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Born in Urbana, Illinois in 1994, Conrad Tao has appeared worldwide as a pianist and composer and has been dubbed “the kind of musician who is shaping the future of classical music” (New York Magazine), and an artist of “probing intellect and open-hearted vision” (The New York Times). Tao is admired as an artist who is unafraid to take risks. He gives rigorous attention to creating innovative programs, which often juxtapose new and old works.

Tao has performed as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Boston Symphony. His extensive worldwide touring in the 2024 season includes celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. He has also written a new companion piece to the work. Celebrating Rachmaninoff’s 150th birthday, Tao’s Rachmaninoff Songbook presents a direct line from Rachmaninoff to the music of Billy Strayhorn, Harold Arlen, and Stephen Sondheim. He frequently collaborates with dancer Caleb Teicher in the duo’s Counterpoint program, which synthesizes the two seemingly disparate art forms of piano and tap dance.

Conrad Tao’s compositions include major works commissioned by the New York Philharmonic. Tao’s recorded disc, Voyages, was declared a “spiky debut” by The New Yorker. His album, Pictures, was hailed by The New York Times as “a fascinating album [by] a thoughtful artist and dynamic performer…played with enormous imagination, color and command.”