Time was when the only non-operatic events Lyric Opera would present were vocal recitals by the glamorous likes of Luciano Pavarotti and Marilyn Horne. But those days are gone, just as the vocal recital as a commercially viable genre appears to be on life support.

So Lyric went in another direction Saturday night at the Civic Opera House, hosting the first piano recital I can recall ever having been presented under the company's auspices — that of the Chinese superstar pianist, Lang Lang.

Such is his mass appeal that the 3,500-seat Ardis Krainik Theatre was sold out. With tickets scaled up to $125 ($500 got you a premium seat as well as admittance to a post-concert reception with the pianist), Lyric stood to make a nice chunk of change from the deal.

Click here for the rest of the article

June 15th will witness the celebrated event of the “Lang Lang Berlin Concert” in the O2 World Stadium in Berlin, Germany, hosted by Telefonica, the strategic partner of China Unicom. Fifty children pianists from across the world will be invited to share the stage with Lang Lang in celebration of his 30th birthday. As the partner of Telefonica, China Unicom is in charge of organizing the registration and selection of children pianists in China. Lang and the Competition Jury will select two Chinese children for the musical event in Berlin, to perform with Lang on the same stage. As a public service activity organized by China Unicom and Telefonica, the selection of Chinese children pianists for the “Lang Lang Berlin Concert” aims to promote music among Chinese children and encourage young talents.

The registration was launched on April 28th. According to the information, the activity is open to every family which uses China Unicom services and has children (aged from 7 to 14, with passion for music and a piano certificate of Grade 8 or above issued by professional institutions). In service of parents and potential candidates, China Unicom has opened up an activity zone for the “Lang Lang Berlin Concert” on the “WO” portal site www.wo.com.cn. Parents who are interested may log in for more information, or follow the microblogs posted by the portal site or China Unicom for the progress of the competition. Notice: the deadline for registration is May 15.

China Unicom has invited Lang’s professional music team as jury members. They will select the top 20 among the registered children pianists after the primary, and the list will be released on the “WO” portal site on May 18th. Videos of the top 20 performances will be presented in the activity zone on the site, and each of the 20 candidates will receive a CD signed by Lang Lang. The final two names will be chosen by Lang Lang and the jury and posted in the activity zone on May 20. The two excellent children will receive private coaching from Lang Lang, and perform with him in Berlin on June 15th, demonstrating their outstanding skills to tens of thousands of audience and the world.

Insiders of the music industry believe that Lang Lang has earned a respected global reputation in the music field, and his gentle, diligent and vigorous personality makes him an influential figure among the Chinese. His charisma fits the incentive and dynamic nature of the “WO” brand. Through the “Lang Lang Berlin Concert” selection activity, the incentive and dynamic ideals of the “WO” brand of China Unicom will be further understood and accepted by a circle wider than ever.