"Whether it's a classical piece from 200 years ago or a Chinese classic, even though they come from different times, the core remains the same — they all tell stories about humanity, emotions and everyday life. The key is to first capture the emotion, and then the music will naturally resonate in the heart," Lang adds. "Over the years, I've also tried to make music more engaging by telling the stories behind the pieces. This helps children feel the works are speaking about things they understand. When they make that connection, motivation comes naturally."
At the event, rising star pianist Tony Ann, signed to Universal Music's Decca label, joined Lang onstage to perform a newly arranged four-hand version of Icarus, a piece Lang specially commissioned for his Piano Book 2. The piece had gone viral on social media, catching Lang's attention and leading to this collaboration.
"It's such an honor to collaborate with Lang Lang on this piece. When I started learning the piano at 12, Lang Lang inspired and motivated me in so many ways. His influence has been a constant companion on my musical journey. This collaboration feels like a dream come true," says Ann. A classically trained pianist, he studied at two music schools in the United States — Berklee College of Music for composition and production and the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied classical piano. The pianist was 14 when he started his YouTube channel and uploaded short clips of his live performances and piano covers of popular pop songs.
Lang's career, however, has never been confined to recordings or concerts. This summer, a Chinese movie, titled You Are the Best, by director Jiang Wen, was screened in cinemas nationwide. The movie is an adaptation of Lang's life story and artistic journey from his early days of learning piano at the age of 3 to international stardom at the age of 17.
"I admire director Jiang Wen's bold idea of making this movie, which reminded me of my early days as a pianist. I tried to control myself when I watched it in the cinema. I didn't want to cry in front of the cameras," Lang laughs.
The pianist also announced details of his current global tour, making appearances at some of the world's most prestigious concert halls, collaborating with top orchestras and musicians.
The tour's repertoire is as vast as it is demanding. Lang will perform an impressive lineup of 12 piano concertos, including the complete set of Beethoven's piano concertos, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No 2, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1, and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.
In addition, his new season will feature more than 30 solo and chamber music performances, built around five different program sets. Currently on tour, his solo repertoire includes Faure's Pavane, Schumann's Carnaval, and Chopin's Mazurkas.
As for his collaborative lineup, Lang will perform with two of the world's most iconic orchestras — the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. In three concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic, to be conducted by the legendary Paavo Jarvi, Lang will perform Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major. Meanwhile, his six performances with the Vienna Philharmonic, to be held at Vienna's Golden Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Boston Symphony Hall, will see him join forces with the rising star conductor Andris Nelsons to perform Bartok's Piano Concerto No 3 in E Major. In addition, Lang will continue his role as the artist in residence at Carnegie Hall for two consecutive seasons.
