Lang Lang | |
|---|---|
郎朗 | |
.jpg) Lang Lang after a performance at the 2010World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos | |
| Born | (1982-06-14)14 June 1982 (age 43) Shenyang, Liaoning, China |
| Alma mater | Central Conservatory of Music Curtis Institute of Music |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Lang Guoren (郎国任) Zhou Xiulan (周秀兰) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Classical |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Labels | |
Musical artist | |
| Website | langlangofficial.com |
Lang Lang (Chinese:郎朗; pinyin:Láng Lǎng; born 14 June 1982) is a ChineseManchu pianist who has performed with major orchestras around the world and appeared at many leading concert halls. Active since the 1990s, he was the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by theBerlin Philharmonic, theVienna Philharmonic and many of the top American orchestras.[1] In 2000, aChicago Tribune music critic called him "the biggest, most exciting young keyboard talent I have encountered in many a year of attending piano recitals."[2]
He was also a judge on the first two series of the British music competition television seriesThe Piano.[3]
Lang Lang was born inShenyang, China, in 1982, to a family of theManchuNiohuru clan. His father Lang Guoren is a musician, playing theerhu.[4] Both his father and mother, also a musician, were displaced to work on rice farms in the country during theCultural Revolution, before Lang was born.[5]
TheTom and Jerry episodeThe Cat Concerto, which featuresFranz Liszt'sHungarian Rhapsody No. 2., motivated two-year-old Lang to learn the piano.[6][7] He started lessons with Zhu Yafen at age three, won first place at the Shenyang Piano Competition and performed his first public recital when he was five.[8]
When Lang was nine, he was expelled from his piano tutor's studio for "lack of talent".[9][5] Lang has stated that upon learning of this, his father flew into a rage and told Lang that he "shouldn't live any more", ordering him to jump off the balcony of their 11th floor family apartment.[10][11] Another music teacher at his state school noticed Lang and asked him to play the second movement of Mozart'sPiano Sonata No. 10, which reminded Lang of his love for the instrument.[9] Lang later studied under Zhao Ping-Guo at Beijing'sCentral Conservatory of Music.[12]
Lang won the Xinghai National Piano Competition in Beijing in 1993 and first prize for outstanding artistic performance at the International Competition for Young Pianists in Ettlingen, Germany, in 1994.[8] In 1995, Lang played theChopin études at theBeijing Concert Hall, won theInternational Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Japan,[8] and performed as soloist with theMoscow Philharmonic Orchestra.[13] Fourteen-year-old Lang was a featured soloist for theChina National Symphony's inaugural concert in September 1996, thenGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist PartyJiang Zemin met Lang after this performance.
Lang and his father moved to the United States in 1997, so Lang could pursue studies withGary Graffman at theCurtis Institute of Music inPhiladelphia.[14][11]
Lang has been noted by musicians and critics around the world. The conductorJahja Ling remarked: "Lang Lang is special because of his total mastery of the piano... He has the flair and great communicative power."[15]National Public Radio'sMorning Edition remarked: "Lang Lang has conquered the classical world with dazzling technique and charisma."[16] It is often noted that Lang successfully straddles two worlds, classical prodigy and rock-like "superstar", a phenomenon summed up byThe Times (London) journalist Emma Pomfret, who wrote, "I can think of no other classical artist who has achieved Lang Lang's broad appeal without dumbing down."[17]
Lang's performance style was controversial when he stormed into the classical music scene in 1999. At that time, pianistEarl Wild called him "theJ. Lo of the piano."[18] Others have described him as immature, but admitted that his ability to "conquer crowds with youthful bravado" is phenomenal among classical musicians.[19] His maturity in subsequent years was reported byThe New Yorker: "The ebullient Lang Lang is maturing as an artist."[19] In April 2009, whenTime magazine included Lang in its list of the 100 most influential people,Herbie Hancock described his playing as "so sensitive and so deeply human", commenting: "You hear him play, and he never ceases to touch your heart."[20]
In 2001, after aCarnegie Hall debut withYuri Temirkanov, he traveled to Beijing with thePhiladelphia Orchestra on a tour celebrating its 100th anniversary, during which he performed to an audience of 8,000 at theGreat Hall of the People.[21] The same year, he made hisBBC Proms debut, prompting a music critic of the British newspaperThe Times to write, "Lang Lang took a sold-outRoyal Albert Hall by storm... This could well be history in the making".[21] In 2003, he returned to the BBC Proms for the First Night concert withLeonard Slatkin. After his recital debut with the Berlin Philharmonic, theBerliner Zeitung wrote: "Lang Lang is a superb musical performer whose artistic touch is always in service of the music".[22] In 2004, Lang was featured in Radio Television Hong Kong's TV documentary Outstanding Young Chinese Musicians. However, recent reviews have been mixed. A plethora of music critics have protested against too much showmanship; not enough care; not enough sensitivity. But audiences continue to adore him. Lang has become one of those artists whose career prospers outside the boundaries of critical approval. The pianist is bemused by the backlash: "You get many good reviews from the beginning", he says, "and then the critics start criticising you. It's strange. The things they liked you for first—unique, fresh—they say is great. And then later they say you're too fresh, too unique. But they're the same thing!"[23]
