise: "[Tao] continually uncovered the energy and emotional underpinnings inherent in [the] music".[34][35]

Tao was the only classical artist named by Forbes magazine as one of the "30 Under 30" in the music industry in 2011.[9][36] Among other activities in late 2011, Tao led a Young Artists' program at The Kentucky Center[37] and won the 2011 Soloist-Prize at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.[38] Tao was also named a 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts YoungArts program awarded him its gold medal in music.[3][39] He was further named a 2012 Gilmore Foundation Young Artist.[21][40]

In autumn 2011, Tao began college in the Columbia University–Juilliard School joint degree program.[41] Asked what he does for relaxation, he said, "I find relaxation overrated. I find myself most satisfied and happy when I’m working [or] actively involved in anything. That is where I’m most content."[42]

2012

Tao travelled to Europe, South America and all around North America to play more than 75 concerts in 2012,[43] taking off the spring 2012 semester from Columbia to accommodate his busy schedule.[30] His first major concert in 2012 was with the Utah Symphony in January. Of his performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, The Salt Lake Tribune wrote: "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. [His] encore [was] a dazzling performance of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6."[44] The same month, Tao played Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. A reviewer for The Detroit News wrote,

"Tao blew the doors off [the concerto] with a performance that was no less seductive in its lyrical beauty than hair-raising in its technical brilliance. ... The opening ... an expansive toccata-like solo flight, provided the perfect stage to announce a pianist of formidable technique, acute sensibility and excellent training. ... The concerto proper bore out every promise of the unaccompanied prelude. Tao's playing displayed fine shades of color and intensity, whether the passage at hand demanded reflection or flamboyance. ... Surely as impressive as the young pianist's capacity for whirlwind speed was his poetic disposition and the sheer finesse that ruled his playing."[45]

Still in January, Tao performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Symphony of the Americas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, showing "a natural feel for the concerto’s yearning melodies and restless energy".[46] In February, he gave his second annual recital in New York City called "A Piece for Peace" at Weill Recital Hall, presented by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.[9] The concert included the Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 7, of which Justin Davidson wrote, "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."[47] In April, Tao played a program with Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais in Brazil.[48] The same month, he 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."[49] This was followed by performances in Munich, Paris, Berlin and London.[43][50]

A March 2012 feature in New York Magazine considered Tao's transition from child prodigy to adult musician. It quoted Tao as follows: "People underestimate how emotionally exhausting it is. ... There’s a risk that you can only feel intensely through music. Especially for young people, it's hard to do something every day that demands complete surrender."[47] Regarding Tao's compositions, the magazine quoted pianist Christopher O'Riley: "Conrad is the kind of musician who is shaping the future of music".[47] Tao was one of two Avery Fisher Career Grant awardees for 2012.[51][52]

Tao's next concert stop was in Mexico.[42][43] Then, at the June 2012 Montreal Chamber Fest, he played several Dvořák pieces and "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."[53] At the 2012 Aspen Music Festival, Tao "delivered the most arresting performance, attacking [Gershwin's] Second Rhapsody with a lethal combination of power, rhythmic thrust, technical perfection and sheer joy."[54] Tao gave two recitals at Avery Fisher Hall at the Mostly Mozart Festival.[55] In the fall, he performed with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, earning rave reviews.[56] Tao's composition "Pangu", an overture-like modern piece inspired by the Chinese creation myth, was premiered by the Hong Kong Philharmonic, under its new music director Jaap van Zweden.[23][57] Tao was unable to attend because he was in Toronto playing Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto and Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6".[58] With the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, he played Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in a "Jaw dropping" performance.[59][60] He returned to Pacific Symphony, executing the Grieg piano concerto with "crisply inflected and strongly sculpted fortissimos and effervescent scherzando playing."[61] After several more U.S. concerts, he ended the year with the Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra at the Concertgebouw before returning to New York for final exams.[43]

