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{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = Lang Lang
| Name = Lang Lang<br />Lang Pig
| Img = Lang Lang.jpg
| Img = Lang Lang.jpg
| Img_capt = March 2008
| Img_capt = March 2008
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'''Lang Lang''' ({{zh|c=郎朗|p=Láng Lǎng}}) (born June 14, 1982) is a [[People's Republic of China|Chinese]] [[pianist]] who gained international renown for his outstanding technique and expressive playing.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1016700/Lang-Lang]</ref>
'''Lang Lang''' ({{zh|c=郎朗|p=Láng Lǎng}}) (born June 14, 1982) is a [[People's Republic of China|Chinese]] [[pianist]] who gained international renown for his outstanding technique and expressive playing.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1016700/Lang-Lang]</ref> His nickname is '''Lang Zhu'''({{zh|c=郎猪|p=Láng Zhū}}), which means '''Lang Pig''', called by many of his fans.


==Early life==
==Early life==

Revision as of 08:10, 3 January 2010

Lang Lang

Lang Lang (Chinese: 郎朗; pinyin: Láng Lǎng) (born June 14, 1982) is a Chinese pianist who gained international renown for his outstanding technique and expressive playing.[1] His nickname is Lang Zhu(Chinese: 郎猪; pinyin: Láng Zhū), which means Lang Pig, called by many of his fans.

Early life

He was born in Shenyang of Manchu ancestry. When he was only two years old, he saw Tom playing piano in The Cat Concerto, a Tom and Jerry cartoon on TV (Tom was attempting the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor composed by Franz Liszt). According to Lang Lang, this first contact with Western music is what motivated him to learn piano.[2][3] He began lessons with Professor Zhu Ya-Fen at age three. At the age of five, Lang won the Shenyang Piano Competition and performed his first public recital.[4]

When he was nine years old, Lang Lang was nearing his audition for Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music, but he had difficulties with his lessons, and was expelled from his piano tutor's studio for lack of talent.[5] His music teacher at his state school noticed Lang Lang's sadness, and decided to comfort him by playing a record of Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 10 in C Major, K. 330; she asked him to play with the slow movement. This reminded Lang of his love of the instrument. "Playing the K. 330 brought me hope again," recalled Lang.[5]

Lang was admitted into the Conservatory, studying under Professor Zhao Ping-Guo. In 1993, Lang won the Xing Hai Cup Piano Competition in Beijing, being awarded first prize for outstanding artistic performance at the Fourth International Young Pianists Competition in Germany the next year.[4] In 1995, at 13 years of age, he played the Op. 10 and Op. 25 Chopin Etudes, at Beijing Concert Hall and, in the same year, won first place at the Tchaikovsky International Young Musicians' Competition in Japan[4], playing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra in a concert broadcast by NHK Television.[6] At 14 he was a featured soloist at the China National Symphony's inaugural concert, which was broadcast by CCTV and attended by President Jiang Zemin.[citation needed] The following year he began studies with Gary Graffman and Dick Doran at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia.

Performing and recording career

See also: Lang Lang discography

Lang Lang has played sold out recitals and concerts in many major cities and is the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and the top American orchestras.[citation needed] He has inspired over 35 million Chinese children to learn classical piano – a phenomenon coined by The Today Show as "the Lang Lang effect."[7] The Chicago Tribune's music critic called him "the biggest, most exciting young keyboard talent I have encountered in many a year of attending piano recitals".[8] Lang Lang has garnered praise from musicians and critics around the word - the conductor Jahja Ling remarked, “Lang Lang is special because of his total mastery of the piano... He has the flair and great communicative power.”[9] National Public Radio's Morning Edition remarked that "Lang Lang has conquered the classical world with dazzling technique and charisma."[10] It is often noted that Lang Lang successfully straddles two worlds - classical prodigy and rock-like "superstar", a phenomenon summed up by London Times journalist Emma Pomfret, who wrote, "I can think of no other classical artist who has achieved Lang Lang's broad appeal without dumbing down."[11]

