Readers of The Times asked Lang Lang questions – here are some of his answers:
What's the one thing that no one knows about you?
LL: Every time when my flight is landing, I switch on the overhead light, count to ten and turn it off, to bring luck to the next city.
Which composer do you identify with the most?
LL: Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Beethoven
What is your greatest fear?
LL: Hurting my fingers or arms.
What is your motto?
LL: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step — Lao-tzu
What did you lose out on by having to spend so much time practising?
LL: Part of game time, but I did enjoy my childhood.
Looking back at your life, if you did one thing differently, what would it be?
LL: Play more sports!
Which country's women do you like best?
LL: I like the type of woman who is sweet, charming and loves music.
Of course he wisely didn't answer that last question.
Photo: Detlef Schneider
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.