Tito Munoz with Phoenix Symphony, Conrad Tao, and more

Born in Urbana, Illinois, Conrad Tao is a celebrated pianist, composer, and violinist known for his dynamic performances. A 2011 "30 Under 30" honoree by Forbes, he's won multiple ASCAP Morton Gould Awards, a Gilmore Young Artist accolade, and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. He founded the UNPLAY Festival, played on Jackie Evancho's special, and has collaborated with orchestras worldwide. His acclaimed albums include "Voyages" and "American Rage."

Ludwig van Beethoven, a German composer and pianist from Bonn, bridged the Classical and Romantic eras with his innovative, emotionally intense music. Renowned for works like the "Moonlight Sonata," Fifth Symphony, and Ninth Symphony, he revolutionized instrumental music, elevating it to high art. He continued composing despite profound deafness.

Richard Strauss, born in Munich, Germany, was a leading late Romantic and early Modern German composer and conductor. Renowned for his tone poems, including *Also sprach Zarathustra*, and operas like *Der Rosenkavalier*, he mastered orchestral and vocal composition. Strauss collaborated notably with librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal. He was also a successful conductor of orchestras and director of opera houses.