Lang Lang's performances have also been criticized. His performance style has been referred to as having "soggy rhythms and heavy phrasing."[12] and as being "truly boring", "just bad" and "unendurable".[13] Critics who feel that his playing is vulgar and lacks sensitivity have given him the nickname "Bang Bang".[14] Others have described him as immature, though praised his ability to "conquer crowds with youthful bravado".[15] Conversely, the same style has led his performance to be described as one of "blazing speed and thunderous power... Lang's daredevil tendencies found a gratifying outlet."[16] Some critics have argued that Lang is at his best playing the Classical repertoire as opposed to Romantic composers such as Chopin.[17] However, his growth in recent years has also been noted in The New Yorker: "the ebullient Lang Lang is maturing as an artist."[18]

Lang Lang is also well known for his exaggerated mannerisms and facial expressions while playing piano, which has also affected his recent performances, such as that of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp Minor and Réminiscences de Don Juan. This has received criticism, though others have defended his displays, arguing "[Lang's] interpretations aren't just expressions of feeling but the feelings themselves."[14] His "kinetic display" has also been described as "fun to watch", because "underneath the gymnastics, there's clearly some serious musical thinking going on."[19]

In 2001 he made his sold-out Carnegie Hall debut with Yuri Temirkanov, travelled to Beijing with the Philadelphia Orchestra on a tour celebrating its 100th anniversary, during which he performed to an audience of 8,000 at the Great Hall of the People, and made an acclaimed BBC Proms debut, prompting a music critic of the British newspaper The Times to write, "Lang Lang took a sold-out Royal Albert Hall by storm... This could well be history in the making".[20] In 2003, he returned to the BBC Proms for the First Night concert with Leonard Slatkin. After his recital debut in the Berlin Philharmonic, the Berliner Zeitung wrote: "Lang Lang is a superb musical performer whose artistic touch is always in service of the music".[21]

Lang Lang is featured soloist on the Golden Globe winning score of The Painted Veil composed by Alexandre Desplat and can be heard on the soundtrack of The Banquet composed by Tan Dun. Lang Lang records exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon, and every CD he has made has entered the top classical charts as well as many pop charts around the globe. His album of the First and Fourth Beethoven Piano concertos with L’Orchestre de Paris and Maestro Christoph Eschenbach debuted at #1 on the Classical Billboard Chart.[22]

Lang Lang has performed for numerous international dignitaries including the former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, President Hu Jintao of China, President Horst Koehler of Germany, Prince Charles, as well as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Select appearances

To date, tens of thousands of people have seen Lang Lang’s performances in open-air concerts in parks and venues, including New York City’s Central Park, Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, suburban Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, Theaterplatz in Dresden and Hamburg’s Derby Park.

In December 2007, Lang Lang was guest soloist at the Nobel Prize concert in Stockholm, an event attended by the Nobel Laureates and members of the Royal Family. Collaborating with Maestro Seiji Ozawa, he appeared at the New Year’s Eve gala opening for the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. He participated in the opening concert at Munich's Olympic Stadium with Mariss Jansons, marking the commencement of the World Cup and in a celebratory concert for the closing of ’08 Euro Cup finals Lang Lang played with the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Zubin Mehta in front of Schönbrunn Palace.

In 2008, over 5 billion people viewed Lang Lang’s performance in Beijing’s opening ceremony for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad where he was promoted as a symbol of the youth and future of China. During the 2008 Olympics he was also featured as a cultural correspondent on ZDF and made several special appearances on NBC's Today Show Summer Olympics broadcasts. In the opening ceremony he performed a melody from the Yellow River Cantata with seven-year-old Li Muzi.[23]

In February 2008, Lang Lang and legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock performed together at the 2008 Grammy Awards, playing George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. The two were again brought in by United Airlines for the reintroduction of their "It's Time to Fly" advertising campaign with a series of new animated commercials, aired during the 2008 Summer Olympics.[24] Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang will continue to collaborate with an inaugural world tour in summer 2009. He played at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony of 2009, and at the Nobel Peace Prize consert in Oslo the next day.

Lang Lang has made numerous TV appearances, including on such shows as The Today Show, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, CBS Early Show and 60 Minutes. Lang Lang has been featured on various news and lifestyle magazines, including diverse publications such as The New Yorker, Esquire, Vogue (Germany), The Times (London), Financial Times, GQ, Die Welt, Reader’s Digest and People.[25] Lang Lang holds the title of the first Ambassador of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra.

