Sonic bloom
Pianist Conrad Tao uses 21st century tools to question classical music's place in the modern world, writes Richard James Havis
WHAT IS THE POSITION of classical music in modern culture? How can such a long-established art form overcome the constraints placed on it by its history? These are some of the questions that Conrad Tao, 19, a former child prodigy who is now a lauded concert pianist, seeks to answer.
Tao, who gave his first piano recital at the age of four, has made a name for himself touring the world, playing with well-known orchestras, including the Hong Kong Philharmonic.
In June, Tao released his first full-length CD, Voyages, which sets standard works such as Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit next to some of his own compositions, one of which features an accompaniment from Reactable, an iPad app. He has also recently curated and performed at a three-night multimedia show, called the Unplay Festival, in the New York borough of Brooklyn. The show featured video art, a tap dancer who provided the rhythm for Tao’s own composition leaves, and laptop computer ensemble Sideband.
The idea for both album and show, Tao says, is to try and explore what classical music is – and can be – in the modern digital age.
“Unplay is about challenging the preconceptions of contemporary classical music,” he says. “That is a narrow conception in many people’s minds. I am aiming to juxtapose elements, and by doing so, create surprises.
“One of the most important things that artists can do is provide a counterpoint, critique or commentary on the culture which surrounds them,” he says. “When we revisit older works, through programming them in a certain way, we can ask questions, and make a commentary. Programming is a very powerful tool, if used correctly.”