Lang Lang at Carnegie Hall

At the turn of the millennium, a young Chinese pianist divides the classical music world. A performance at Carnegie Hall ought to settle the matter.

At just 21 years old, Lang Lang has already celebrated more concert successes than many 40-year-old pianists. His solo debut at Carnegie Hall is set to be his accolade as a serious and internationally recognised musician. Critics, colleagues and fans all over the world are looking critically at New York, creating enormous pressure for the young pianist. Lang Lang makes his debut with wit, power and virtuosity. The evening becomes a triumph and gives his global career the biggest possible boost, turning Lang Lang into a celebrated megastar.

Lang Lang invites his listeners to experience all the diverse musical emotions with him with great excitement and composure. He reaches the highest and furthest rows of Carnegie Hall with his expressive facial expressions and gestures. He performs three encores, which become the highlight of the evening. These include a performance with his father Lang Guo-ren, who plays a traditional erhu.

Lang Lang himself, his teacher Gary Graffman, pianists Bruce Liu and Claire Huangci, conductor Christoph Eschenbach, composer Tan Dun, body language expert Stefan Verra, and recording producer Christian Gansch all give insight into why this concert from 2003 is a magic moment of music to this day.

Duration 43 min / 52 min
Author Lily Küntzle; Claus Wischmann
Producer Holger Preuße
Co-Producer Christopher Janssen
Distribution VOD C Major Entertainment
Production Company ZDF/Arte, sounding images