SPECIAL GUEST STAR LANG LANG JOINS PACIFIC SYMPHONYSPECIAL GUEST STAR LANG LANG JOINS PACIFIC SYMPHONY FOR
ONE-NIGHT-ONLY CONCERT LED BY CARL ST.CLAIR, FEATURING MUSIC BY PROKOFIEV, TCHAIKOVSKY AND SHOSTAKOVICH
Pacific Symphony welcomes one of classical music’s true superstars—virtuoso pianist Lang Lang—for a special one-night-only concert led by Music Director Carl St.Clair on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011, at 8 p.m., in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.
Heralded as the “hottest artist on the classical music planet” by The New York Times, 28-year-old Lang Lang has a dramatic style, contemporary vibe and undeniable talent that make him a major draw around the world.
The Chinese pianist, who has been playing sold-out concerts for a number of years, appeared in the 2009 Time 100, Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Lang Lang is one of many exceptional pianists performing with the Symphony throughout the 2010-11 season, dubbed the “Year of the Piano.” Tickets are $30-$139; for more information or to purchase tickets, call
(714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org.
For this concert, Lang Lang performs one of Prokofiev’s most popular and brilliant piano concertos—his third. Also on the program is Shostakovich’s buoyant and energetic Festive Overture, which moves at a pace similar to the way it was written—rapidly (the piece was completed in a mere two or three days!); and Tchaikovsky’s much loved Suite from “Swan Lake,” which draws the audience into its dark, enchanted and highly tuneful world for a pure musical experience.
Poetically infused, this ballet music was also written “rapidly”—but in this case, that meant a year and half.
“What a great honor it is for me personally and for the musicians of Pacific Symphony to have the opportunity to perform music with an artist such as Lang Lang,” says Maestro St.Clair. “He embodies the beauty and power that the music possesses and he freely shares these qualities—influencing countless lives. He knows that music has no bounds and shares his immense talents with audiences of all ages the world over.
“Having him join us will definitely be a highlight to this season, which we are calling ‘The Year of the Piano.’ There is no more appropriate way to celebrate this year’s theme than with an artist of the caliber of Lang Lang.”
In 2008, over five billion people viewed Lang Lang’s performance in Beijing’s opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics, where he was seen as a symbol of the future of China.
This status has inspired over 40 million Chinese children to learn to play classical piano—a phenomenon coined by “The Today Show” as “the Lang Lang effect.” Recognizing his powerful cultural influence, in 2008 The Recording Academy named him their cultural ambassador to China. Most recently, Lang Lang has been chosen as an official worldwide ambassador to the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
Lang Lang was featured at the 2008 Grammy Awards, pairing up with jazz great Herbie Hancock for a performance that was broadcast live to 45 million viewers worldwide. He launched the Lang Lang International Music Foundation in New York with the support of The Recording Academy and UNICEF. In May 2009, Lang Lang and three chosen scholars from the foundation, ages 8-10, performed together on “Oprah’s Search for the World’s Smartest and Most Talented Kids.”
He continues to give master classes at the invitation of the most prestigious music institutions, as well as all the top conservatories in China, where he holds honorary professorships. He has also held music residencies in Chicago, Toronto, San Francisco, London, Rome and Stockholm.
In 2009-10, Lang Lang was a featured highlight of the Carnegie Hall festival “Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: Celebrating Chinese Culture.” He presented “Lang Lang and Friends,” a concert featuring rising talent from the U.S. and China, performing works by Western and Chinese composers.
In December 2007, Lang Lang was guest soloist at the Nobel Prize concert in Stockholm, attended by Nobel Laureates and members of the Royal Family. He returned as soloist for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony and concert for President Obama. He has performed for other international dignitaries including the former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, George H. W. and George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II, China’s President Jin-Tao, Germany’s President Koehler, Prince Charles, Russia’s Prime Minister Putin, France’s President Sarkozy and Poland’s President Kaczynski.
Lang Lang began playing piano at the age of 3, and by the age of 5, he’d won the Shenyang Competition and had given his first public recital. Entering Beijing’s Central Music Conservatory at age 9, he won first prize at the Tchaikovsky International Young Musicians Competition and played the complete 24 Chopin Études at the Beijing Concert Hall at age 13. Lang Lang’s break into stardom came at age 17, when he was called upon for a dramatic last-minute substitution at the “Gala of the Century,” playing a Tchaikovsky concerto with the Chicago Symphony.
Jayce Keane
Director of Public Relations
Pacific Symphony
3631 S. Harbor Blvd. Suite 100
Santa Ana, CA 92704
Direct: 714/ 876-2383 │Tickets: 714/ 755-5799
www.PacificSymphony.org
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