‘Piano megastar’ Lang Lang shows his wizardry in Beethoven concerto with Hong Kong Philharmonic and Jaap van Zweden

Chinese superstar Lang Lang ramps up the drama in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 3, with the Hong Kong Philharmonic alert to the nuances in his playing

The concerto was bookended by a Luciano Berio Bach transcription, a curiosity, and an Aaron Copland symphony in which the Phil under Jaap van Zweden excelled

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Chinese pianist Lang Lang performs Beethoven’s Concerto No 3 with the Hong Kong Philharmonic under the baton of Jaap van Zweden at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall on December 15. He followed it with encores by Bach and Kermit the Frog. Photo: Ka Lam/HK Phil

Christopher Halls

Published: 4:15pm, 18 Dec 2023Updated: 4:43pm, 18 Dec 2023

When it comes to the big-name soloists in classical music, Hong Kong has certainly had its fair share of late.

The steady stream of stars has included American violinists Joshua Bell and Hilary Hahn, the Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos, Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, and in November, the cellist and humanitarian Yo-Yo Ma.

The latest soloist to appear with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, on December 15 and 17 under the baton of its music director, Jaap van Zweden, was – as billed – “piano megastar” Lang Lang.

Keyboard wizardry was always on the cards given Lang Lang’s style of performance, and even for the relatively light drama found in Beethoven’s Concerto No 3, expectations for the unexpected were high.

Orchestral players look on as Lang Lang performs with his typical fluid hand gestures in a passage from Beethoven’s Piano Concert No 3. Photo: Ka Lam/HK Phil

The December 15 performance lived up to those expectations. Lang Lang was intent on ramping up the dramatic tension in his early responses to the orchestra’s stately Allegro con brio introduction.