WHO IS LANG LANG?

Who is Lang Lang? To some, he is the highly-trained pianist from Shenyang, China: born in 1982, attended Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music, made a name for himself early on. To others he is a bit of a “rock star” in the classical music world, who wears designer clothes, uses lots of hair product, and jet sets across the globe.  Some are fans of his sheer talent and work ethic; others think he “moves around too much” at the keys and is perhaps a tad indulgent with his showmanship.  It doesn’t really matter. The bottom line: this guy has done more to promote classical music than just about anyone on the planet.

It’s prophetic that Lang Lang’s first introduction to classical piano was a Tom and Jerry cartoon he saw when he was a toddler. Now that he’s all grown up (he’s 27), Lang Lang will use whatever medium necessary to catch the attention of future generations of classical music lovers.  His website is full of user-friendly nuggets of information: snippets of Lang Lang on the road, fan pics with Lang Lang, loads of articles — a multimedia extravaganza.

And, it’s working.

Lang Lang’s already the subject of a biography — Journey of a Thousand Miles — and has written an autobiography for younger readers, Playing with Flying Keys. He makes regular appearances speaking to children about music, teaches master classes to music undergrads, and gives countless interviews about his art and its relevance. He’s also partnered with Montblanc Cultural Foundation, UNICEF, and formed the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. Lang Lang has appeared on most prominent U.S. morning and late night talk shows, and made several appearances on NBC’s The Today Show during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He even has his own Adidas running shoe. When asked about this openly commercial venture, he said: “serious basketball players have endorsements; why can’t classical pianists?”

I won’t argue with that. Classical musicians can, arguably, be damned if they do, damned if they don’t. If they remain purists, sticking to formal attire and staying traditionally circumspect, they can often fail to reach beyond existing classical music audiences. If they depart from this norm — conducting lots of interviews, signing endorsement deals (because they can) and appearing on popular TV shows accustomed to hosting movie stars — they risk losing credibility among that same traditional audience. It’s really very unfortunate. Classical music is a truly great art form, one that continually runs the risk of being accused (falsely!) of irrelevance. I think it’s GREAT that classical musicians are doing whatever it takes to nurture future audiences by meeting them on more familiar turf. And the impact of such initiatives only increases when someone as extraordinary as Lang Lang is at the helm.

I’m a fan.

Lang Lang appears with Herbie Hancock and orchestra tonight at Massey Hall.

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