2023-06-11 13:44:53
Pianist Lang Lang is considered the greatest living star of classical music. He has been inspiring people for over 20 years. Despite everything, he remains humble. His success picked up speed when he was a child.
Once a child prodigy, today a world star: The Chinese star pianist Lang Lang has become an integral part of classical music. As a virtuoso and philanthropist, the 40-year-old is one of the world’s most influential and committed ambassadors of the arts in the 21st century. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in front of sold-out halls or just in front of a few hundred children in schools – the musical genius stays down to earth. No trace of airs and graces. “I feel flattered every time someone calls me a genius,” says Long Long in conversation with the German Press Agency in Berlin. He sees himself more as an interpreter of existing music.
These days he is a guest in Europe. His concerts are usually sold out. In order to inspire the audience, he always needs a clear head, he says. The pianist allows himself a quiet moment before each performance and a nap in the afternoon. “I think that’s the best way to meditate, as well as going for a walk outside in the park to get some air,” Lang Lang says. In his industry, it is extremely important for an artist to be in good mental shape in order to avoid burnout.
Love for animation and cartoons
As a phenomenal musician, darling of the public and traveling artist, he plays the boulevard and glamor keyboard with similar virtuosity as he does on the grand piano – and thus appears like the modern version of the composer Franz Liszt, who has a special meaning for the 40-year-old.
At the age of two he discovered his love for animation and cartoons, which were often accompanied by classical music. For example, in a “Tom and Jerry” episode in which Lizst’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” played in the background. The melodies accompanied him throughout his career. Many he loved as a child, some as a teenager and others after becoming a father.
He began playing the piano at the age of three and played his first concert at the age of five. A few years later he entered the Central Music Conservatory in Beijing and at the age of 13 won first prize at the Tchaikovsky International Competition for Young Musicians.
Friendship with Alicia Keys and John Legend
Away from his everyday life in the world of classical music, Lang Lang is open to other genres – such as pop music. “I love musicians who can also compose well, like Alicia Keys or John Legend,” he says. “Both are very good friends of mine.”
Together with the soul and R&B singer Alicia Keys (40, “Superwoman”, “Fallin'”) he recently realized a video project for one of her new songs. He also arranged a piece for a current project for Grammy winner Pharrell Williams (50, “Happy”, “Get Lucky”). “He’s currently writing an album related to symphonic music. He has great respect for classical music and loves symphonies, although he’s not a musician in the classical genre.”
As one of the most famous living pianists of recent decades, Lang Lang tries to bring classical music closer to the younger generation in particular. His love for animation music finally led him to present his “Disney” album live as well: With film melodies from around 100 years of “Disney” productions, which were specially redesigned for him, he would like to tell his personal life. “Animated cartoons sparked my entire imagination – the first moment of my lifelong love of classical music.” On July 22nd he will perform “The Disney Book” at the Berlin Waldbühne. (dpa)
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