Lang Lang

The most commercially successful classical music artist to emerge in the 21st century, Lang Lang has built his reputation on a rock-star-like stage presence and high-profile cross-genre performances. Born in 1982 in Shenyang, he was a child prodigy, giving his first recital at age five, entering conservatory at nine and performing with a major symphony orchestra at 13. His profile grew through international performances and recordings of piano concertos by Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff and Beethoven. By the 2010s, the pianist was regularly appearing at venues and events such as the White House, the Olympics, the Vatican and the Grammys. His discography ranges from core repertoire to playful crossover projects. He has recorded Liszt, Mozart and Chopin, live albums from Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Musikverein, and Bach’s Goldberg Variations, released as both a studio recording and a live performance from Leipzig’s Thomaskirche. More recently, he teamed up with conductor Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig for a 2024 recording of Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto and Carnival of the Animals, also featuring his wife and fellow pianist Gina Alice Redlinger. The same year, Lang Lang released Year of the Dragon – Songs from China. His ongoing Piano Book series, which pairs classical staples with film and video game themes, continued in 2025 with Piano Book 2, mixing recent repertoire from Joe Hisaishi, Ludovico Einaudi and the soundtracks to the Final Fantasy and Black Myth: Wukong games with well-established classics by Chopin, Schumann and Rachmaninoff. His lengthy slate of non-classical collaborators includes Metallica, Pharrell Williams, Herbie Hancock and Billy Joel. Lang Lang has also made music education and outreach a priority through charitable work, developing apps and performing concerts on TikTok.