2013

Tao began 2013 with the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, playing Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody.[62] After playing Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 in concerts with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra,[63] Tao was summoned by the St. Louis Symphony on less than three days' notice to replace another pianist in playing Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 in concerts in February.[64] Yet, he played the piece "with insouciant ease and apparent enjoyment. ... Tao’s flair and musicality won him a huge ovation".[65] Tao played Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 and the "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6" with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. In the Mozart, "he generated some wonderful subtleties of phrasing during the opening movement, a light-as-air sense of line in the next and a different glint in the eye for every few bars of the finale."[66]

In the spring, Face the Music's Pannonia Quartet played Tao's String Quartet No. 2,[67] while Tao performed a recital at the Aspen Music Festival[68] and then was in Switzerland playing Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Bern Symphony Orchestra.[69] He returned to Fort Lauderdale to play all five of Beethoven's piano concerti with the Symphony of the Americas.[70] A reviewer commented: "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."[71] He was asked on short notice to play with Utah Symphony, filling in for an ailing soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.[72] Tao then repeated his Beethoven feat, playing the five concerti with the Spokane Symphony. A reviewer called the event "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."[73] He also previewed pieces from his 2013 album Voyages in New York City. A reviewer from The New York Times commented: "While there was much to admire in [Tao's] confident and sensitive playing, it was above all the program ... that conveyed the scope of his probing intellect and openhearted vision."[74]

In between chamber music and concerto performances on the U.S. east coast and at Aspen,[43] using his cash grants, Tao produced and hosted a three-night music festival, the UNPLAY Festival, in New York City from June 11–13, 2013, which explored the place of classical music in modern culture.[75][76] Challenging the role of music as passive entertainment, Tao asked those attending: "Why is there currently a narrow conception of what classical music is for, among not only audiences, but also musicians and presenters?"[77] Time Out New York commented: "The festival ... is fairly compact in its first outing, limited to a manageable three programs. What’s really impressive, though, is how much territory Tao and his collaborators manage to cover, and how cleverly it’s all arranged.[78] In July, Tao guest hosted WQXR's Hammered! with a series of episodes in which he played works by modern composers that evoke memory and remembrance.[79] He then returned to the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where he participated in chamber music programs.[80]

Tao's busy international schedule for the fall included more than 50 dates, including stops in Sweden and Chile.[81] He played a recital and concertos by Shostakovich and Mozart with the Santa Fe Pro Musica[82] and opened Pacific Symphony's 35th season with "crisp, clear-eyed and thoroughly musical" performances of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3.[83] 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".[84] He performed the Britten's Piano Concerto with Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais, conducted by Fabio Mechetti, in Brazil.[85] Tao returned to Weill Recital Hall in October for his third annual concert called "A Piece for Peace", playing works by Getty, Monk and Ravel.[86] Tao was again asked to substitute on short notice for another pianist, this time with the Stamford Symphony Orchestra.[87][88]

Dallas Symphony Orchestra commissioned Tao to write an orchestral work to commemorate the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination, The World Is Very Different Now (named for a line from in JFK's 1961 inaugural address). The piece debuted on November 21–24, 2013.[12][89] A review on DFW.com called it "atmospheric, creating shifting moods. ... [T]he work is never truly funereal. 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."[90] Tao finished the year with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada, performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 19. A review in the Ottawa Citizen commented: "Tao's playing was almost startling in its clarity of sound and purpose."[91] To accommodate his touring schedule, Tao took a year-long break from his academic degree studies.[92]

2014

Tao began 2014 with a return to the Oklahoma City Philharmonic in January to play Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, "illuminating the composer's acerbic wit, sly insouciance and unrelenting rhythmic drive. ... Whether in the decorative filigree passages or the pianistic pyrotechnics of this concerto, Tao demonstrated why his star is clearly on the ascent. This was first-rate".[93] He next played the same concerto with the Utah Symphony. "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."[94] With the Nashville Symphony, he played Ravel's Piano Concerto in G,[95] and with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, he played Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody and Liszt's "Totentanz".[96] Tao then performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra[97] and played Liszt's Totentanz and Rhapsody No. 6 with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.[98] With the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, he performed Gershwin's Concerto in F, followed by several recitals and private concerts in Amsterdam, Shanghai China, and the U.S., as well Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 in York, Pennsylvania.[43][99]

