‘I need to do better’

Pianist Lang Lang on his work-life balance – and the magic of Mika

Born in China in 1982, Lang Lang started to learn the piano just three years later — and it’s been a part of his life ever since. Aged nine, he was dropped by his tutor for having “no talent” and his strict father advised that he take his own life. “We’re very good friends now. I’ve forgiven him for many years already,” he says today.

Instead of giving up, Lang Lang rose to great heights. Today he’s probably the world’s most famous pianist, a prodigy who has performed at the White House, the King’s Coronation and concert halls around the world. Now aged 41, many credit him with single-handedly creating a new generation of pianists in China, and with his International Music Foundation’s Keys of Inspiration programme, he’s trying to do the same in the UK and America. Assuming, of course, that he hasn’t already found the next big thing while hiding in a train station for Channel 4…

‘As a kid, it was hard to make friends because I was always practising’

LANG LANG

THE OVERTURE My first memory is of there being a piano in the house from when I was one. We listened to classical music and Chinese folk music on a videotape cassette and later CDs. My father plays the Chinese violin, which is called the erhu. When I was a kid, it was harder to make friends because I was always practising.

CHANGING MY TUNE My life has improved tremendously, which I do appreciate but, honestly, I don’t have so much time to feel it. I’m always on the road and focused on how I’m going to get better as a pianist. But I think now that I’m married, with a baby, I have to fly back home more often [he has houses in New York, Paris and Shanghai]. An artist’s life is very hard to balance. I need to do better. I need to cut some activities.

STRIKING A CHORD I knew immediately that we needed The Piano. Shows like that are often core-classical and are very hard for people to watch on television — this is something for everybody. But being on The

Piano is quite a different experience for me. I normally have to talk about my new recording or my foundation work, not as a judge, so I’m very happy that I have Mika and Claudia.

SINGING FROM THE SAME HYMN SHEET

I really love what Mika does. He’s a great musician and I have a huge respect for him. This guy is so knowledgeable, I really learnt a lot because his repertoire… honestly, I had no idea. And he’s a very lovable person. We became very, very good friends in a short time and it has remained this wonderful friendship. This season the bonds are even closer. And Claudia, too, has this magic that, no matter who she is talking to, in five minutes she is getting that person’s entire life story.

FACING THE MUSIC In this second series, there were more people sending in their videos and applying to be on it and the quality is very high. Of course, it’s hard to match Lucy [who won the first series]. No one can compare to her. But we do have some different talent; some different stories; some different backgrounds. This is not like shooting some other talent competitions where you have to push them many times and re-film — even if we wanted to do a retake, it would not happen. Everything is “in the moment” and very authentic.