Lang Lang head-hunted by Sony Classical

[Philidor]

THE richest headhunt in classical music has ended with the world's most coveted pianist switching teams at a critical moment for the industry.

Lang Lang, 27, has signed with Sony Classical for $US3 million ($3.4 million), says an executive at his old label, Deutsche Grammophon...

Last April the new chief of Sony, Bogdan Roscic, was given an open chequebook and told: ''Get Lang Lang''.

With Lang Lang's transfer Sony has scored a blow against the market leader. At stake is the last frontier for Western classical music, the burgeoning middle classes of east Asia.

Source

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b85hn8rJvgw"]YouTube- Lang Lang Gone Mad.[/ame]

[periodinstrumentfan]

i don't know how this business works but imho the Sony label is more visible and accessible in our country alone than DG (there's only one DG distributor w/ only 3 branches that sell them whilst Sony discs are everywhere) ... so i think it's a wise move.

[Stlukesguild]

Sony is certainly the bigger label... but that's counting its share in popular music. I must have more DG recordings than those by any other classical label with the exception of EMI (and my numbers of Naxos discs are growing rapidly). What's the big push for Lang Lang? Sony already has Murray Perahia who is the far better pianist in my book.

[Philidor]

Originally Posted by Stlukesguild

What's the big push for Lang Lang?

Access to the Chinese market I guess. Western capitalists in the music 'industry' see Lang Lang as gatekeeper.