Lang was the featured soloist on theGolden Globe-winning score ofThe Painted Veil and can be heard on the soundtrack ofThe Banquet.[24] He has recorded for theDeutsche Grammophon andTelarc labels. His album of thefirst andfourth Beethoven piano concertos with theOrchestre de Paris andChristoph Eschenbach debuted at No. 1 on the Traditional Classical Billboard Chart.[25] In 2008, he was the pianist onMike Oldfield's 2008 albumMusic of the Spheres.[26] In 2010, he signed withSony for a reported $3 million.[27]Metallica performed the song One alongside Lang at the56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014.
In December 2008, Lang partnered with Google and YouTube in the projectYouTube Symphony Orchestra.[28]
Lang has also recorded piano works for the video gameGran Turismo 5's soundtrack, mostly under the "Classical" subgenre.[29] This included versions ofDanny Boy, "Scott Joplin's The Entertainer", Beethoven's8th Piano Sonata, and one of the game's intro pieces, the third movement fromProkofiev's 7th Piano Sonata.
Lang has played for UN Secretary GeneralKofi Annan, PresidentBarack Obama,Queen Elizabeth II,Chinese leaderHu Jintao, PresidentHorst Köhler,Prince Charles (now Charles III), then Prime MinisterVladimir Putin, PresidentNicolas Sarkozy, and Polish PresidentLech Kaczyński.[30]
He cancelled performances from March to July 2017, after injuring his left arm.[31][32]
In 2023, Lang Lang became a judge on theChannel 4 television seriesThe Piano, alongside singerMika.[33] He returned for the follow series in 2024, as well as aChristmas special, but departed afterwards to be replaced by American musicianJon Batiste.[34]
At theWhite House state dinner in honour ofGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist PartyHu Jintao'svisit on 19 January 2011, one of the tunes Lang played was the song "My Motherland" from the movieBattle on Shangganling Mountain, a film about a Chinese victory in theKorean War. The song's lyrics include the line "We deal with wolves with guns", which in the film referred indirectly to the United States Army.[35][36] Although the tune is popular and has lost much of its political and historical significance in China,[37] the performance was interpreted by American conservatives as insulting the US.[38]
In response to the controversy, Lang denied that he intended to insult the United States.[39] He later released a statement stating that he "selected this song because it has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. It was selected for no other reason but for the beauty of its melody."[39] White House spokespersonTommy Vietor also responded by saying "My Motherland" is "widely known and popular in China for its melody. Lang played the song without lyrics or reference to any political theme... any suggestion that this was an insult to the United States is just flat wrong."[40]
Lang has performed at various open-air venues, includingCentral Park New York,Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, theRavinia Festival Chicago, Theaterplatz inDresden, and Derby ParkHamburg.[41][42]
In July 2007, he played at a concert from the Teatro del Silenzio,Lajatico, Italy, hosted byAndrea Bocelli. He performed "Io ci sarò" with Bocelli, and Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody". The performance is available on a DVD entitledVivere Live in Tuscany.[43]
In December 2007, Lang performed at the Nobel Prize concert in Stockholm.[42] Collaborating withSeiji Ozawa, he appeared at the New Year's Eve gala opening for the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing.[24] He also participated in the opening concert at Munich's Olympic Stadium withMariss Jansons, marking the commencement of the 2006FIFA World Cup,[44] and, in a celebratory concert held the night before the last match of the 2008Euro Cup finals, Lang played with the Vienna Philharmonic underZubin Mehta in front ofSchönbrunn Palace.[45]
In 2008, an audience estimated at between one and four billion people saw Lang's performance in Beijing's opening ceremony for the2008 Summer Olympics where he was promoted as a symbol of the youth and future of China.[46] During these games, he was also featured on the German TV networkZDF and made several appearances on NBC'sThe Today Show Summer Olympics broadcasts. In theopening ceremony, he performed a melody from theYellow River Cantata with five-year-old Li Muzi.[47] Lang also collaborated with a German band,Schiller, to record "Time for Dreams", used to promote some coverage of the 2008 Olympics broadcast in Germany.
