Acclaimed American composer and pianist Conrad Tao will lead the 2021 Laguna Beach Music Festival as artistic director with live, in-person performances through May 16 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. The festival is co-presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Laguna Beach Live. It marks the long-anticipated return to public performances since the pandemic restrictions halted live shows more than a year ago. “This year’s festival occurs during an ‘anything but normal’ time, yet our goal is to ensure that the music that we’ve all missed, more than anything, is front and center,” Tommy Phillips, Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s president and artistic director, told The Epoch times via email. The 27-year-old Tao has performed worldwide as a pianist and composer with music organizations such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Finnish Radio Symphony and Boston Symphony. Tao is a …