David Chao is a jazz pianist, singer, and composer based in Austin, Texas. He leads trios and quartets at Monks Jazz, the Elephant Room, the Brass Peacock, and other venues, with shows spanning hard bop, the Great American Songbook, popular music, and his own compositions.

After early classical training, David set music aside for over a decade while working as a theoretical particle physicist. On returning to Austin, he immersed himself in jazz, studying with Luther Allison, Benny Green, Tony Monaco, George Colligan, David Berkman, Jeff Helmer, Diego Rivera, Sean Giddings, Matt Russell, and Emmanuele Filippi.

He continues to grow through collaborations with Austin greats including Jon Blondell, Ernie Durawa, Pete Rodriguez, Christian Wiggs, and many others.