Lang Lang to tackle Tchaikovsky, Bach and Chopin in Seoul recital

Following his concert in Busan on Sunday night, world-renowned pianist Lang Lang is gearing up for his Korea tour’s final performance with a solo recital at the Seoul Arts Center on Tuesday night.

Lang Lang’s performances this month mark the pianist’s first solo concert in the country in five years. The pianist is slated to play Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons,” Bach’s Italian concerto “BWV 971” and Chopin’s “4 Scherzos.”

Lang Lang’s first taste of classical music stardom came at age 17, when he was called upon as a last-minute substitution for the renowned Andre Watts to perform in the “Gala of the Century” Tchaikovsky concerto concert alongside the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The young Lang Lang’s performance deemed him an “overnight sensation,” praised by the public and critics as a new rising star in classical music.

The 33-year-old Chinese native has since been invited to showcase his talents in some of the classical music world’s most prestigious concert halls and with some the most highly respected orchestras, becoming the first Chinese pianist to play with the Berlin, Vienna and New York philharmonics.

Lang Lang, once heralded the “hottest artist on the classical music planet” by the New York Times, has landed countless other accolades including being named one the World’s 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine in 2009.

Earlier this year, the musician also performed alongside South Korean classical musician Song So-hee and the KBS Traditional Music Orchestra at New York’s Carnegie Hall in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations.

Lang Lang’s upcoming Seoul recital will be held and the SAC’s Concert Hall with ticket prices ranging from 70,000 won to 160,000 won. For more information, call (02) 541-3184.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)