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 14 June 1982) is a famous Chinese pianist. He has played with many major orchestras and in top concert halls around the world. Since the 1990s, he became the first Chinese pianist to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. He also played with many of the best American orchestras. In 2000, a music critic from the Chicago Tribune called him "the biggest, most exciting young keyboard talent".
Lang Lang has also been a judge on the British TV music show The Piano.
Contents
Early Life and Music Training
Lang Lang was born in Shenyang, China, in 1982. His family belongs to the Manchu Niohuru clan. His father, Lang Guoren, is also a musician who plays the erhu.
When Lang Lang was two years old, he watched a Tom and Jerry cartoon called The Cat Concerto. This cartoon, which featured Franz Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2", inspired him to learn the piano. He started piano lessons at age three with Zhu Yafen. By age five, he won first place at the Shenyang Piano Competition and gave his first public concert.
When Lang Lang was nine, his piano teacher told him he lacked talent and stopped teaching him. This was a very difficult time for him. Another music teacher at his school helped him rediscover his love for the piano. Lang Lang then studied with Zhao Ping-Guo at Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music.
He won the Xinghai National Piano Competition in Beijing in 1993. In 1994, he won first prize at a competition for young pianists in Germany. In 1995, Lang Lang played Chopin's études in Beijing. He also won the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Japan. That same year, he performed as a soloist with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1996, at 14, he was a featured soloist for the China National Symphony Orchestra.
In 1997, Lang Lang and his father moved to the United States. There, he studied with Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
Lang Lang's Amazing Career
Musicians and critics worldwide have praised Lang Lang. Conductor Jahja Ling said Lang Lang has "total mastery of the piano" and "great communicative power." National Public Radio called him a classical artist who has "conquered the classical world with dazzling technique and charisma." Many people note that Lang Lang is both a classical music genius and a rock-star-like "superstar."
When Lang Lang first became famous in 1999, his energetic style was new and exciting. Some people called him "the J. Lo of the piano." While some thought he was too playful, they agreed his ability to "conquer crowds with youthful bravado" was amazing. Over time, he has become even more skilled as an artist. In 2009, when Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people, jazz legend Herbie Hancock said Lang Lang's playing was "so sensitive and so deeply human."
In 2001, Lang Lang made his debut at Carnegie Hall. He then toured Beijing with the Philadelphia Orchestra, playing for 8,000 people. That same year, he performed at the BBC Proms in London, where a critic said, "Lang Lang took a sold-out Royal Albert Hall by storm." He returned to the BBC Proms in 2003. After playing with the Berlin Philharmonic, a German newspaper called him "a superb musical performer."
Lang Lang has recorded music for movies like The Painted Veil and The Banquet. He has released albums with famous labels like Deutsche Grammophon and Telarc. His album of Beethoven piano concertos reached No. 1 on the Traditional Classical Billboard Chart. In 2010, he signed a big deal with Sony Classical. In 2014, he performed with the rock 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 "Danny Boy" and "Scott Joplin's The Entertainer".
Lang Lang has performed for many important leaders, including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, and King Charles III.
In 2017, he had to cancel some performances because of an injury to his left arm. He recovered and continued his career. In 2023 and 2024, he returned as a judge on the TV show The Piano.
White House Performance
On January 19, 2011, Lang Lang performed at a special dinner at the White House for the President of China. One of the songs he played was "My Motherland". This song is from a Chinese movie about the Korean War. Some people in the US thought the song's lyrics, which were not sung during his performance, were meant to be insulting.
Lang Lang explained that he chose the song because he loved its melody since he was a child. He said there was no other reason for choosing it. A White House spokesperson also said that the song is popular in China for its melody and that Lang Lang played it without any political meaning.
Special Performances
Lang Lang has performed in many outdoor places, including Central Park in New York and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
In 2007, he played at a concert in Italy with Andrea Bocelli. He also performed at the Nobel Prize concert in Stockholm in December 2007. In 2006, he played at the opening concert for the FIFA World Cup in Munich. In 2008, he performed with the Vienna Philharmonic before the Euro Cup finals.
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. He also worked with a German band, Schiller, on a song for the Olympics.
In February 2008, Lang Lang and jazz pianist Herbie Hancock performed George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue together at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. They continued to tour together in 2009. Lang Lang also played at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for US President Barack Obama.
He 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 People. Lang Lang is 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.
In 2011, Lang Lang opened the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. He played pieces by Liszt and Chopin.
In June 2012, he performed at the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He played Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6" and Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue".
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 performed at the Expo 2015 opening concert with Andrea Bocelli in Milan.
In 2021, Lang Lang performed at Global Citizen Live in Central Park, New York City. He also played piano for the Coldplay song, "Clocks". 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 movie 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. A special version of the book for younger readers, titled Playing with Flying Keys, was also released.
Awards and Helping Others
Lang Lang has received many awards. His recording of Beethoven piano concertos was nominated for a Grammy Award.
In 2009, Time magazine included him in its list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2012, he was added to Gramophone magazine's Hall of Fame. The Recording Academy named him their Cultural Ambassador to China in 2008. He was also chosen as a worldwide ambassador for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
The United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF) appointed Lang Lang as an International Goodwill Ambassador in 2004. The Chinese government also made him 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 musicians. In 2009, Lang Lang and three young piano students 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 a music festival.
On October 28, 2013, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon chose Lang Lang to be a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Lang Lang believes this role is even more important than his music because it helps children around the world through education.
In 2024, Lang Lang received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Personal Life
Lang Lang lives in Paris, France. He married German-Korean pianist Gina Alice Redlinger in June 2019. Their first child was born in January 2021.
Discography
See also
In Spanish: Lang Lang para niños
