Lang Lang recently lit up the stage of Roy Thomson Hall with his idiosyncratic interpretation of Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto, in a performance with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In addition to a string of live performances, he’s also promoting the release of his latest album, a follow up to 2019’s hugely successful Piano Book.
Lang Lang’s reach as an artist goes far beyond the usual classical music crowd, and into the mainstream of popular culture. His digital tracks have had more than 2.3 billion streams to date, with a social media following of more than 29 million.
His Piano Book 2, out October 17 on the Deutsche Grammophon label, offers another set of basic piano repertoire with his virtuosic touch.
Lang Lang
While he needs no introduction, the virtuoso pianist’s background is worth repeating. Lang Lang began playing the piano at three, and had given his first public recital before he turned five. He began studying at the Central Music Conservatory in Beijing at age nine, and at the age of 13, won the First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians.
He’d go on to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and got his first big break at the age of 17 when he was called in to sub for André Watts at the Gala of the Century, playing Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He became an overnight sensation, and it launched his international career.
Today, alongside his performing career, he’s concerned with education, and turning a younger generation on to the music he loves so much.
LV caught up with him at the Universal Music studios in Toronto.
Lang Lang: The Interview
“This is more about education,” Lang Lang explains of the new release. “Because Piano Book was a big success.”
The 2019 album is Lang Lang’s highest-streaming release to date, with more than 1 billion streams globally. It hit the charts worldwide, and one of the singles from the 2019 release, The Well-Tempered Clavier I. Prelude & Fugue No. 1 in C Major, recently achieved Gold Status in Canada.
The two releases are part of Lang Lang’s dedication to music education. He founded the Lang Lang International Music Foundation (LLIMF) to encourage millions of children, first in China, and now beyond, to learn the piano and other orchestral instruments.
“After six years, I’m thinking to do another one.”
Piano Book 2, like its predecessor, is a collection of miniature pieces, essential piano works from classical masterpieces to contemporary classical and crossover artists, and themes from gaming, anime, and the movies. He curated the list from suggestions from fans, and the school syllabuses that he’s encountered as a teacher.
“I wanted to include different repertoire.”
He points out that one of the tracks is by Joe Hisaishi, known for his work on Studio Ghibli anime films, along with movie music. “We get both worlds,” he says.
Lang Lang notes that the work of many composers is played constantly by kids as students, but there are few reference tracks for them. “They are never recorded.”
Piano Book 2 aims to offer basic repertoire performed with virtuosic artistry, perhaps introducing it to its listeners for the very first time.
A handful of the tracks feature music from video games. “The gaming world is so big,” he observes. It’s also a trend within that industry. “The gaming world wants to have symphonic music,” he says. That’s an evolution from the largely digital and electronic soundtracks of earlier generations of gaming. “It’s become much more present with music. A lot of kids are trying to buy music scores of gaming music.”
One of the tracks is a duet with emerging Canadian pianist Tony Ann, and Ann’s original track ICARUS which went viral with close to 900K views on Reels. It was a case of being in the right place at the right time — along with a little chutzpah on the part of Ann, who’s currently a student at Toronto’s Taylor Academy.
“I met this guy two years ago in a record shop in France,” Lang Lang relates.
Ann immediately struck up a conversation with Lang Lang, and mentioned that he was both pianist and composer. “I asked to hear the music,” he says. Ann obliged. “I said wow, this is really cool.”
Along with incorporating different types of music, the superstar pianist liked the idea of featuring diverse generations of artists. In the meantime, Ann’s track would become an online hit.
“It sounds a bit like space,” Lang Lang says of Ann’s music, “21st century Bach.”
He asked the young composer if he could rearrange the piece for piano four-hands, and that’s the track that’s included on Piano Book 2.
“This was a great meet and greet in Paris,” he laughs.
Final Thoughts
What’s next for the Chinese pianist, after the album, and current tour, which extends to June 2026?
“The next album is going to be a big project for me with Beethoven,” he says. The 200th anniversary of the composer’s death will be observed in 2027.
He says he’s always looking for different projects.
“Every year, I try to do different things,” he says.
He’s also continuing his focus on education.
“How to make piano more popular with a younger generation.”
- You can pre-order Piano Book 2 [HERE].
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