Conrad Tao Plays with the Pacific Symphony

16-year-old pianist and composer Conrad Tao (From the Top Shows 107 and 232 and From the Top at Carnegie Hall Season 1) performed with the Pacific Symphony and Carl St.Clair on Thursday, June 3, 2011. The concert was originally supposed to feature Chinese pianist Yuja Wang, but she had to cancel due to illness.

Rick Schultz of the Los Angeles Times reports that Conrad thrilled the audience at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

In a dashing account of Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody,” [Conrad’s] attacks were crisp, with rhythmically tricky high-velocity passages cleanly articulated. Throughout, there was a sense that Tao was having fun. Always in motion, he shadow-played on his lap during short orchestral interludes.

Read the full article on the Los Angeles Times Blog!

Photo: Conrad Tao. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times