Ask me anything, said piano star Lang Lang
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, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
