Counterpoint: Rhapsody in Blue ft. Conrad Tao & Caleb Teicher
Counterpoint: Rhapsody in Blue ft. Conrad Tao & Caleb Teicher is an interdisciplinary performance returning to The Clarice by popular demand, blending piano recital, percussive tap dance, and theatrical staging into a single live experience. Pianist and composer Conrad Tao and tap dancer Caleb Teicher join forces in a collaborative project that explores rhythm, sound, and the physical joy of percussion. The performance has been featured on NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert and draws on a broad range of musical and dance traditions, from classical repertory to stride piano and original contemporary compositions.
The program takes its title and centerpiece from George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, and also incorporates the Aria from J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations, the manic stride piano spirit of Art Tatum, Arnold Schoenberg's ironic take on the Viennese waltz, original works by Tao, and Teicher's Bessie Award-winning composition for tap and keys, More Forever. The pairing highlights connections across disciplines and eras, revealing fresh harmonic, rhythmic, and theatrical possibilities in familiar material.
When: Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 3:00 PM.
Venue: Dekelboum Concert Hall, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Seating is reserved.
Tickets: Regular tickets are $45 plus a $5 booking fee; student and youth tickets are $15.
Performers: Conrad Tao on piano and composition, and Caleb Teicher on tap dance and choreography.
Program highlights: The performance includes Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, the Aria from Bach's Goldberg Variations, stride piano in the spirit of Art Tatum, Arnold Schoenberg's Viennese waltz, original works by Tao, and Teicher's Bessie Award-winning composition for tap and keys, More Forever.
About the event: Counterpoint is described as part dance, part piano recital, and part theatrical experience, and it has previously appeared at The Clarice by popular demand. The collaboration is framed as a vital exploration of percussion's transcendent joys of sound and impact, bringing together stylistically diverse inspirations from classical, jazz, and contemporary dance traditions.
Accessibility: The Clarice provides wheelchair accessible seating, size-inclusive seating, large print programs, assisted listening devices, adult and child-friendly sensory packs, and quiet spaces upon request. ASL interpretation, audio description, and captioning are available for select events or by patron request made at least six weeks in advance.
Support: Support for Clarice Presents is provided by the Maryland State Arts Council.