Lang Lang
[Works]
Lang Lang has long captivated audiences and critics alike with performances marked by breathtaking virtuosity, flawless tone, and dramatic intensity. Driven by a firm belief in the transformative power of music and supported by a natural gift for communication, the Chinese pianist’s artistic range extends far beyond the concert hall. Time magazine included him in its list of the world’s 100 most influential people.
Lang Lang rose to international fame following his appearance at the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. A year later, he performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony honoring U.S. President Barack Obama. In 2012, he played at the Diamond Jubilee Concert celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s 60-year reign at Buckingham Palace. In 2015, he crossed musical boundaries during Havana’s 500th anniversary with a thrilling open-air concert alongside legendary Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés. The following year, he performed before Pope Francis and his guests at the Vatican at the opening of the first global conference on faith and sport.
Lang Lang was born on June 14, 1982, in Shenyang. His father nurtured the boy’s natural musical talent and arranged for his first piano lessons shortly after his third birthday. Just two years later, Lang Lang won the Shenyang Piano Competition and gave his first public recital.
In 1991, he enrolled at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing to study with Professor Zhao Ping-Guo, whose high standards are vividly described in Lang Lang’s autobiography Journey of a Thousand Miles (German: Musik ist meine Sprache). In 1993, Lang Lang’s hard work paid off when he won first prize at the National Xing Hai Piano Competition. Two years later, he won the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Japan. In 1997, he moved to Philadelphia with his father to study at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music under Gary Graffman.
Lang Lang has transcended the boundaries of classical music through collaborations with artists such as pianist Herbie Hancock, Pharrell Williams, Metallica, dubstep dancer Marquese “Nonstop” Scott, and dancer, actor, and activist Lil Buck. At the One World: Together at Home concert in April 2020, he joined Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, and John Legend in a moving closing performance of “The Prayer.”
Lang Lang’s artistry and inspiring contributions to music education and outreach have earned him numerous awards and honors: He received the Crystal Award at Davos in 2010 and was named one of the World Economic Forum’s 250 Young Global Leaders. He holds honorary doctorates from institutions including the Royal College of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, and New York University. He has received top honors from China’s Ministry of Culture as well as the highest civilian orders of Germany (Federal Cross of Merit) and France (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres). He has also been nominated for a Grammy, received a Classic Brit Award, and won several Echo Klassik Awards. In February 2019, he became the first Chinese musician to receive an honorary Victoire de la Musique Classique award – one of France’s most prestigious music honors.