A local children's choir opened the evening with a heartfelt rendition of the song "Heal the World," filling the historic Metropolitan Club in Manhattan, New York City, with warmth and hope.
The performance set the tone for the Lang Lang International Music Foundation's New York gala on Wednesday night. At the event themed "Music Heals," Chinese pianist Lang Lang joined young musicians in promoting music education and cultural exchange.
"In today's turbulent world, we hope music and education can bring some positive impact to the world," Lang said.
Founded in 2008, the foundation has focused on supporting the development of young musicians while expanding access to music education for students from diverse backgrounds. Its flagship programs, "Keys of Joy" and "Keys of Inspiration," have reached hundreds of schools and hospitals across China, the United States and Europe since 2013.
"Music education can shape a child's character and how they see the world," Lang said. "It builds confidence and gives them positive energy to face challenges."
For Lang, music is not only an art form but also serves as a bridge between cultures. "Musicians are not only performers, but also cultural ambassadors," he noted, hoping they would become "people who spread love and positive energy."
In 2025, the foundation brought young musicians to perform on the Great Wall in Beijing, part of its efforts to create similar opportunities each year to help strengthen musical connections between China, the United States and Europe.
For many young participants, those experiences have been transformative. Fourteen-year-old Alexander Liu from New York said his visit to China was eye-opening.
"The audiences are very different. The concert venues are also different. It's extremely refreshing to play in different halls and see different audiences," he said.
"I want to become someone like 'Lang Lang,' someone who shares the passion of music, not just someone who can play very well," Liu said. "Seeing the amount of joy and comfort people feel from hearing our music makes me want to continue playing piano."
Lukas Barwinski-Brown, CEO of the foundation, said its programs are designed to help students develop both artistic excellence and a sense of social responsibility.
"We send them to schools and hospitals to play music for people in need, people who are sick," he added. "So, they learn that giving back is very good."
David Hsieh, chairman of the foundation's board, said the organization hopes to nurture the next generation of musicians while addressing the decline of art education in many communities.
"We want to help prepare the next generation of 'Lang Langs.' On the other hand, we want to bring music education to schools in underprivileged communities around the world," he said. "In many places, schools have had to cut back on their music and arts programs. The foundation hopes to help fill that gap and bring music opportunities to as many children as possible."
