Lang Lang - Piano prodigy from Man ethnic group

Childhood

Born in Shenyang, China in 1982, the ethnic Man started playing the piano at the tender age of 3. At five years old he gave his first recital. He would later on study at the Central Music Conservatory in Beijing. When he was 13, Lang Lang placed first during the Tchaikovsky International Young Musicians' Competition held in Japan. In 1997, he left for the United States to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he was offered a scholarship. Once there, he studied under the tutelage of Gary Graffman.

Lang Lang

Rise to Fame

In 1998 he made his American debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In 1999, André Watts was supposed to perform at the Ravinia Festival's “Gala of the Century” held in Highland Park, Illinois. Due to health problems, André Watts couldn't make it and Lang Lang stepped in. Lang Lang performed Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. That performance brought him astounding praise and recognition.

Notable Performances and Awards

In 2001 he performed at Carnegie Hall with the Baltimore Symphony.

Also in 2001, he performed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

In 2002 he received the first Leonard Bernstein Award.

At the end of 2003, he performed with the Berlin Philharmonic.

In 2004, he went on a U.S. tour.

His self titled debut album was released in 2001, followed in 2002 by Lang Lang Live at the Proms and Lang Lang Live at Carnegie Hall in 2004. He released another CD in 2005 featuring works by Paganini and Rachmaninov.

Lang Lang has stated his mission to share classical music around the world, with an emphasis on training children and young musicians through education and outreach programs. The Financial Times noted that Lang Lang is "evangelical in his efforts to spread the popularity of classical music." In October 2008 he launched the Lang Lang International Music Foundation in New York with the support of the Grammy’s and UNICEF. The Lang Lang International Music Foundation was created 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 Most Smartest and Most Talented Kids."[

Today, Lang Lang is still very much in the forefront of music, performing in packed venues, with future projects lined up.