In the spring, Tao again played Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2, this time with the St. Louis Symphony, where he "made it all seem effortless".[100] He performed several concerts in Mexico and played the Grieg piano concerto with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.[43] In August, he played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in North Carolina and gave recitals, including one at the Aspen Music Festival. In September, he gave a recital in Switzerland before playing the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Bern Symphony Orchestra,[43] and The New York Times featured him in a video on its website playing the final movement of Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 7.[101] He opened the Winston-Salem Symphony's season with Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody. A reviewer commented: "Tao ... proved a dazzling player. ... He 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."[102] He played Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand with the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra.[103]

In October, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra played Tao's "Pángǔ", after which he joined them to play Grieg's Piano Concerto. In Amsterdam, he then made his debut with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, performing Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1. He played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in Norway with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra[43] and then reprised the Grieg with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra[104] and Maine's Portland Symphony Orchestra.[105] Tao next rejoined the Baltimore Symphony to play Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 1 at several venues. A review in The Baltimore Sun commented 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".[106] He opened the New York Youth Symphony season at Carnegie Hall in November with Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody.[43][107] In December, Tao is scheduled to repeat the Rhapsody in Malaysia and with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm. Tao's composition "Public Service Announement (dogs and cats)" was premiered at Merkin Hall in New York City on November 15 by the New York Virtuoso Singers.[108] In December, Tao rejoined the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm to reprise the Rhapsody.[109][110] 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.[111]

2015

Tao is the 2015/16 Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Artist-in-residence. In January 2015, he performed the Rhapsody with the DSO, where the TheaterJones.com reviewer judged that he "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."[112] During his residency, he is expected to perform other works with the orchestra, compose a work for orchestra to be premiered by the DSO in May 2016, to curate concert programs, play chamber music with DSO artists, participate in radio broadcasts and give recitals and master classes.[113] Later in January, Tao played Beethoven's Emperor Concerto and other pieces with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, which also played his piece, "Pangu". Musicologist Peter Alexander wrote: "Tao played with a rambunctious energy appropriate to his 20 years, most notably in the spirited finale, but his interpretation was not without more modulated moments. ... [H]is impressive talent will take him far."[114] Among his performances in February was Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, where, according to the Orlando Sentinel's review, "Tao's energetic work blended seamlessly with his fellow musicians to create both elegance and exuberance."[115] In March, again at short notice, Tao returned to the Utah Symphony to play Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5,[116] then, among other performances, he joined the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra to play Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, with what one reviewer termed "exuberant enchantment" and "seemingly innate storytelling ability".[117]

In April, Tao played Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Hawaii Youth Symphony.[118]

Recordings

In early 2012, Tao released his first solo recording with EMI Classics, an EP, The Juilliard Sessions: Conrad Tao Plays Debussy and Stravinsky.[119][120] 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."[47] 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."[121] The same year, Tao released a synthpop album, Eyelids,[122] and a recording of Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 17 and 25 with Santa Fe Pro Musica Orchestra.[123]

In early 2013, Tao released an album, Gordon Getty: Piano Pieces, on the PENTATONE label.[124][125] Tao's debut full-length solo album, on EMI Classics, Voyages, featuring Tao's compositions together with pieces by Meredith Monk, Rachmaninoff and Ravel, was released on June 11, 2013.[126] Allmusic rates the album four stars out of five.[127] Davidson wrote: "The playing induces shivers. The [Rachmaninoff] C minor prelude (Op. 23, No. 7) gushes out in quiet cataracts, lyrical and shimmering, a tour de force of delicacy and power."[128] 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 ... [Tao] has the creative mind to think of them in new ways."[129] Fanfare magazine also gave the album a very warm review,[130] and the producers of the album were nominated for a Grammy Award.[131] A reviewer for NPR wrote:

