Lang Lang promises ‘100s of keyboards’ to deprived London schools

The Chinese pianist has pledged to revive piano teaching in British state schools.

His Lang Lang International Music Foundation has given 30 keyboards to Winns Primary School in Waltham Forest, where half the children are from deprived minority backgrounds.

The initiative replicates his  Keys of Inspiration project in China where 200,000 children have been given access to keyboards. It follows a curriculum written by Lang Lang and Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music.

Lang Lang, 39, told The Times: ‘I was so surprised by how music classes are never a guarantee. The schools and teachers are incredible, and are so dedicated to providing their students with everything they can. But it shocked me how access to music education can be so limited.’