In February 2008, Lang and jazz pianistHerbie Hancock performed together at the50th Annual Grammy Awards, playingGeorge Gershwin'sRhapsody in Blue. The two were again brought in byUnited Airlines for the reintroduction of their "It's Time to Fly" advertising campaign with a series of new animated commercials aired during the2008 Summer Olympics.[48] In April 2008, he premieredTan Dun'sFirst Piano Concerto, subtitled "The Fire".[49] Hancock and Lang continued to collaborate with a world tour in summer 2009. Lang played at the2009 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for US PresidentBarack Obama and at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo the next day.[50]
Lang has made numerous TV appearances includingThe Today Show,The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,Good Morning America,CBS Early Show, and60 Minutes and was a judge onThe Piano. He has featured in publications includingThe New Yorker,Esquire,Vogue (Germany),The Times,Financial Times,GQ,Die Welt,Reader's Digest, andPeople.[51] Lang holds the title of the first Ambassador of theYouTube Symphony Orchestra.[52]
In 2009, he performed atCarnegie Hall accompanied byMarc Yu, a 10-year-old pianist and musical child prodigy from Pasadena, California, who made his Carnegie Hall debut at the event.[53]
Lang was featured in the award-winning German-Austrian documentaryPianomania,[54] which was directed byLilian Franck and Robert Cibis. The film premiered theatrically in North America, Asia and throughout Europe, and is a part of theGoethe-Institut catalogue.[55]
In 2010, he was featured at the Carnegie Hall's China Festival and performed with theNew York Philharmonic on New Year's Eve at Avery Fisher Hall.[56][57]
In 2011, Lang opened theLast Night of the Proms at theRoyal Albert Hall performing with theBBC Symphony Orchestra. He playedLiszt's1st Piano Concerto andChopin'sGrande Polonaise Brillante.[58]
In June 2012, he played Liszt'sHungarian Rhapsody No. 6 and Gershwin'sRhapsody in Blue at theQueen's Diamond Jubilee Concert atBuckingham Palace.[59]In 2012, Lang gave a masterclass to a select few pianists at the Royal College of Music featuringLara Ömeroğlu andMartin James Bartlett.
In January 2014, Lang collaborated withheavy metalbandMetallica at the56th Annual Grammy Awards, performing their iconic 1988 anti-war classic "One".
On 3 July 2014, Lang played atByblos International Festival inByblos, Lebanon.[60]
On 19 September, he played with Korean artistPSY for opening ceremony of2014 Asian Games inIncheon, South Korea.
On 18 October, Lang performed at the Red Velvet Ball with theSt. Louis Symphony andDavid Robertson atPowell Hall.
On 8 February 2015, Lang played withPharrell Williams andHans Zimmer at the57th Annual Grammy Awards, performing Pharrell's hit song "Happy".
On 30 April 2015, Lang performed at the Expo 2015 opening concert with Andrea Bocelli at Piazza del Duomo in Milan.
On 4 July 2015, Lang performed "Rhapsody in Blue" during "A Capitol Fourth", a U.S. Independence Day celebration televised from Washington, D.C.
