Pianist prodigy plays Provo

Pianist prodigy Conrad Tao and the Utah Symphony will play Provo to start the New Year — Brigham Young University, to be exact.

The performance is Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Harris Fine Art Center's de Jong Concert Hall.

Tao, 17, was discovered playing children's songs on the piano when he was just 18 months old. The Illinois native gave his first recital at the age of 4, and at the age of 8 made his concerto debut performing Mozart's Piano Concerto in A major, K. 414.

He has has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Russian National Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony, among others. He performed with the Utah Symphony in October 2010.

Under the direction of Andrey Boreyko, the symphony will perform a program that includes Liadov's "The Enchanged Lake, op. 62," Tchaikovsky's "1st Piano Concertoi n B-flat Minor, Op. 23" and Shostakovich's "Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47."

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Utah Symphony with Conrad Tao

When: Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 6 and Saturday, Jan. 7, 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City

Where: BYU, Harris Fine Arts Center's de Jong Concert Hall, corner of North Campus and Heritage Drives; Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City.

Tickets: $10, $14 and $17, available at the box office, by calling (801) 378-4322 or at arts.byu.edu —

Utah Symphony with Conrad Tao

When: Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at BYU; Friday, Jan. 6 and Saturday, Jan. 7, 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City

Where: BYU, Harris Fine Arts Center's de Jong Concert Hall, corner of North Campus and Heritage Drives; Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City.

Tickets: $10, $14 and $17, available at the box office, by calling (801) 378-4322 or at arts.byu.edu