Conrad Tao Dances with the Piano...


Watching Conrad Tao play piano is a bit like watching a dance between piano and man. As his fingers fly across the keys, his body and the piano emanate a rhythm that mesmerizes audience. His body bounces off the seat, hunches over the keys and leans back away from them as he plays. His who body emotes the music he plays. His performance on November 9, 2014 at LaSells Stewart Center in Corvallis as part of the Corvallis-OSU Piano International Steinway Piano Series included movements by J. S. Bach, Elliott Carter, Ludwig van Beethoven, Toru Takemitsu, Frederic Chopin, and Igor Stravinsky. He played each movement with an energy that emoted from the stage entrancing the listeners. I felt torn between wanting to close my eyes and float on the music and a desire to watch his dance with the piano. Toward the end of his performance, there was a segment that sounded strange to me. I'm no expert and can only report on what I like or don't like, but there was a small moment where I grimaced involuntarily even though I couldn't pinpoint why. My husband also caught this moment that sounded not quite right. Overall, I found the performance simultaneously rousing and relaxing, so I would definitely recommend seeing Tao perform if you have the opportunity.
Tao recently released his debut solo album, Voyages, for anyone who may be interested.


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