Tao proves himself to be a musician of deep intellectual and emotional means – as the thoughtful programming on ... Voyages proclaims. ... Tao [is] a prodigiously talented pianist ... but he also emerges as a thoughtful and mature composer, as his four-movement Vestiges for solo piano demonstrates. ... [W]hat's going to matter ... to listeners is what he makes them feel – and on Voyages, the pianist journeys along varied and alluring pathways, from the dreamy contemplation of the Ravel "Ondine (Wave)" movement to the jaggedly darting "upon being" section from his Vestiges. His playing is strong and sure, and the effect is transcendent and beautiful.[132]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jepson, Barbara. "The Tao of Early Musical Success", The Wall Street Journal, April 1, 2008, accessed November 4. 2011
  2. ↑ Pasternak, Jill. "Crossing Boundaries from Past to Future: Pianist Conrad Tao on Crossover", WRTI.org, June 1, 2013
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Scholars, Presidential Scholars Foundation, accessed November 28, 2011
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Conrad Tao", Juiliard School of Music, 2008, accessed April 20, 2012
  5. ↑ Shellenbarger, Sue. "Raising an Accidental Prodigy", Wall Street Journal, March 30, 2011, accessed November 2, 2011
  6. ↑ "Twelve-year-old Piano Prodigy appearing at Skaneateles Festival", Eagle Newspapers, August 10, 2007, accessed June 3, 2013
  7. ↑ Show 107, From the Top, 2004, accessed November 4, 2011; Season 1: Episode 13, From the Top: At Carnegie Hall, 2007, accessed November 4, 2011; and Show 232, From the Top, 2011, accessed November 4, 2011
  8. ↑ "Conrad Tao talks about his experience on From the Top", Pacific Symphony, YouTube, January 10, 2014
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Schweitzer, Vivien. "A Promising Star, Rising Above the Horizon", The New York Times, February 29, 2012
  10. ↑ "Davidson Fellows - 2008", Davidson Institute for Talent Development, accessed January 22, 2012
  11. ↑ Kosman, Joshua. "Rumors are true about Conrad Tao", SFGate.com, November 4, 2008, accessed November 4, 2011
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Shulman, Laurie. "Program Notes: JFK Memorial Concert (Nov. 21–24)", Dallas Symphony Orchestra, November 11, 2013
  13. ↑ Carson, L. Pierce. "Wunderkind Conrad Tao, Ponti and Russian National Orchestra combine for spectacular musical magic at Festival del Sole", Napa Valley Register, July 18, 2007, accessed May 2, 2012
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Conrad Tao biography", PENTATONE, accessed September 4, 2014
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Spotlights: Conrad Tao", Indiana University High School, School of Continuing Studies, 2010, accessed April 20, 2012
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Conrad Tao, IMGArtists.com, accessed January 13, 2013
  17. ↑ Goldsmith, Harris. "2008: Young Artists: More Thrills of Discovery". Musical America, 2008, accessed February 16, 2012
  18. ↑ Walker, Cassie. "First Class", Chicago Magazine, July 2009, accessed November 28, 2011
  19. ↑ video interview of Tao, YoungArts' YouTube channel, May 31, 2012, accessed November 25, 2014
  20. ↑ Dunn, Jeff. "Spaced-Out Mussorgsky", San Francisco Classical Voice, May 5, 2009, accessed November 4, 2011
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Conrad Tao, TheGilmore.org, accessed November 2, 2011
  22. ↑ Conrad Tao, The Juilliard School, 2007, accessed January 21, 2013
