SCALING NEW HEIGHTS

After nearly three decades of winning top awards and performing with and at the world's most prestigious orchestras and venues, Lang Lang could easily step back.

- By Zabrina Lo

But the Chinese classical pianist is far from done, as he looks forward to a new chapter of his career

Chinese pianist Lang Lang is one of the most dynamic musicians of our time. As well as the expected Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Liszt, he's also known for his work outside the classical genre: in 2022, he released The Disney Book, an album and concert film that celebrated the animation company's centenary; he has collaborated with K-pop stars, including Blackpink's Rosé and PSY; he has recorded film soundtracks for Quentin Tarantino and Alexandre Desplat; and his performances at various Grammy Award ceremonies, with Metallica, Pharrell Williams and jazz legend Herbie Hancock have been watched by millions of viewers.

But even with such a wide-ranging repertoire, there is still music the 43-year-old is less familiar with—some of which will feature during his concert with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPhil) this month, as part of his world tour. Sponsored by Standard Chartered Global Private Bank, the Nordic-inspired programme features Lang's performance of Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor, as well as Jean Sibelius's Lemminkäinen Suite and Esa-Pekka Salonen's Castor. This also marks his first collaboration with Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski, the HKPhil's music director designate.

“I'm at a stage where I want to deepen my musicianship even further by continuing to explore new repertoires and refine my interpretation,” Lang tells Tatler. “Finnish music is not a large part of my repertoire, so this is a wonderful learning experience. It has its own atmosphere [which highlights the region's] nature, silence and [musical] intensity. Exploring it is very exciting for me.”