Lang Lang foundation donates pianos to Cleveland schools after concert

The Lang Lang International Music Foundation is donating 50 pianos used in the 101 Pianists concert at Cuyahoga Community College to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District as part of the Keys of Inspiration to support music education.

The May 3 concert in Northeast Ohio featured international piano legend Lang Lang playing alongside 100 local students between the ages of 6 and 18.

The performance took place at the college's Metropolitan Campus Auditorium and concluded with Lang Lang announcing the partnership between the Lang Lang Foundation and the Cleveland school district.

The Roland FP-30X digital pianos played during that performance are valued at a total of $55,000. Roland and the foundation have worked together since 2011 supporting Keys of Inspiration programs both in the United States and internationally, providing hundreds of pianos to further music education.

The Cleveland district is the first in Ohio to receive Keys of Inspiration.

"Our district's music programs are going to be transformed by this incredible gift from the Lang Lang International Music Foundation," said Jeffery Allen, director of arts education in the district. "Through this donation, we'll be able to enhance our music programs and ensure scholars have the best resources to explore and grow their musical talents.

"The CMSD community is thankful for this partnership, which promises to inspire countless young musicians to reach new levels of musical excellence," Allen said.

"We are thrilled to bring our flagship programs to Cleveland in a true celebration of music and music education," said Ariela Rossberg, director of education for the Lang Lang Foundation.

She said, "101 Pianists is such an exciting community-focused event, and we know that the children involved, whether in the audience or on stage, will be inspired and energized by the concert.

"Through our new partnership with Cleveland Metropolitan School District, we're able to continue offering Cleveland's students the joy of music with our Keys of Inspiration program.

"Today's Roland pianos will be donated to three local elementary schools, implementing our groundbreaking music education initiative in CMSD," Rossberg said. "We're excited to continue working with the district to make a difference in their community."

Roland said that through its ongoing work with the Lang Lang Foundation, it remains committed "to ensuring students around the world can experience the joy of learning and playing the piano on high-quality instruments featuring state-of-the-art technology".

Lang Lang has performed 101 Pianists in 16 cities worldwide, with Roland providing the 50 pianos for students to play alongside him in concert.

Cleveland is the sixth city or area in the US to host 101 Pianists, following Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC and Long Island.

The 101 Pianists concert was the fourth and final performance in the 2023-24 season of Cuyahoga Community College's Classical Piano Series, which introduces emerging and established pianists to the Cleveland community.

"The sounds from 100 piano students playing with Lang Lang were beautiful to hear, and it's also heartwarming to know thousands more local students will play these pianos as they grow their love of music," said Emanuela Friscioni, the director of the college's Creative Arts Academy. "This is an exceptional way to support young piano students and celebrate music."

Lang Lang founded his namesake foundation in 2008. The foundation "strives to educate, inspire and motivate the next generation of music lovers and performers".