Conrad Tao in recital in Essen

Deep in the warehouse of the Zeche Zollverein, Chinese-American singer and pianist Conrad Tao performs a rich programme of Rachmaninov alongside a series of works composed for the Duke Ellington Big Band. 

Born in Illinois in 1994, Conrad Tao is a courageous young musician who grew up listening to cassettes and draws on his influences from pop culture and film. Described as a child prodigy by critics, he experiments in his music with combinations of traditional jazz and electronic music, and seeks to create a sense of musicality from everyday noise. 

Described by New York Magazine as “the kind of musician who can shape the future of classical music”, Conrad Tao is alone on stage here to perform a selection of his own audacious interpretations of classics such as the well known song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.