Lang Lang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lang Lang
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| 郎朗 | |
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Lang Lang after a performance at the 2010 World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos
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| Born | 14 June 1982 Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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| Alma mater | Central Conservatory of Music Curtis Institute of Music |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Gina Alice Redlinger
(m. 2019) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Lang Guoren (Chinese: 郎国任) Zhou Xiulan (Chinese: 周秀兰) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Classical |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Labels |
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Lang Lang (Chinese: 郎朗; pinyin: Láng Lǎng; born June 14, 1982) is a famous Chinese pianist. He has played with many of the world's biggest orchestras and in top concert halls. Since the 1990s, he was the first Chinese pianist to play with important groups like the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. A music critic once called him "the biggest, most exciting young keyboard talent" they had seen in years.
Lang Lang was also a judge on the British TV show The Piano for its first two seasons.
Contents
Early Life and Piano Journey
Lang Lang was born in Shenyang, China, in 1982. His family belongs to the Manchu group. His father, Lang Guoren, is also a musician who plays the erhu, a Chinese string instrument.
When Lang Lang was just two years old, he was inspired to learn piano by a Tom and Jerry cartoon called The Cat Concerto. This cartoon featured a famous piano piece called Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. He started piano lessons at age three and won his first competition at five. He also gave his first public concert when he was five!
When Lang Lang was nine, his piano teacher told him he wasn't talented enough and stopped teaching him. This was a very tough time for him. But another music teacher at his school helped him remember his love for the piano. He then studied at Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music.
Lang Lang won several big competitions as a young musician. In 1993, he won the Xinghai National Piano Competition in Beijing. In 1994, he won first prize in Germany at the International Competition for Young Pianists. In 1995, he played difficult pieces by Chopin and won the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Japan. He also played with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. When he was 14, he was a special soloist for the China National Symphony Orchestra. The Chinese president at the time, Jiang Zemin, even met him after this performance.
In 1997, Lang Lang and his father moved to the United States. There, Lang Lang studied with the famous teacher Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
A Global Music Career
Lang Lang is known worldwide for his amazing piano skills and exciting performances. Conductor Jahja Ling said Lang Lang has "total mastery of the piano" and "great communicative power." Many people say he is like a "superstar" in the classical music world. He makes classical music exciting for everyone.
When Lang Lang first became famous in 1999, his energetic style was new and different. Some people called him "the J. Lo of the piano" because of his lively stage presence. Others thought he was too young in his style. But everyone agreed he could "conquer crowds with youthful bravado." As he got older, his playing became even more refined. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people. Jazz legend Herbie Hancock said Lang Lang's playing is "so sensitive and so deeply human."
In 2001, Lang Lang made his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York. He also toured Beijing with the Philadelphia Orchestra, playing for 8,000 people. That same year, he played at the BBC Proms in London, where a critic said he "took a sold-out Royal Albert Hall by storm."
Lang Lang has played music for many movies, including The Painted Veil and The Banquet. He has recorded many albums with famous labels like Deutsche Grammophon and Sony. His album of Beethoven's first and fourth piano concertos was a No. 1 hit on the classical music charts. In 2014, he even performed with the heavy metal band Metallica at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards!
In 2008, Lang Lang worked with Google and YouTube on the YouTube Symphony Orchestra project. He also recorded piano music for the video game Gran Turismo 5. This included famous pieces like "Scott Joplin's The Entertainer" and parts of Beethoven's 8th Piano Sonata.
Lang Lang has performed for many world leaders, including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, and King Charles III.
In 2017, he had to cancel some shows because of an injury to his left arm. In 2023, he became a judge on the TV show The Piano in the UK, alongside singer Mika.
Playing at the White House
On January 19, 2011, Lang Lang played at a special dinner at the White House in honor of the Chinese President Hu Jintao. One of the songs he played was "My Motherland" from a Chinese movie called Battle on Shangganling Mountain. This movie is about a Chinese victory in the Korean War.
Some people in the United States thought this song choice was meant to be an insult. However, Lang Lang said he chose the song simply because he loved its melody since he was a child. He said there was no other reason. A White House spokesperson also said that the song is popular in China for its tune and that Lang Lang played it without any words or political meaning.
Special Performances
Lang Lang has played in many open-air places, like Central Park in New York and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
In 2007, he played at a concert in Italy with the famous singer Andrea Bocelli. He also performed at the Nobel Prize concert in Stockholm in December 2007. He helped open the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. He even played at the opening concert for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Munich!
In 2008, billions of people watched Lang Lang perform at the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He was seen as a symbol of China's youth and future. He played a melody from the Yellow River Cantata with a five-year-old boy.
In February 2008, Lang Lang played with jazz pianist Herbie Hancock at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. They played George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. They even toured together in 2009. Lang Lang also played at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for US President Barack Obama.
Lang Lang has appeared on many TV shows, including The Today Show and 60 Minutes. He has also been featured in magazines like The New Yorker and Vogue. He was the first Ambassador for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra.
In 2009, he performed at Carnegie Hall with a 10-year-old piano prodigy named Marc Yu. Lang Lang was also in a German-Austrian documentary film called Pianomania.
In 2011, Lang Lang opened the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He played pieces by Liszt and Chopin. In 2012, he played at the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.
In 2015, Lang Lang played with Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmer at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. They performed Pharrell's hit song "Happy". He also played "Rhapsody in Blue" during "A Capitol Fourth", a U.S. Independence Day celebration.
In 2021, Lang Lang performed at Global Citizen Live in Central Park, New York City. He also played piano for the Coldplay song, "Clocks" at the same event. Later that year, he performed at the opening ceremony of Expo 2020 in Dubai.
On May 7, 2023, Lang Lang performed at the Coronation Concert for King Charles III and Queen Camilla. He played the piano for the song "Reflection" from Disney's Mulan, with singer Nicole Scherzinger.
Books About Lang Lang
Lang Lang wrote an autobiography called Journey of a Thousand Miles, which was published in 2008. There is also a special version of the book for younger readers called Playing with Flying Keys.
Awards and Helping Others
Lang Lang has won many awards. His recording of Beethoven's piano concertos was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2009, Time magazine included him in their list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2012, he was added to Gramophone magazine's Hall of Fame.
In 2004, UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund) named him an International Goodwill Ambassador. This means he helps promote children's rights and well-being around the world. The Chinese government also chose him as a vice-president of the All-China Youth Federation.
Lang Lang is very passionate about sharing classical music with more people. In 2008, he started the Lang International Music Foundation in New York. This foundation helps young, talented musicians. In 2009, Lang Lang and three young pianists from his foundation performed together on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
In 2012, Lang Lang carried the London 2012 Olympic torch. He also received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his work at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival.
In 2013, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon chose Lang Lang to be a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Lang Lang said this role is even more important than his music because it helps improve the lives of children through education.
On April 10, 2024, Lang Lang received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Personal Life
Lang Lang lives in Paris, France. In June 2019, he married German-Korean pianist Gina Alice Redlinger. They had their first child in January 2021.
Discography
See also
In Spanish: Lang Lang para niños
