Lang Lang (Piano ’02) Honored with Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

“When I was a little boy, I learned music brings us together. No matter how different we seem on the surface, we are inspired and healed by music. It doesn’t matter if you grew up in Beijing or Boston; the common ground is music. It reminds us that we aren’t that different after all.” —Lang Lang

Hailed by the New York Times as “the hottest artist on the classical music planet,” internationally acclaimed pianist, educator, philanthropist, and Curtis alumnus Lang Lang (’02) was honored with the 2,778th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday, April 10, making him the first Asian pianist to receive a star on this iconic sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard. He joins a handful of Curtis alumni and faculty members over the years who have received a Hollywood star, including 1960 inductees, Leonard Bernstein (Composition ’41), pianist and former Curtis director Rudolf Serkin, the late violinist and faculty member William Primrose, and the former conducting faculty member, Leopold Stokowski.

The star was presented by the City of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in recognition of Lang Lang’s contributions to the world of classical music. Watch the entire ceremony and performances HERE or click the video below.

After addressing the crowd of friends, family, and fans, Lang Lang gave live performances of Manuel de Falla’s “Ritual Fire Dance” and an arrangement of the popular Chinese song “Jasmine Flower” (Mō Lì Huā) on a Steinway & Sons baby grand piano. Named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine, he has sold millions of albums worldwide, topping classical charts, breaking into the mainstream, and becoming one of the most influential ambassadors for the arts in the 21st century.

Read the official press announcement HERE.

Visit Lang Lang’s official website.

Photos by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Deutsche Grammophon. Performance image courtesy of Universal Music Group.