Pianist Lang Lang to release new album 'Piano Book 2'

Chinese pianist Lang Lang will release "Piano Book 2" in October, following his successful 2019 album, featuring covers of classical masterpieces alongside themes from popular culture, including Chinese video game "Black Myth: Wukong."

Tom and Jerry join Lang Lang on stage at a press conference to launch his new album "Piano Book 2" in Beijing, Sept. 16, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Greater China]

"My original goal for recording 'Piano Book' was to inspire more people to love the piano and make it part of their lives," Lang Lang said at a Beijing launch event on Sept. 16. "Many pieces I enjoyed as a child are hard to find in recordings because professional pianists rarely record them. Yet I believe these works are worth recording."

Universal Music Group calls Lang Lang's "Piano Book," released in 2019, "the most successful classical album of the 21st century." The album has generated over 1.2 billion streams globally and reached No. 1 on classical charts in the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Australia and other countries, exceeding Lang Lang's expectations.

The new double album features classical masterpieces by Bach, Mozart, Satie and Debussy, plus crossover pieces from popular culture. These include themes from anime "Naruto," films "Cinema Paradiso," "La La Land" and "Amelie," and video games "Final Fantasy X" and "Black Myth: Wukong."

At the event, Lang Lang performed several pieces live, including the theme from "Black Myth: Wukong," drawing enthusiastic applause. "I was especially thrilled by the global success of 'Black Myth: Wukong' last year," he said.

"I'm a huge fan of the Monkey King Sun Wukong from 'Journey to the West,' and I believe music like this can help share Chinese culture with the world, much like how 'Jasmine Flower' in 'Piano Book' reached international audiences," Lang Lang said. "The album also includes film and TV scores that I love, all newly rearranged. I'm convinced that through such works, music can become part of everyone's daily life, something to listen to anytime, anywhere."

Timothy Xu, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Greater China, presents Lang Lang with a "Tom and Jerry" gift during a press conference to launch his new album "Piano Book 2" in Beijing, Sept. 16, 2025. Lang Lang has said the cartoon was his first musical inspiration. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Greater China]

Lang Lang said that "Tom and Jerry" inspired him to become a pianist. When he was 2 years old, he watched an episode on television in which Tom the cat, wearing a tuxedo, dazzled with flying fingers across the piano keys. Instantly captivated by the scene, he developed a lifelong passion for the piano.

At the press conference, organizers brought Tom and Jerry, who are celebrating their 85th anniversary, to appear on stage with Lang Lang. Timothy Xu, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Greater China, presented Lang Lang with a bronze sculpture of the cat and mouse duo.

"As one of Lang Lang's early musical inspirations, 'Tom and Jerry' represents his mission beyond performing — promoting music education," Xu said. "The 'Piano Book' series is a gift to piano learners, born from this purpose. We look forward to the success of 'Piano Book 2' and believe it will become a classic. May everyone with musical dreams find their spark, whether through animation or as a master pianist."

The lead single from Lang Lang's "Piano Book 2," Franz Liszt's "Consolation No. 2," is now available on major music platforms through Deutsche Grammophon. The full album, featuring 32 tracks, or "miniature masterpieces" as he calls them, will be released physically and digitally on Oct. 17. Special CD and vinyl editions with a signed art card will be available exclusively through Deutsche Grammophon's DG Store.

Other guests included pianist Tony Ann, who performed a four-hand arrangement of "Icarus" with Lang Lang, and young pianist Zhang Chenghao, who portrayed Lang Lang as a child in Jiang Wen's biopic "You Are the Best." Lang Lang and Zhang also performed a duet.

Lang Lang said he was a big fan of Jiang and was thrilled to see the film about his life and family. "I hope it will also inspire many dream-chasing children to pursue their passions without holding back. Nothing is truly out of reach, right?"

Lang Lang displays his new album "Piano Book 2" on vinyl at a press conference in Beijing, Sept. 16, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Greater China]

Lang Lang also expressed hope for future albums. "I hope there will be more installments in the 'Piano Book' series, perhaps 'Piano Book 3' or 'Piano Book 4.' There are so many pieces I wish to share with everyone," he said.