Biography
Pianist Adam Tendler, born in Barre, Vermont, in 1982, centers his work on contemporary composers while frequently championing progressive political causes. He stands out as a leading interpreter of John Cage.
From a family that embraced diverse musical styles including classical, Tendler began piano lessons at age seven and immediately displayed an inclination toward composition by performing his own pieces. He completed public high school and attracted attention through recitals across northern New England while studying under jazz pianist Dick Shadroui. At Indiana University he earned a degree with distinction after pursuing not only music but also Swahili, guitar performance, cultural anthropology, and the Feldenkrais Method. Further training took him to the Adamant Music School in Adamant, Vermont, yet persistent difficulty securing engagements led him to construction work. At twenty-three and still largely unrecognized, he launched the fifty-state recital project America 88x50, driving through the lower forty-eight states and flying to Alaska and Hawaii. His account of the journey appeared in the memoir 88x50, a coming-out narrative that earned a Lambda Literary Award nomination.
Tendler has since described his multifaceted activity as that of a “concert pianist, queer author, experimental composer, educator at the local, university, and outreach level, and as a curator of concert programming geared toward community-building for performers and audiences alike.” His programs range from Bach to the present, with particular attention to John Cage; collaborations with the John Cage Trust and publisher Edition Peters have shaped several of these presentations. More experimental undertakings include Nathan Hall’s Tame Your Man, scored for piano and bondage artist, in which Tendler performed while bound to the instrument. He also maintains traditional repertoire, notably completing a cycle of Aaron Copland’s keyboard works. Two decades into his career, Tendler received the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists in 2019. Among his recordings is a 2021 release of Liszt’s Harmonies poétiques et religieuses made with pianist Jenny Lin.
From a family that embraced diverse musical styles including classical, Tendler began piano lessons at age seven and immediately displayed an inclination toward composition by performing his own pieces. He completed public high school and attracted attention through recitals across northern New England while studying under jazz pianist Dick Shadroui. At Indiana University he earned a degree with distinction after pursuing not only music but also Swahili, guitar performance, cultural anthropology, and the Feldenkrais Method. Further training took him to the Adamant Music School in Adamant, Vermont, yet persistent difficulty securing engagements led him to construction work. At twenty-three and still largely unrecognized, he launched the fifty-state recital project America 88x50, driving through the lower forty-eight states and flying to Alaska and Hawaii. His account of the journey appeared in the memoir 88x50, a coming-out narrative that earned a Lambda Literary Award nomination.
Tendler has since described his multifaceted activity as that of a “concert pianist, queer author, experimental composer, educator at the local, university, and outreach level, and as a curator of concert programming geared toward community-building for performers and audiences alike.” His programs range from Bach to the present, with particular attention to John Cage; collaborations with the John Cage Trust and publisher Edition Peters have shaped several of these presentations. More experimental undertakings include Nathan Hall’s Tame Your Man, scored for piano and bondage artist, in which Tendler performed while bound to the instrument. He also maintains traditional repertoire, notably completing a cycle of Aaron Copland’s keyboard works. Two decades into his career, Tendler received the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists in 2019. Among his recordings is a 2021 release of Liszt’s Harmonies poétiques et religieuses made with pianist Jenny Lin.
Albums
Inheritances
2025
Liszt: Harmonies poétiques et religieuses III, S. 173
2021
Robert Palmer: Piano Music
2019
88x50
2014
Selected Live Performances (2001-2003)
2010
Autumn Lines
2008
Singles
