“Conrad Tao tends to slip into celestial metaphors,” writes Joshua Barone in Friday’s (11/15) New York Times. “During a recent interview, this musician—a veteran at just 25—referred to his ideas about concert programming as ‘constellatory.’… He’s a rising star—both as a concert pianist, with a new album and a Carnegie Hall debut this fall, and as a composer, attracting commissions from the likes of the New York Philharmonic. He is also part of the first generation of artists to have been raised on the internet, which has informed his music and relationships, and offered a playground for his omnivorous taste and curiosity. If the online world can seem at times overwhelming and scattered, so does Mr. Tao’s schedule: oscillating between the establishment and avant-garde; writing new pieces in between gigs; and using what little time he has left over for collaborations with like-minded contemporaries. ‘I try to recognize how lucky I am,’ said Mr. Tao, who has been playing professionally since an age when most children haven’t even begun to learn algebra…. ‘That’s also what gives me a strong sense of responsibility that I pursue a more personal path. And I want to share it.’ ”
Posted November 20, 2019
Photo of Conrad Tao by Gioncarlo Valentine
