A recipient of the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, "currently the hottest pianist on the American contemporary classical scene" (Minneapolis Star Tribune), a "remarkable and insightful musician" (LA Times), and "relentlessly adventurous pianist" (Washington Post) "joyfully rocking out at his keyboard" (New York Times), Adam Tendler is an internationally recognized interpreter of living, modern and classical composers. He is a pioneer of DIY culture in concert music who has commissioned and premiered major works by Christian Wolff and Devonté Hynes alike. In his early twenties, Tendler performed in all fifty United States as part of a grassroots recital tour he called America 88x50, which became the subject of his memoir, 88x50, a Kirkus Indie Book of the Month and Lambda Literary Award nominee. He has gone on to become one of classical and contemporary music's most recognized artists with recent engagements including appearing as soloist with the LA Philharmonic and on the mainstages of Carnegie Hall and BAM. He has been presented by the NY Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and a host of other leading series and platforms including The Broad, The Guggenheim, Liquid Music, The Kitchen, le Poisson Rouge, National Sawdust, Knockdown Center, Issue Project Room, Maverick Concerts, Roulette, Death of Classical, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and NYC Pride.
Tendler maintains a career as a concert soloist, recording artist, speaker and educator. In 2022, he used the complete inheritance left to him by his father after his unexpected death to commission new works by a composer roster that includes Laurie Anderson, Devonté Hynes, Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli, Christopher Cerrone, Sarah Kirkland Snider, Timo Andres and Pamela Z as part of a project called Inheritances, which has been presented by 92Y and WildUp, among others. Recent recording projects include Robert Palmer: Piano Music on New World Records, Liszt's Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses on the Steinway Label, and an appearance on Sō Percussion's recording of Julius Eastman's Stay On It. He has also recorded performances and masterclasses for Edition Peters, and is featured in a new printed edition of John Cage's In a Landscape. Tendler has performed the complete major piano works of Aaron Copland, and is a champion and expert in the music of John Cage, collaborating frequently with the John Cage Trust and Edition Peters in presenting Cage’s work internationally. He released his second book, tidepools, in 2019.
A graduate of Indiana University, Tendler lives in New York City. He has served as guest lecturer at academic institutions including The New School, Manhattan School of Music, Princeton University, Bennington College, Kenyon College, Boston Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory, Portland State University, University of Nebraska, University of Alaska and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Adam Tendler is a Yamaha Artist, and serves on the piano faculty of NYU Steinhardt.