Lang Lang: "Asian Pianists Dominate Global Competitions Through Practice and Experience"

"I think Asian performers tend to practice harder. Because they practice a lot, I believe their accuracy, which is required in competitions, is superior. I also think that, since Asian performers participate in many competitions, they are more accustomed to the competition environment."

Chinese pianist Lang Lang offered this analysis during an online press conference on November 10, explaining why Asian pianists have recently been excelling in various international competitions. He attributes their success to the sheer amount of practice and their ongoing experience in competitions.

At the Chopin Competition, which concluded on October 23, Chinese pianists swept the top four places. Chinese-American pianist Eric Lu won first place, while second place went to Kevin Chen, a Chinese-Canadian pianist. Third place was taken by Chinese pianist Zitong Wang, and fourth place was shared by Chinese pianist Tenyao Liu and Japanese pianist Shiori Kuwahara. Earlier this year, Korean pianist Kim Sehyun drew attention by winning the Busoni Competition.

Pianist Lang Lang [Photo by Universal Music]

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Lang Lang said that the reason Chinese pianists dominated the Chopin Competition was because they were inspired by Korean pianists.

He emphasized, "I'm not joking, I mean it," adding, "These days, Korean pianists seem to achieve such good results that they take first and second place in almost every major international competition. I think Chinese pianists have been greatly inspired by Korean pianists." He continued, "I believe it is a very positive phenomenon that Asian performers inspire each other and achieve good results in competitions."

This online press conference was held to commemorate the release of the "Pianobook 2" album on October 17. Lang Lang's first Pianobook album, released in 2019, has been loved so much that it has surpassed 1.2 billion cumulative streams worldwide.

The Pianobook 2 album features 32 diverse tracks, crossing genre boundaries, including classical pieces by Bach, Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff, as well as works by contemporary composers such as Joe Hisaishi and Ludovico Einaudi, music from the films "Amelie" and "La La Land," music from the animation "Naruto," and "Rush E," which became a sensation on social media.

Pianist Lang Lang
Photo by Universal Music

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Lang Lang emphasized that the album is intended for piano beginners, especially children.

"I created this album to inspire children in modern society. I wanted to help children approach the piano more comfortably. I wanted to introduce children to the idea that classical music is not difficult or complicated, but rather music that is easy to understand. I even included pieces that are so simple that professional pianists do not usually play them. I wanted to let children hear simple pieces performed by a professional pianist. I wanted even simple pieces to feel like masterpieces."

Lang Lang described the classical pieces among the 32 tracks as "songs that have always been with me like friends since childhood." He explained that he arranged and recorded the music from "La La Land" because it is a film he personally loves very much.

Lang Lang said, "Although classical music and the piano have now become very widespread globally, I still believe we need to draw more people into the world of the piano. I hope the Pianobook albums can serve as a guidebook for piano beginners."

Lang Lang is also dedicated to promoting piano and music education to children through his foundation, which he established following the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. He gained worldwide recognition for his performance at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

He said, "After working as a UNICEF Ambassador for a long time and seeing UNICEF help children, I was inspired to establish my foundation. I am working to support young performers and provide music and piano lessons to young students." He added that his foundation is a personally significant project for him.

Lang Lang 'Pianobook 2' Album Cover
Photo by Universal Music

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When asked what advice he would give to young performers, Lang Lang said he would urge them to make full use of their imagination.

"It is very important to show your emotions and your own style on stage. I want to tell them never to be afraid to show their own way. For an artist, it is very important to display creativity and communicate it to the audience. When performing classical pieces, if you are trapped in a mold, you can become mechanical. It is necessary to approach classical music with a human touch. Now that the era of artificial intelligence (AI) has arrived, it is more important than ever to show your humanity."

He also stressed the importance of maintaining a long-lasting passion and love for the piano. "If you win first place in a competition, you might think you are at the top of the world. But being a pianist is not about achieving results through short-term focus; it is more like a marathon. I often think about this when I see Martha Argerich, who is over 80 years old and still performs perfectly."

Martha Argerich, born in Buenos Aires in 1941, is a pianist who won the Chopin Competition in 1965.

Lang Lang married German-Korean pianist Gina Alice in 2019 and had a son in 2021. He said that if his son wants to learn the piano, he will support him. "I don't want to force my son to play the piano, but I think the piano is a fantastic instrument and worth learning for any child," he said. "If my son wants to become a pianist, I will fully support him."

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