Star Pianist Lang Lang Releases Complete Beethoven Concerto Collection

Pianist Lang Lang recorded all five Ludwig van Beethoven piano concertos after spending more than a quarter-century on the classical music touring circuit.

Release Details

Deutsche Grammophon is releasing the recordings on March 5. The project features conductor Andris Nelsons and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. They recorded the pieces during six sessions in an empty auditorium last June. A three-CD set will be distributed along with streaming releases and an analog vinyl version of the 'Emperor' concerto. The Gewandhaus originally premiered that specific concerto in 1811. Lang Lang will also play all five concertos over three performances with Paavo Järvi and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from March 24 to March 27. A documentary and concert version of concertos numbers 3 and 5 are also being released.

Career Background

Now 44, Lang Lang has built a crossover appeal to pop fans through collaborations with artists like Sting, Metallica, Ed Sheeran, Herbie Hancock and Pharrell Williams. He also covered Jay-Z's 'Empire State of Mind' and the Eagles' 'New York Minute' in a 2016 recording. He performed at the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics and this year's Winter Olympics. Born in 1982 in Shenyang, China, he won competitions in Beijing and Germany before finishing first in the 1995 International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. He later studied at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and gained widespread attention in 1999 when he replaced André Watts at the Ravinia Festival. He made his public Carnegie Hall debut in 2001.

Context

Ludwig van Beethoven was a groundbreaking German composer whose monumental works bridged the classical and romantic eras of Western music. Recording complete cycles of major composer repertoires remains a key milestone for elite classical musicians worldwide. Major global cultural institutions like Carnegie Hall and Deutsche Grammophon frequently mark major composer anniversaries with high-profile physical and digital releases.