IN 2008 INTERNATIONAL CELEBRITY PIANIST LANG LANG launched the
Lang Lang International Music Foundation in response to the impact of budget
cuts on school music education. Lang Lang's celebrity within his native China
is popularly credited with inspiring millions of Chinese children to take up
the piano, and his Foundation is having an impact on children and communities
worldwide. Roland Corporation is a longtime supporter of the Foundation's
mission and activities.
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| International pianist sensation Lang Lang performing with 100
young musicians at a 101 Pianists concert in New York. |
Starting in the fall
of 2013, the organization set out to create free group piano lesson programs
in public schools throughout the United States. Thanks to successful
fundraising and a partnership with Roland Corporation U.S., which donated two
piano labs, the first Keys of Inspiration programs were launched in Boston,
Massachusetts at the award-winning Boston Arts Academy and Orchard Gardens
K-8 School. The schools were chosen, in large part, because of their rich
history in developing students' music appreciation. In 2015 the program will
expand into additional U.S. schools.
In 2009, the Foundation unveiled another groundbreaking concept
in its "101 Pianists" events, which pair up 100 young pianists with
Lang Lang himself in various cities around the world for an inspirational
experience that culminates in a masterclass and concert for an audience
comprising educators, parents, and community members. Last fall, the program
returned to the U.S. and featured Lang Lang plus 100 young student pianists
performing on 50 Roland HP-504 Digital Pianos. Students ranging in age from 7
to 17 were selected from more than 200 applicants throughout the northeast
and were initially paired with a partner to practice four-hand arrangements
of two popular classical pieces. After months of individual practice and
guidance from their private teachers, the 50 duos came together to rehearse
and perform at the Tilles Performing Arts Center on the campus of Long Island
University Post in New York.
Since its inception the Foundation has staged similar events in
Paris, Berlin, London, Hong Kong, Rome, Chicago, New York, and Washington DC,
thrilling more than 100,000 audience members and providing a
once-in-a-lifetime inspiration to more than 1,200 young musicians. Another
101 Pianists concert will be held at Sonoma State University in California. |
