New York — Sony has signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with classical pianist Lang Lang.
Through this relationship, which officially began on April 1, Lang Lang will appear in Sony events and campaigns and use the company products to enhance and promote the Sony brand throughout the world, with a particular focus on China, his home country, Sony said.
“Lang Lang personally enjoys using a wide range of Sony products, and will draw on his keen interest in electronics and technology to actively collaborate in their promotion,” the company noted in its announcement.
“As a global leader in the electronics and entertainment industries, Sony is delighted to welcome Lang Lang as a ‘brand ambassador’ who can reach and connect with audiences around the world,” said Sir Howard Stringer, chairman/CEO, Sony. “Lang Lang has legions of fans representing diverse cultures and interests, and is especially adored in his home country of China. He is uniquely positioned to introduce a wide range of Sony products and services and dazzle a new generation of Sony fans.”
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Sony and its products,” said Lang Lang. “I am a long-time Sony user, and am looking forward to the opportunity to bring the excitement and joy of music through Sony’s cutting-edge technologies.”
Lang Lang began playing piano at the age of 3, won the Shenyang competition and gave his first public recital at the age of 5. When he was 9 he entered Beijing’s Central Music Conservatory. He went on to win first prize at the Tchaikovsky International Young Musicians Competition and played the complete 24 Etudes of Chopin at the Beijing Concert Hall at 13. At 17, Lang Lang’s break into stardom came when he was called upon for a dramatic last-minute substitution at the “Gala of the Century” where he played the Tchaikovsky Concerto with the Chicago Symphony.
In 2007, as a result of his enormous popularity with children, Lang Lang was appointed International Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Steinway created the “Lang Lang Steinway” designed in 5 different types for the early musical education of children. This is the first time Steinway has used an artist’s name to produce pianos in its 150-year history.
Lang Lang currently serves on the Weill Music Institute Advisory Committee as part of Carnegie Hall’s educational program and is the youngest member of Carnegie Hall’s Artistic Advisory Board.
