Tao performs Beethoven at ISO, coaches FFA student

Conrad Tao performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday evening.

The concert took place at the Hilbert in downtown Indianapolis. Guest conductor Richard Egarr led the ensemble. Tao played the piano.

The program featured works by Beethoven and Mozart. Tao opened with his own composition, The Hand. The piece began with a low rumble from the bass drum. The piano joined in, creating a chaotic texture. The sound gradually softened into trills and low strings. The movement ended with a shimmer between night and day. The audience gave a standing ovation.

Tao then played Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15. Beethoven premiered this work in Vienna in 1795. The source notes that Beethoven struggled with hearing loss. He commissioned a special piano from Nannette Stein to help him hear better. Tao interpreted the score with an extended solo. He improvised sections before returning to the recognizable themes. The concerto concluded with a rumbling finish.

During intermission, Tao coached a young pianist in the Wood Room. The student was Timcinto Freddy from the Monument Valley FFA chapter in Kayenta, Arizona. His brother Jayvis Freddy identified him. The group traveled to Indianapolis for the Future Farmers of America conference. Clyde McBride, a career and technical education director in Kayenta, accompanied the delegation. McBride was recently named an Education Week Leader to Learn From. The students listened as Tao guided the young man through a Beethoven piece.

The second half of the concert featured Mozart's Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major, K. 543. Mozart premiered this work in Hamburg in February 1792. The Indianapolis Symphony last performed this piece in October 2016. The stage was reconfigured for the smaller ensemble. Clarinets played a prominent role. Principal clarinetist Julianna Darby and assistant principal Samuel Rothstein featured in the performance. The work opened with a conversation between the instruments. The clarinets took the spotlight in the Andante. The final movement brought the full orchestra together.

Tao performed two encores after the Beethoven concerto. He played a jazzier take on Art Tatum's 1953 rendition of Over the Rainbow. He also performed Flung Out, a personal homage to Gershwin. Tao has performed with major orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony and the New York Philharmonic. His recent recordings include Voyages and American Rage. Jun Markl will return in January 2027 to conduct more Beethoven and Mozart.