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Oksenhorn, Stewart. "Music festival: Tao thanks Aspen for lack of direction", The Aspen Times, June 28, 2012
  24. ↑ "Where Dreams Begin: Interview with Conrad Tao", Aspen Music Festival and School, YouTube.com, November 7, 2013
  25. ↑ Van Cleve, Emily. "Pianist to Play Mozart Saturday", Albuquerque Journal, April 20, 2012
  26. ↑ Rosenthal, Fran. "Piano Prodigy: Conrad Tao in Recital", Arizona Musicfest, 2011, accessed April 20, 2012
  27. ↑ Battey, Robert. "The Baltimore Symphony, Conrad Tao, the BBC Concert Orchestra", The Washington Post, November 8, 2010, accessed November 4, 2011
  28. ↑ Newton, Catherine Reese. "Crowd rhapsodic over teen's Rach", The Salt Lake Tribune, October 9, 2010, accessed May 2, 2012
  29. ↑ "Davidson Fellow Laureate Conrad Tao", Davidson Institute for Talent Development, accessed January 22, 2012
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 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
  31. ↑ Sulcas, Roslyn. "Here, Some Promising Young Dancers, There, Some Well-Seasoned Pros", The New York Times, March 23, 2011, accessed November 3, 2011
  32. ↑ 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
  33. ↑ Chism, Olin. "Sub in Cliburn Concert proves spectacular", DFW.com, September 13, 2011
  34. ↑ Gay, Wayne Lee. "In Second Visit to North Texas, Piano Prodigy Conrad Tao Dazzles Cliburn Audience", D Magazine, September 14, 2011
  35. ↑ Cantrell, Scott. "Classical Music Review: 17-year-old pianist amazes at Cliburn Concerts", Dallas News, September 14, 2011
  36. ↑ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley. "30 Under 30: The Youngest Stars in the Music Business", Forbes magazine, December 19, 2011
  37. ↑ Long, Chris. "Arts Education & Outreach: Conrad Tao shares the gift of music with Louisville students", Backstage Pass, Kentucky Center, November 7, 2011
  38. ↑ "Prizes for young Americans", Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, January 5, 2012, accessed April 20, 2012
  39. ↑ "IU High School senior Conrad Tao named 2011 Presidential Scholar in the Arts", NewsInfo.iu.edu, May 9, 2011, accessed November 2, 2011
  40. ↑ Bash, James. "Gilmore Young Artists Awards announced", Oregon Music News, June 27, 2011, accessed November 2, 2011
  41. ↑ Ostertag, Emily. "Conrad Tao: between music and academics", Columbia Spectator, January 19, 2012
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Malhotra, Anita. "Interview with Conrad Tao", Artsmania.com, November 12, 2012, accessed June 25, 2014
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 43.4 43.5 43.6 43.7 43.8 43.9 History, Calendar archive at conradtao.com, accessed December 20, 2012
  44. ↑ Newton, Catherine Reese. "Utah Symphony catches a rising star, pianist Conrad Tao", The Salt Lake Tribune, January 6, 2012
  45. ↑ Johnson, Lawrence B. "Piano phenom, 17, makes a blazing debut with the DSO", The Detroit News, January 22, 2012
  46. ↑ Fleshler, David. "Conrad Tao, 17, shows fully mature virtuosity in Rachmaninoff", South Florida Classical Review, January 24, 2012
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 Davidson, Justin. "The Vulnerable Age", New York Magazine, March 25, 2012
  48. ↑ "Pianista norte-americano Conrad Tao se apresenta com Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais", Divirta-Se, April 12, 2012
  49. ↑ Kaczmarczyk, Jeffrey. "Gilmore Young Artist Conrad Tao gives stupendous performance in recital at Calvin College", Michigan Live, May 2, 2012