On 24 September 2015, Lang performed theEdvard Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 at the New York Philharmonic Opening Gala Concert at theDavid Geffen Hall withAlan Gilbert conducting.
In a cameo appearance in the 30 December 2015 episode ofMozart in the Jungle, Lang performed a version ofFranz Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2".[61]
On 19 August 2020, Lang told a meditative story about his audition for teacherGary Graffman at theCurtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.[62]
On 25 September 2021, Lang performed atGlobal Citizen Live on theGreat Lawn inCentral Park, New York City. He also played piano for theColdplay song, "Clocks" at the same festival.
On 30 September 2021, Lang performed at the opening ceremony ofExpo 2020 in Dubai, UAE.
On 7 May 2023, Lang performed at theCoronation Concert, held in celebration of thecoronation ofKing Charles III andQueen Camilla the day before.[63] Lang played the piano for the song "Reflection", fromDisney's 1998 animated filmMulan, accompanied by singerNicole Scherzinger.[64]
Lang's autobiography,Journey of a Thousand Miles, published byRandom House in 8 languages, was released in the summer of 2008.[citation needed]Delacorte Press also released a version of the autobiography specifically for younger readers, entitledPlaying with Flying Keys.
Lang has received many awards and made many television appearances. HisDeutsche Grammophon recording ofBeethovenPiano Concertos Nos.1 and4 withChristoph Eschenbach was nominated for aGrammy Award during the year of its release.
He appeared inTime magazine's 2009 list of the100 Most Influential People in the World,[20] and inGramophone magazine's Hall of Fame in 2012.[65] In 2008, theRecording Academy named him their Cultural Ambassador to China.[66] More recently, Lang has been chosen as an official worldwide ambassador to the 2010Shanghai Expo. Lang was appointed by the United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF) as anInternational Goodwill Ambassador in 2004.[67] The Chinese government selected him as a vice-president of theAll-China Youth Federation.[68]
TheFinancial Times reported that Lang is "evangelical in his efforts to spread the popularity of classical music."[69] In October 2008, he launched the Lang International Music Foundation in New York with the support of theGrammys andUNICEF.[70][71] In May 2009, Lang and his three chosen scholars from the foundation, Charlie Liu, Anna Larsen, and Derek Wang, aged between eight and 10 years old, performed together onThe Oprah Winfrey Show.[72]
In June 2011, Lang was engaged byTelefónica to make appearances concerning culture, technology, education and social commitment.[73]
On 22 July 2012, Lang carried the London 2012 Olympic torch throughHornchurch on its Redbridge to Bexley leg. On 24 August 2012, he was awarded theCross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his engagement in theSchleswig-Holstein Musik Festival.[74]
On 27 January 2013, in Cannes, the Minister of Culture and Communication, Aurélie Filippetti, presented Lang with the insignia of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters.[75] On 28 October, Lang was chosen by Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon to be aUnited Nations Messenger of Peace, a role he says is more important than his music because it can help improve the lives of children around the world through education.[76]
In November 2013, Lang has been given an honorary fellowship at St Peter's College Oxford, presented to him by Mark Damazer CBE at a special ceremony.[77] HisChopin Album on Sony Classical received the 2013Echo Klassik Award.[78]
In November 2014, Lang won the Spanish Premios Ondas award in Barcelona, Spain.[79] Lang won The Bambi Awards in the same month, one of Germany's highest media accolade, and he shared the award with the entertainer Helene Fischer, the tenor Jonas Kaufmann and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.[80]
In 2017, the "Mission Mozart" project involving Lang and conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt won the Echo Klassik award.[81]
On 13 Feb 2019, Lang received a special award at the 2019 Victoire de la Musique Classique in recognition of his achievements over the past two decades.[82]
On 10 April 2024, Lang was awarded a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.
Lang holds honorary degrees from the Royal College of Music, Birmingham City University, and University of Leeds, Manhattan School of Music, New York University, University of Hong Kong, and Central Conservatory of Music.[83][84][85]
Lang lives in Paris, France, where he married German-Korean[86] pianistGina Alice Redlinger [de] in June 2019.[87][88] She gave birth to their first child in January 2021.[89]
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