Lang Lang (CN)

About

Also known as: Láng Lǎng, ラン・ラン, 郎朗

Lang Lang made history as the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the top American orchestras, a milestone that set the tone for a career that has consistently blurred the line between classical prestige and mainstream stardom. His playing style was polarising from the start: when he burst onto the scene in 1999, the pianist Earl Wild called him "the J. Lo of the piano", yet Time magazine later placed him among the 100 most influential people in the world, with Herbie Hancock praising his playing as "so sensitive and so deeply human". His recorded output spans Deutsche Grammophon and Telarc, with a Beethoven concerto album debuting at number one on the Traditional Classical Billboard Chart. He played piano on Mike Oldfield's Music of the Spheres, performed the Golden Globe winning score of The Painted Veil, and shared a Grammy Awards stage with Metallica in 2014. More recently he has been active with his Lang Lang Foundation, sharing piano tips and musical insights with audiences online.