  50. ↑ Thirouin, Joseph. "Avec Conrad Tao, le bis permanent", ResMusica, May 11, 2012 (in French)
  51. ↑ Kaczmarczyk, Jeffrey. "Pianist Conrad Tao, 2012 Gilmore Young Artist, now awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant", Michigan Live, May 30, 2012
  52. ↑ Sherman, Bob. "The McGraw-Hill Companies Young Artists Showcase", WQXR.org, May 30, 2012
  53. ↑ Vittes, Laurence. "Part VIII: It's a Wrap! Dvorak, Dvorak, Dvorak at the Montreal Chamber Fest", AllThingsStrings.com, June 4, 2012
  54. ↑ Steiman, Harvey. "Spano, McGegan and raft of pianists lift Aspen Music Fest opening weekend", The Aspen Times, July 3, 2012
  55. ↑ Oestreich, James R. "Varied, Colorful Elements, United in Performance", The New York Times, August 9, 2012
  56. ↑ Rogers, Rick. "Oklahoma City Philharmonic opens 24th season in grand fashion", Look at OKC, NewsOK.com, September 18, 2012
  57. ↑ Wu, Dennis. "The glorious inauguration of Jaap van Zweden as HKPO’s music director", Dennis Wu English Reviews, September 29, 2012
  58. ↑ Todd, Richard. "Concert Review: Conrad Tao gives Beethoven concerto intelligent treatment", The Ottawa Citizen, September 28, 2012
  59. ↑ Siegel, Steve. "Top Lehigh Valley classical concerts of 2012", The Morning Call, December 26, 2012
  60. ↑ Siegel, Steve. "Teen pianist 'jaw dropping' in Rachmaninoff with ASO", The Morning Call, posted to Lehigh Valley Music, October 8, 2012
  61. ↑ Mangan, Timothy. "A touch of Tao with Pacific Symphony standards", The Orange County Register, October 19, 2012
  62. ↑ Baake, Ken. "Review: Tao, LSO performance enraptures audience", Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, January 20, 2013
  63. ↑ "Shostakovich Triumphant", Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, February 19, 2013
  64. ↑ Miller, Sarah Bryan. "SLSO: A change of pianists for this weekend", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 29, 2013
  65. ↑ Miller, Sarah Bryan. "Pianist Conrad Tao dazzles in early SLSO debut", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 2, 2013
  66. ↑ Olluver, Sam. "Jaap van Zweden puts fresh manpower into Mahler", South China Morning Post, 18 February 2013
  67. ↑ "Baryshnikov Arts Center Presents: Face the Music + JACK Quartet", Baryshnikov Arts Center, March 19, 2013
  68. ↑ "Conrad Tao, piano, at the Wheeler Opera House", Aspen Music Festival, March 16, 2013
  69. ↑ Tao, Conrad. "Calendar archive: Bern, Switzerland", March 21–22, 2013
  70. ↑ Stepanich, Greg. "Conrad Tao: Bringing back the composer-performer", Palm Beach ArtsPaper, 9 April 2013
  71. ↑ Fleshler, David. "Pianist Tao, 18, shows deep and mature artistry in Beethoven", South Florida Classical Review, April 16, 2013
  72. ↑ Burger, David. "Conrad Tao replaces flu-stricken Louis Lortie at this weekend’s Utah Symphony performances", The Salt Lake City Tribune, April 15, 2013
  73. ↑ Lapidus, Larry. "Virtuoso Conrad Tao carries Beethoven’s burden for Spokane Symphony", The Spokesman-Review, May 13, 2013
  74. ↑ Da Fonseca-Wollheim, Corinna. "So What Will He Do When 20?", The New York Times, May 24, 2013
  75. ↑ Smith, Steve. "Lauded, but Not Resting on His Laurels", The New York Times, June 12, 2013
  76. ↑ Payne, Jenny. "Drop the bass: Conrad Tao to release new album", Columbia Spectator, May 1, 2013; Tao, Conrad. UNPLAY Festival, accessed April 16, 2013
  77. ↑ Zhang, Jingxuan. "Infusing New Vibrancy into the Oldies: Introducing Conrad Tao", WQXR, July 15, 2013
