From May 23 to 28, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing is hosting the much-anticipated "Lang Lang Art Week", a six-day celebration featuring the internationally renowned namesake pianist.

This special series, part of the NCPA's 2025 program, will span its three major venues and offer audiences an immersive journey into world-class piano music, including solo recitals, concerto performances and a master class.

"This is my first time hosting an art week, especially in collaboration with the NCPA, which makes it very meaningful to me," Lang Lang said at the NCPA on May 22.

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"I still clearly remember that six years ago, I was supposed to be an artist-in-residence at the NCPA, but due to some issues, it didn't happen — something I deeply regretted. So this time, I'm especially thrilled to look back on and share my recent performance style."

The festivities opened with two major concerts on May 23 and 25 at the Beijing Performing Arts Centre. Lang performed alongside esteemed conductor Lyu Jia and the China NCPA Orchestra, presenting a selection of French classics, such as Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major and Saint-Saens' Piano Concerto No 2 in G Minor.

"Reuniting with the China NCPA Orchestra, with whom I've shared many years of friendship, is very exciting. Many of the musicians are actually my classmates, so seeing them again feels very heartwarming," Lang said a day before the May 23 show.

"This time, we chose pieces that people might not associate with my usual repertoire in recent years — for example, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major. This will be the first time I perform the entire concerto in China. In the past, I've only played the second movement in some places. Now, I'll be performing the whole piece. Also included is Saint-Saens' Piano Concerto No 2, which I'm a bit more familiar with — I've performed it often in recent years and recorded it for an album released last year," the pianist says.

"I think it's really interesting to focus on this French style. Just now, onstage, we rehearsed many detailed aspects — how to make it not sound Russian, not German… I've done some study — it's not German beer, it's French champagne," he adds.

"We worked on very refined interpretations from an artistic stylistic perspective. I think the NCPA team responded extremely quickly, and during our two-and-a-half-hour rehearsal, the conductor Lyu Jia and I found a lot of that so-called French Romantic feel."

In 2021, the pianist opened his studio in the NCPA Taihu Stage Art Center in Beijing's Tongzhou district. The stage-art complex was launched in 2018 by the NCPA, an iconic venue in downtown Beijing.

On May 24, Lang led a piano master class at the NCPA's Taihu Stage Art Center. Four young pianists, selected through a national audition, will perform pieces by Franz Schubert, Franz Joseph Haydn, Charles Camille Saint-Saens and Johannes Brahms. Lang will provide individualized feedback on both technique and musical interpretation, engaging closely with each student and the audience.

The week will culminate on May 28 with a solo recital by Lang at the NCPA. The performance will spotlight masterpieces from the Romantic era, featuring such works as Faure's Pavane, Schumann's Kreisleriana and selections from Chopin's 12 Mazurkas.

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"We've arranged events across all three venues (of the NCPA), which is particularly interesting because each one has a distinct acoustic character. I really like the new Beijing Performing Arts Centre. Its sound is unique," he says.

"The master class takes place at Taihu. We hope that each venue brings a fresh experience to the audience, offering something new both for me and for our Art Week. I hope more people can make classical music a part of their everyday lives — not just something for professionals or music students.

"That's one of the reasons I wanted to create this Art Week — to spark passion and inject new inspiration into the classical music scene. I really hope everyone who comes can feel that energy and warmth."