Want to emulate Lang Lang? Hong Kong pianists will need perfect playing skills but also luck, Berlin Phil media chief says
Ahead of concert in city on Friday, orchestra media chairman explains how they decided on Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin to replace injured Chinese maestro
Hong Kong pianists will need to play perfectly but also score a bit of luck if they want to follow in Lang Lang’s footsteps as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, its leader has advised.
Olaf Maninger, media chairman of the orchestra, said the cancellation of Lang’s appearance at a Friday concert in Hong Kong due to his slow recovery from an arm injury had been “bad luck” for all involved.
“We were surprised by his withdrawal but we knew a little bit about his injury in advance. He had wanted the concert with us to be his first project on his return,” Maninger, a cellist with the Berlin Phil since 1995, said.
Asked what it would take for local pianists to play with the orchestra, he said: “It would need a little bit of luck, and playing perfectly of course – it’s the same with everyone.
“One has to be in the right place at the right time, and that’s not easy because you can’t do anything about that.”