  78. ↑ Smith, Steve. "Unplay Festival", Time Out New York, May 29, 2013
  79. ↑ "Pianist-Composer Conrad Tao Hosts Hammered!', WQXR, July 8, 2013
  80. ↑ "Freizeit: Musik mit Puppenspieler", Nordkurier, August 1, 2013 (in German)
  81. ↑ Bienvenu, Loren. "The composer’s perspective: Conrad Tao", Pasatiempo magazine, Santa Fe, New Mexico, September 13, 2013
  82. ↑ Keller, James M. "Pasa Reviews: Taking it Slow", Pasatiempo, September 27, 2013
  83. ↑ Mangan, Timothy. "For good and ill, Tao and Pacific have a blast: Teen pianist offers a nuanced Rachmaninoff", Orange County Register, September 27, 2013
  84. ↑ Anderson, Colin. "Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin – Copland & Tchaikovsky – Conrad Tao plays Beethoven" (live webcast), Classicalsource.com, October 11, 2013
  85. ↑ "Osesp convida Filarmônica", Filarmonica.art, October 17, 2013 (in Portuguese)
  86. ↑ O'Sullivan, Justine. "Opening Hearts and Minds to Peace", Tanenbaum.org, October 25, 2013
  87. ↑ Johnson, Jeffrey. "Stamford Symphony; Last Minute Magic", Stamford Advocate
  88. ↑ "Young Pianist Steps In To Play With Stamford Symphony", Stamford Daily Voice, November 8, 2013
  89. ↑ Oestreich, James R. "A Dallas Concert Honors a Loss That’s 50 Years Old", The New York Times, November 22, 2013
  90. ↑ Chism, Olin. "Dallas Symphony Orchestra's JFK memorial concert", DFW.com, November 23, 2013
  91. ↑ Todd, Richard. "Mozart, Shostakovich mix proved a rare blend", Ottawa Citizen, November 28, 2013
  92. ↑ Edwards, Mary. "19-Year-Old Pianist Makes Second St. Louis Symphony Appearance", St. Louis Public Radio, April 28, 2014 (in recorded interview with Eddie Silva at 4:30)
  93. ↑ Rogers, Rick. "Oklahoma City Philharmonic review: 'Sizzling Sparklers' shine", The Oklahoman, January 14, 2014
  94. ↑ Dixon, Matt. "Powerful, Moving Performance by Utah Symphony Friday", Reichel Recommends, February 1, 2014; Newton, Catherine Reese. "Review: Pianist Conrad Tao is in his element at Abravanel Hall", The Salt Lake Tribune, January 31, 2014
  95. ↑ Pitcher, John. "Music Review: Nashville Symphony puts the pedals to the metal in Saint-Saëns' Organ Symphony", ArtsNash, February 8, 2014
  96. ↑ Sckolnik, David. "Tao tops Tchaikovsky", The Gazette (Colorado Springs), February 15, 2014
  97. ↑ "Conrad Tao, Piano: Classix Five", Reno Philharmonic, accessed March 3, 2014
  98. ↑ DeLong, Kenneth. "Review: 'Hungarian Rhapsodies' provoked by gifted Conrad Tao", Calgary Herald, March 8, 2014
  99. ↑ "Conrad Tao's busy spring", Performance Today, American Public Media, May 6, 2014
  100. ↑ Miller, Sarah Bryan. "Classical music review: Slatkin leads concert of fun and virtuosity with SLSO", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 25, 2014
  101. ↑ Cooper, Michael. "In Performance: Conrad Tao", The New York Times, September 2, 2014
  102. ↑ Sandresky, Margaret. "Audience enthusiastic as Moody celebrates 10th anniversary at symphony", Winston-Salem Journal, September 21, 2014
  103. ↑ Kelley, Annie J. "Symphony explores the history of the movie soundtrack", Battle Creek Enquirer, September 24, 2014
  104. ↑ Kustanczy, Catherine. "Toronto Symphony sparkles despite flashy soloist debut", Bachtrack, October 20, 2014
  105. ↑ Hyde, Christopher. "Portland Symphony Orchestra's Sunday concert confuses with questionable musical choices", Maine Today, October 27, 2014
  106. ↑ Smith, Tim. "Pianist Conrad Tao an explosive force in the BSO's latest program", The Baltimore Sun, October 31, 2014
