“A new year always brings new hopes and new beginnings,” superstar pianist Lang Lang tells Apple Music. “I hope that children—and every listener—can find strength, inspiration and peace within this music.” Lang Lang’s playlist features “kid-friendly” pieces performed by artists like Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim and Lang Lang’s wife and fellow pianist Gina Alice Redlinger. Naturally, Lang Lang features too, with a repertoire that spans the musical spectrum, including several tracks that chime with his own life. The theme from Mozart’s Variations on “Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman”, otherwise known as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, is a piece the five-year-old Lang Lang played in his first concert, while Brahms’ “Lullaby” was recorded by Gina Alice while she was pregnant.
Musical flights of fancy selected from Lang Lang’s 2025 album Piano Book 2 include a four-hands arrangement of Tony Ann’s cinematic “ICARUS”, played with the composer himself, and a piece from Yu-Peng Chen’s score for the fantasy video game Genshin Impact. “Music can ignite the imagination and accompany us as we grow,” the pianist says. He concludes with his hopes for the Year of the Horse: “Wishing everyone success, peace and joy. May we welcome a brighter future through music.” Dive in for a playlist that will make the holiday and new year magical for children and, of course, for the adults in their lives too.