The hottest classical pianist on the planet is Lang Lang, and he aims to promote love of art and music among people of all ages as the chairman of the Montblanc Culture Foundation.

Pianist Lang Lang has been named chairman of the Montblanc Culture Foundation and aims to kindle and sustain love of culture and the arts among young people.

"As it is my dream to get even more people, including young people, to be interested in classical music, I am particularly pleased about the opportunities presented by this cooperation with Montblanc," says Lang.

"Meanwhile, I realize that at 25, I have a long way to go and a lot to learn," he told a Beijing news conference announcing his appointment to head the 15-year-old foundation last week.

"As a young and inexperienced chairman, I will do my very best to accomplish the mission as an expression of my gratitude for the trust and faith Montblanc has in me," he says.

Established in 1992, the global Montblanc Culture Foundation gives the annual Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, considered the only award of its kind with a global reputation. It honors those who have made extraordinary contributions of time, energy and financial support to art and culture in their countries and regions.

More than 100 people have been honored. They come from 11 countries and regions including China, Japan, the United States, Italy, Germany and France. Each winner receives 15,000 euros (US$21,737) to donate to favored cultural cause of his or her choice - and a solid gold Montblanc limited edition "Patron of Art" fountain pen especially designed for them.

Lord Douro, the first son of the Duke of Wellington, was the first chairman of the foundation. In 2006, Wolff Heinrichsdorff, then managing director of Montblanc, took over the post.

Now the position has passed to Lang Lang, who the The New York Times calls the "hottest artist on the classical music planet." Lang has played sold-out recital and concerts in every major world city and is the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and all the top American orchestras.

In 2004, he was appointed as the International Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Children's Fund. Steinway, the fine piano manufacturer, has specially created the "Lang Lang Steinway" designed in five different types for the early musical education of children. It is the first time Steinway has used an artist's name to produce pianos in its 150-year history.

The pianist founded the Lang Lang International Music Foundation to expand young audiences and inspire the next generation of musicians through its outreach programs.

"The Montblanc Culture Foundation has become the global platform for Montblanc for all its cultural activities," says Lutz Bethge, CEO of Montblanc. "The success of the foundation depends to a great extend on the commitment of the jury and especially the chairman, who has a profound knowledge and understanding of the art and culture sponsorship and its contributions, who is willing to invest in the development of arts and culture.

"Lang Lang possesses all these qualities," he continues. "Young, talented and passionate, at the age of 25, he has realized that helping others gives success true meaning, and that arts and culture needs strong development from successful individuals, companies and the best artists themselves."

Montblanc owns a "cutting art collection" of 100 works from major artists who have interpreted the Montblanc logo in their own way. They include well-known Chinese artists such as Fang Lijun, Wang Ying and Zhu Jinshe. The Salzburg Festival is sponsored by Montblanc with its Young Directors project.

In 1995, the company helped realize the dream of late Leonard Bernstein by setting up a youth orchestra of young musicians from all over the world. Playing for "peace and understanding," the Philharmonia of the Nations is considered among the best, visiting China twice in 2004 and 2006 to participate in the Beijing Music Festival.

The Montblanc press conference on Lang Lang's appointment was attended by past winners and jury members of the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award. They included the 2007 winner Yang Lan, chairperson of the Sunshine Culture Foundation; 2006 winner Handel Lee, chairman of King & Wood; the 2003 winner Xiao Xiangyu, a renowned Yuju Opera artist; 2003 jury member Yu Long, the conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, and this year's jury member Ye Mingzi, a well-known fashion designer.

After the announcement a ballet performance was presented by 20 students from the Sun Foundation Ballet Troupe together with professional dancers from the National Ballet of China. Last year's winner Yang set up a one-of-a-kind ballet troupe, using funds from the award, to enroll troubled youth in Beijing in a program to help them heal psychologically.

Many of the students wept when they received a certificate after their premiere performance before their parents and schoolmates months ago.

"None of these children ever expected that one day they would have the chance to learn ballet," says Yang. "They thought they were hopeless. However, after the six months' training, they have come to realize the beauty of life through arts."

(Shanghai Daily January 23, 2008)