Chinese media: Lang Lang has raised $2m for kids
mainThe Chinese state news agency Xinhua has reported that a Lang Lang dinner in New York raised $2,049,000 for his education foundation. Supporting acts at the dinner included Michael Feinstein and Lisa Fischer.
The achievement has not appeared in any western media.
Every other musician in New York has a fundraising dinner. Given the paucity of real arts news in North American papers, especially in New York given its centrality to the American music scene (and I get most of my information on disappearing arts pages/writers in papers HERE) I hardly think they are going to make space for a DINNER.
I can see this seems to be slag-Chinese-pianists day, but surely the effort and the cause are worthy of a tip of the cap?
If this is true, I have to tip the hat to Lang Lang’s out-of-the-box legacy. Perhaps, aside from his performing career, he may best be known as one who stirred tremendous interest in the piano and piano playing in China, as well as fund-raising for worthy causes. I remember Chinese survivors of the Cultural Revolution who attended The Juilliard School in the early 1980s when they arrived in New York. They told us stories about their plight, and were truly grateful to have the opportunity to be in NYC studying at Juilliard playing the piano without worry. Anyone who fosters education and inspires interest in playing the piano has my highest respect.
Mr Biegel you always bring a sense of reason and proportion to this website blog, moreover, you positive comments and sensible approach to all kinds of music make you a man to be admired. I take my hat off to you sir.
You’re sweet for these kind words. I try to see the big picture over decades, rather than get sucked into a vacuum of negativity.
It is really wonderful, dear Jeffrey, what you say about Lang Lang’s educational legacy. His achievements for encouraging a love for classical music especially for his and our instrument, the piano, cannot be underestimated in these days that classical performance art is often relegated to the side lines of appreciation and exposure in comparison to popular arts entertainment. He has fostered this love for the piano in his country, China, and revived this affection for the piano just about everywhere. His efforts to keep music education alive in the schools as well as this special affection for the piano that he has fostered, among especially the young, should engender respect from all of us. My faculty colleagues and I were so very impressed with his Master Class that he gave, a few years ago, at the Manhattan School of Music. He was warmly encouraging to all the students that participated in his Master Class and he offered sound musical and technical advice and wisdom that was especially impressive to me. The insistence of his Foundation that, not only the chosen students of the college division should be afforded the opportunity to take part in his Class, but also students from the preparatory division of the school, as well, really engendered immense appreciation from all of us, for his kindness, generosity, and encouragement to all the piano students that either performed or came as auditors. Lang Lang was especially gracious to my colleagues and to me, after the Master Class, in expressing his sincere appreciation in being invited to give a master class, and for all the students that performed, as well as for what he had heard, that afternoon in his class, and for being so warmly welcomed by us all at MSM.
“The achievement has not appeared in any western media.”
Not quite…http://observer.com/2016/10/lang-lang-foundation-raised-2-49-million-in-homage-to-new-york-rhapsody/
Norman, do you know which amount is correct, the $2,049,000 reported by Chinese media or the $2,490,000 reported by New York media?