The NS Interview: Lang Lang

“China is much better, more open, but also rediscovering its roots”

Your name is now trademarked. Does it feel odd to turn your identity into a brand?
Not really, because you wouldn’t be happy if someone was using your name for funny things. As a performing artist, your name is on posters, on television, in print. For me, it’s important that I protect my name in certain ways.

You started playing the piano when you were two. Were you always ambitious?
Yes. I wanted to be a world-class musician. Music is not my hobby; it was part of my life from the very beginning. Once you have decided to do that, you have to work harder than people who play for fun. The amount of time you have to put in is tremendous.

You’ve been criticised for how demonstrative you are. Are you aware of how you play?
I kind of know, but I don’t know exactly. I know how I shape the phrase, but once you are putting yourself into the music, you don’t know what’s going on. You just care about the sound.

You spend a lot of your time encouraging young people to play classical music. Why?
They are the future. Just like reading the great novels and Shakespeare, classical music, for me, has real emotion, and it’s great when little kids get involved early in their life. It’s almost like learning a language.

People talk about “the Lang Lang effect” – so many children in China are now learning the piano. What impact will that have?
It’s a great thing, because the piano is a very international instrument and one that shows openness to the international world. Piano is an instrument where you don’t need to speak a language – you just hear the music and start to respect the culture through the music.

How does it feel to have become an ambassador for China?
As musicians, we are not only representing our country; we are representing music as a culture. I would like to play more Chinese music to share with other cultures that have never heard classical Chinese music before. At the same time, most players in China are playing western classics so, in a way, as pianists, we are bridging cultures.

How has China changed in your lifetime?
It’s a tremendous change. For me, it’s getting much better. I feel that China now is much more open. China is trying to find not only the western way to have life experience, but also its own roots.

Do you think the country has neglected its own history?
Ten years ago, China was tearing down buildings to erect a lot of modern stuff. That worries me, because what happens to the old culture and the traditions that China had for so many years? In the past five years, I see they restore the old buildings. In a way, we are rediscovering our own history. Which is a very important thing for every country; you need to have your own identity as well as being open
to the world.

How do you imagine China’s future?
For me, as a musician, I’m focusing on helping the younger generation and also bringing better programmes to concert halls. There are already great concert halls in China, but they are not at an international level yet. I’m not talking about Beijing or Shanghai – the real challenge
is in the secondary cities. A secondary city in China is eight or nine million people.

Is your charitable work as important to you as performing?
It’s important for us to help the society. If you are somebody whom people recognise, who is a public figure, that’s something that will bring awareness. But charity is not only about whether you’re a star; it’s for everybody.

Is there a plan?
I will turn 30 next year. I will keep performing, but at the same time I would like to do more things on the education side. Maybe I’ll reduce some concerts and have time to give some more masterclasses to students and to work for other charity organisations in countries where children are really suffering: to see them and to give time to them, to talk about life and to play music, and to bring some inspirational spirit to the children.

Did your talent ever feel like a burden?
I found there’s a great deal of responsibility. You are very lucky to be liked by many people as a musician. I believe it is a real gift – but it’s important for musicians to stay modest.

Is there anything you’d like to forget?
Not really. There’s some things you don’t want to experience again, but you wouldn’t forget about them.

Do you vote?
No, I don’t.

Are we all doomed?
I really hope this will never happen to us. Let’s work together to try to prevent it.

Defining Moments

1982 Born in Shenyang, China
1985 Begins piano lessons after hearing Liszt in a Tom and Jerry cartoon
2001 Sells out debuts at Carnegie Hall in New York and Royal Albert Hall in London
2007 Guest soloist at Nobel Prize ceremony
2008 Launches Lang Lang International Music Foundation with Unicef. Opens the Beijing Olympics to five billion viewers
2011 Performs at the Southbank Centre in London with 100 young British pianists