Capitalizing on the popularity of the pianist Lang Lang, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on October 28 designated the world-renowned Chinese as a United Nations Messenger of Peace with a special focus on global education.
There are 57 million children around the world who don’t regularly attend school. Mr. Lang has been a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF since 2003 and recently said he relishes his new mandate. He has donated significant funds to that global organization from the proceeds of his concerts and has also supported other causes, such as relief for the victims of the Haitian earthquake.
Lang Lang performing F. Chopin's first Waltz at the UN ceremony.
Lang Lang’s work on the United Nations Global Education First Initiative begins with his October 28 appointment, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is excited. The initiative has three main goals:
- Ensuring every child attends school
- Bettering education throughout the world
- Educating all children in the responsibilities associated with global citizenship
Lang Lang says:
“I hope that music and art will go back into many of the public schools where they have been cut out for a while. I hope that, as a musician, we will communicate with other great musicians and synergize our passion for music to inspire the newer generation to open their hearts in music and art. Hopefully then music and art will give a wonderful boost to our general education as well.”
Complete video of the UN Messenger of Peace ceremony including Lang Lang’s performaces of Chopin’s Waltz no 1 in E-flat and a new Chinese piece called “Sea Weed”:
Lang Lang International Music Foundation
Ever since he founded the Lang Lang International Music Foundation in 2008, Mr. Lang has committed himself to raising the level of music education to a higher level. He partners with other charitable organizations to cultivate a love of music in children worldwide. His mission is to inspire future generations of classical music performers and highlight the love of music as a method of youth development. As the ultimate team experience, ensemble performance demands a communal commitment to excellence, which will foster a sense of self-worth and confidence in the budding musicians. That assuredness will also serve prospective soloists as they develop musically.
Lang Lang says: “It’s all about how involved you are. There’s a great relationship between the parents, the piano teacher and the kids. It’s a golden triangle; it needs to work. If this doesn’t work, it will be hard to improve because there are a lot of challenges in life and if you are not synergized from the very beginning as a team it will be very hard to achieve anything.”
Midwest Young Artists and Lang Lang Foundation
Lang Lang’s ebullient personality allows him to work with his extensive network of colleagues and other performers to provide students worldwide with an exciting music education experience. He wants classical music to become more accessible and less like it’s inside a glass case on a dusty museum shelf. Both Mr. Lang himself and his foundation strive to develop collaboration between peoples across cultural boundaries. In their mind, music is not only relevant to the goal of better world education but also essential. The Foundation seeks donations from like-minded individuals and organizations.