Lang Lang the Pedagogue: Thoughts and Words of Advice from the Maestro

Written by Joseph John L. Verallo  |  February 5, 2026

The pianist Lang Lang stands the closest to what classical music has to a rock star. His commercial flair, down to his interpretive choices, composes the driving force that continues to make classical music a relevant style among the youth. 

This popularity, furthermore, does not disqualify his artistry. Far from it, as he’d shown us in his recent masterclass in Metro Manila held at the Proscenium theater last January 29. That evening, Lang Lang instructed some of our country’s best talents, Megan Phuan Zhiyan, Zildjian Viray, Benedict Magboo, and Inna Montesclaros.

Lang Lang’s style of teaching was straightforward in the greatest sense of the word. He did not spend much time describing the ideal sound; he preferred to show it, most notably through singing with the occasional sound effect to create this aural picture of the music.

After the masterclass, when someone remarked on this tendency of his, he responded, “I’m a horrible singer. I don’t know why I still sing while I teach. I have no idea. It’s really strange because the scariest thing for me is to do karaoke.”

Nonetheless, he explained the importance of singing, saying, “Occasionally singing is very good because you can find your way of understanding the phrase, understanding where to breathe.”

When he wasn’t singing, the maestro would also sit at the piano to demonstrate his perception of the music. As he played Zhiyan’s piece (Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 27, No. 2), he elicited a deeply lyrical tone. What I couldn’t help but notice was just how distinctly he was able to make the right-hand melody stand out from the left-hand accompaniment. It was almost as if I were hearing two different instruments instead of a single piano. 

When guiding Viray and Magboo, who played Liszt’s Transcendental Etude No. 8 and Debussy’s Etude No. 5, respectively, Lang Lang was very particular about bringing out the music’s melodies, demonstrating once again on the piano, bringing out melodic lines amid the composers’ rich textures and overall complexity of notes. 

When the last student, Montesclaros, came up to perform Ravel’s “Ondine,” the maestro guided the student by conducting (of course, while also singing along). The swaying of his arm and Montesclaros’ entrancingly following along created this enchanting picture comparable to the atmosphere Ravel’s music created. 

The interesting thing about Lang Lang when he teaches is that he is not only a pianist, but he also becomes a singer and conductor. You can see how enthusiastically he tries to paint a sonic picture with his body and voice.

After the masterclass, we also had the pleasure of hearing his personal thoughts through a short Q&A.

When asked where music students should spend their time outside of practice, the pianist recommended they listen to various recordings. He also suggested that students devote some time to research, saying, “You should also read some books of the composers’ bios or their letters. That helps a lot in understanding their music.”

Responding to a question on whether artistry mattered more than technical brilliance, he had this to say: “First of all, you have to have good technique in order to play the notes. But the thing is that here, you are delivering everything you are trying to achieve, so technically you have to be there.” 

Indeed, you can see this in the pianist’s own playing, how his masterful technique directly corresponds to the musical freedom he conveys in his performances. In the end, perhaps we can borrow the words of C. S. Lewis and say: “Regarding the debate about artistry and technique: It’s like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most important.”

On a related note, Lang Lang gave some comments on the state of modern piano playing. “One of the problems of today’s world is that we have so many competitions, and then sometimes you have to focus on the ‘correct way of playing.’” He said. “That is quite dangerous because in the world of classical music, we don’t need another wonderful copying machine; we need an individual artist.”

Lang Lang’s artistic identity shows also in the music he chooses to perform. In October of last year, he released his Piano Book 2 with Deutsche Grammophon, which featured standards of classical music alongside popular tunes from anime and video game themes to internet meme music. The album strategically placed classical music in a position where casual listeners would inadvertently discover beloved treasures of the tradition. This aligns with Lang Lang’s goal of dusting off classical music’s cobwebs.