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The 'Tiger Woods of classical music'For Lang Lang, piano was 'big toy'
NEW YORK (AP) -- Most people's favorite childhood toy was probably something fuzzy, squeaky or flashy. For classical music sensation Lang Lang, it was a piano. "It looked like a big toy for me," recalls the Chinese native. "At that time, I already have a lot of toys, and I just saw that's another toy." So it's not surprising that Lang, who started playing the piano at age 2 (but says he didn't start to take it seriously until the ripe old age of 3), is becoming one of the most celebrated figures in classical music. At just 21 years old, he's already being hailed by some as a musical genius. He has one of the best-selling classical music albums in the nation with "Tchaikovsky/Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos," and has been popular concert draw. His style of playing can be boisterous, hands flailing away during booming crescendos. But while he may be showy, he has skills that some musicians three times his age have yet to master. "He is a major talent. He sort of eats up music," says Gary Graffman, Lang's teacher at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied for several years. "It becomes part of him, he has a fantastic ability of learning new works in an extremely short period of time, and making it his own." "He's got all the prerequisites, and then he has something that you can't learn. When he walks out on stage, he has charisma," adds Graffman, the director of the Institute. 'Never forget that you are a musician'That combination has added to his growing crossover appeal -- this year, he's been featured in both The New York Times and People magazine. He's even been called the Tiger Woods of classical music, for his ability to transcend the genre's typical appeal. But while the rest of the world may be enamored with him, Lang hardly seems enamored with himself. "I think that fame is important, of course. If you're not famous, then nobody comes to your concerts," says the soft-spoken, affable star. "But most important, you never forget that you are a musician, the thing you are going to do is communicate, sharing the best to the people, to make them feel better." Born in Shen Yang to a mother who liked to sing and a father who was a master of the ehru, a Chinese string instrument, Lang's path almost seemed predestined. His piano training began when he was a toddler, and at age 5 he was performing in concerts. A few years later, he was chosen to attend a prestigious conservatory in Beijing. It was then that Lang's love for the piano started to wane. "I missed my mother tremendously," he recalls. "The first half year in Beijing -- I mean, I like the city, but the environment, I'm not used to it." An outsider with a thick northern Chinese accent, Lang found it hard to make friends with his classmates. More troubling, however, was his difficult relationship with his new teacher. "I just think, 'Why am I making music? Everything is wrong. I play this, she say wrong,' " he says. "I'm not saying that I didn't like to play piano anymore, but I feel disappointed. I say, 'Why is piano make me sad?' Piano has always make me happy, because when I was little I won prizes, and the people applaud for me when I was still a boy. So I always grew up with this happiness. But now, everything is wrong." 'Everything just changed'It wasn't until Lang changed teachers that his love was rekindled. "I got a good teacher, and everything just changed. I become very popular," he says. "Everybody want to make friends with me, and suddenly I become a big star at school." Lang's star grew so bright that at age 15 he came to the United States with his parents to further his training. Studying with Graffman at Curtis in Philadelphia, he had opportunities to play with various orchestras and at recitals, and his reputation grew. But it was after a lucky break at the Ravinia Festival that his star was truly born. When pianist Andre Watts fell ill and was unable to play with the Chicago Symphony, Lang -- then 17 -- was selected to take his place. Far from a timid understudy, he dazzled both the audience and critics. A year later, at 18, he made his Carnegie Hall debut. He's had success after success since then. But Lang seems unfazed. He professes to never read his interviews, and sees himself as a conduit to get more people _ especially young children -- interested in classical music. "One day I like to see when I walk in the streets, everyone knows Tchaikovsky, everyone knows Beethoven, everyone knows the great contemporary composers in classical music," he says. However, he says he has enjoys pop music -- even if he doesn't quite know all the names. "I sometime also listen to Britney Spears sometimes, or Michael Jackson sometimes, or, Em ... Em ... What is his name? E-M?" he says, struggling to come up with the name Eminem. "Pretty hot." Nowadays, Lang's pretty hot too. Graffman hopes that with Lang's growing popularity, he can bring more young people into the classical music arena. "When he talks to young people, he's not just giving a little speech. He's really interested in what he's doing, and the charisma and electricity carries through," he says. "I'm pleased that so many music lovers are interested, Maybe that will make more music lovers." Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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