  107. ↑ "NYYS Season 52 Announced", NYYS.org, accessed September 7, 2014
  108. ↑ "Young Composers Concert", Kaufman Music Center, November 15, 2014; and "Public Service Announement (dogs and cats)", Conrad Tao, November 21, 2014
  109. ↑ "20-åriga stjärnskottet Conrad Tao", P2 Live, December 12, 2014
  110. ↑ Ferrada-Noli, Nicholas Ringskog. "Conrad Tao på Berwaldhallen", DN.Kultur, December 15, 2014 (in Swedish)
  111. ↑ "Watch Public Radio's Best In-Studio Performances of 2014", NPR, December 23, 2014, accessed March 7, 2015
  112. ↑ 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
  113. ↑ ""Dallas Symphony Receives National Endowment for the Arts Grant", Dallas Symphony Orchestra, December 5, 2014; and "Dallas Symphony, Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas Announce 2014/15 Season Partnership", Dallas Symphony Orchestra, October 28, 2014
  114. ↑ Alexander, Peter. "With the Boulder Phil, Conrad Tao conquers audience, Beethoven, and Elliott Carter", Sharpsandflatirons.com, January 18, 2015
  115. ↑ Palm, Matt. "Review: Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra's 'Tao Plays Mozart'", Orlando Sentinel, February 21, 2015
  116. ↑ Newton, Catherine Reese. "Review: Utah Symphony, Conrad Tao give a concert to please emperors and commoners alike", The Salt Lake Tribune, March 6, 2015
  117. ↑ Sherrod, Alan. "A Young Soloist and Guest Conductor Lead KSO to an Emotional Performance", The Knoxville Mercury, March 23, 2015
  118. ↑ Conrad Tao: Shows, ConradTao.com, accessed April 27, 2015
  119. ↑ Wise, Brian. "EMI’s Juilliard Sessions Debut", The Juilliard Journal, Vol. XXVII No. 6, March 2012, The Juilliard School
  120. ↑ Tao, Conrad. The Juilliard Sessions: Conrad Tao Plays Debussy and Stravinsky, iTunes, accessed 22 February 2012
  121. ↑ Joelson, Peter. "EMI Classics Digital Debut Series", Audiophile Audition, April 9, 2012
  122. ↑ Tao, Conrad. Eyelids, Tau Tau, accessed March 21, 2012; Tau has released other synthpop music under the name "Tau Tau", which can be found on another of his websites. See Malhotra, Anita. "Interview with Conrad Tao", Artsmania.com, November 12, 2012, accessed June 25, 2014
  123. ↑ Tao, Conrad. "Mozart Piano Concertos: No. 17 K453 & No. 25 K503; Conrad Tao, Piano; Santa Fe Pro Musica Orchestra; Thomas O'Connor, Conductor", Santa Fe Pro Musica Recordings, August 2012, ASIN B0096JEDVI
  124. ↑ (PTC 5186 505) "Gordon Getty - Piano Pieces", 2013, accessed September 4, 2014. Tao's "'elegant and even introspective' playing ... make the most of these miniatures." Rabinowitz, Peter J. "Conrad Tao: Getty Homework Suite... on Pentatone", Fanfare magazine, January 31, 2014
  125. ↑ "Conrad Tao: Gordon Getty: Piano Pieces", Allmusic.com, accessed October 30, 2014
  126. ↑ Gill, Andy. "Album review: Conrad Tao, Voyages (EMI Classics)", The Independent, May 31, 2013; and Voyages, EMIClassicsUS, accessed April 16, 2013
  127. ↑ Manheim, James. "Conrad Tao: Voyages", Allmusic, accessed October 25, 2013
  128. ↑ Davidson, Justin. "Conrad Tao and Timo Andres: The Past is Prologue", emusic.com, August 20, 2013
  129. ↑ Robertson, Alex. "Conrad Tao: Voyages", Sputnik Music, July 8, 2013
  130. ↑ Burwasser, Peter. "Conrad Tao: Voyages on EMI", Fanfare magazine, November 21, 2013
  131. ↑ "Grammy Awards 2014 nominations: The complete list", New York Daily News, December 7, 2013
  132. ↑ Tsioulcas, Anastasia. "First Listen: Conrad Tao, Voyages", NPR music, June 2, 2013

External links

Interviews
Performances