In 2009, he performed both at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and the Nobel Peace Prize concert for US President Barack Obama.

In 2010, he will be featured at the Carnegie Hall's China Festival.

Lang Lang International Music Foundation

Lang Lang has stated his mission is to share classical music around the world, with an emphasis on training children and young musicians through education. The Financial Times noted that Lang Lang is "evangelical in his efforts to spread the popularity of classical music."[26] In October 2008 he launched the Lang Lang International Music Foundation in New York with the support of the Grammy’s and UNICEF.[27] The Lang Lang International Music Foundation was created to enrich the lives of children through a deeper understanding and enjoyment of classical music and to inspire and financially support the next generation of musicians. In May 2009, Lang Lang and his three chosen scholars from the foundation – aged between 8 and 10 years old – performed together on The Oprah Winfrey Show on "Oprah's Search for the World's Smartest and Most Talented Kids."[28]

Books

Lang Lang's biography, Journey of a Thousand Miles, published by Random House in eight languages, was released in the summer of 2008. Delacorte Press also released a version of his autobiography specifically for younger readers, entitled Playing with Flying Keys.

Awards

Lang Lang has received numerous awards and has been seen by millions of television viewers throughout the world. Lang Lang appeared in a Time 100 – Time magazine's annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.[29] In 2008, the Recording Academy named him their Cultural Ambassador to China.[30] Most recently, Lang Lang has been chosen as an official worldwide ambassador to the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Lang Lang was recognized for his efforts by the United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF) who appointed him an international Goodwill Ambassador in 2004.[31]

Notes

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ "Lang Lang's Journey to Beethoven". Morning Edition. 2007-05-08. National Public Radio. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Lang, Lang. "Tom and Gerry". Journey of a Thousand Miles. pp. Spiegel & Graul. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c Stevenson, Joseph. Lang Lang biography. Allmusic
  5. ^ a b "Lang Lang looks back". Billboard; 2/18/2006, Vol. 118 Issue 7, p46-47, 2p, 2c
  6. ^ Lang Lang biography at Telarc
  7. ^ The Today Show on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMUmzBkvVJo
  8. ^ Rhein, John von (March 7, 2000). "Lang Leaves Audience Elated" (subscription required). Chicago Tribune.
  9. ^ http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080928/news_1a28lang.html
  10. ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10060309
  11. ^ Pomfret, Emma http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6073244.ece
  12. ^ Amazon.com: Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Paganini Rhapsody: Music: Sergey Rachmaninov,Valery Gergiev,Mariinsky (Kirov) Theater Orchestra,Lang Lang
  13. ^ Classics Today.com
  14. ^ a b McDougall, Christopher. "Bang Bang." Esquire; Dec2005, Vol. 144 Issue 6, p210-11, 2p, 1c
  15. ^ Ross, Alex. "The wow factor." New Yorker, 4/2/2007, Vol. 83, Issue 6.
  16. ^ Guerrieri, Matthew http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2009/03/04/pianist_displays_both_star_power_and_restraint/
  17. ^ Nordlinger, Jay. "Ten Pianists Briefly." National Review; 3/13/2006, Vol. 58 Issue 4, p46-47, 2p, 3c
  18. ^ Ross, Alex. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2007/04/02/070402crmu_music_ross
  19. ^ Brookes, Stephen http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401570.html
  20. ^ Telarc International
  21. ^ Lang Lang, piano. La Jolla Music Society: 2007.
  22. ^ Lang Lang on Billboard Chart http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=489283
  23. ^ Jie, Chen. Lang delights the crowd with moving performance China Daily.
  24. ^ United Airlines' "It's Time to Fly" commercials
  25. ^ Remnick, David. "The Olympian", 4 August 2008.
  26. ^ Jacob, Rahul http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/a4ffe9b6-24ac-11de-9a01-00144feabdc0.html
  27. ^ Lang Lang International Music Foundation http://www.thelanglangfoundation.org/
  28. ^ Lang Lang's appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090429-tows-talented-kids/8
  29. ^ Hancock, Herbie The 2009 Time 100 http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1894410_1893836_1894420,00.html
  30. ^ Grammy foundation announcement http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Foundation/
  31. ^ UNICEF. Lang Lang
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