Adam Tendler
American pianist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Adam Tendler is an American pianist.[1][2] He received a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for his album Inheritances in 2025.[3] He serves on the piano faculty at New York University's Steinhardt School.[4]
Adam Tendler | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | Barre, Vermont, U.S. |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Label | Independent |
Life and career
Tendler was born in Barre, Vermont. He earned a bachelor's degree in piano performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.[5] In 2009, he launched America 88x50, a self-organized tour of solo piano concerts in all fifty U.S. states. The project inspired his memoir 88x50, which was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award.[6]
Tendler has appeared as a soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and others.[7] He has commissioned works from composers such as Christian Wolff, Dev Hynes, Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli and Laurie Anderson.[8][9] He has also contributed essays to The New York Times and New Music USA.[10][11]
In 2019, following his father's death, Tendler used a cash inheritance to commission sixteen new short works for solo piano.[10] The resulting program, Inheritances, premiered in 2022 and has been performed across the United States and Canada.[12] It premiered in 2023 and has been performed across the United States. A recording was released by New Amsterdam Records in December 2024 and received a 2025 Grammy nomination for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.[13][3]
Tendler was artist-in-residence at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn from 2023 to 2024. As part of the residency, he created Exit Strategy, a site-specific multimedia installation presented at the cemetery's Fort Hamilton Gatehouse.[14]
Publications
- 2013 – 88x50: A Memoir of Sexual Discovery, Modern Music, and the United States of America
- 2024 – tidepools
Selected discography
- 2005: Selected Live Performances
- 2008: Autumn Lines
- 2014: 88X50
- 2015: Solo and Chamber Music By Edward T. Cone
- 2019: Robert Palmer: Piano Music (New World Records)
- 2020: Franz Liszt: Harmonies poétiques et religieuses (with Jenny Lin, Steinway & Sons)
- 2023: Julius Eastman Vol. 3: If You’re So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich? (New Amsterdam Records)
- 2024: Inheritances (New Amsterdam Records)
Accolades
- 2014: Lambda Literary Award nominee[2]
- 2019: Lincoln Center's Emerging Artist Award[15]
- 2022: Yvar Mikhashoff's Prize[16]
- 2025: Grammy Nomination, Best Classical Instrumental Solo