He began playing the piano at age 4, and at age 16 entered the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

FORBES: What Are You Worried About? Chinese Music Site Jing.fm Aims To Please

We were trying to find the Central Conservatory of Music, and we knew the general direction, but we got lost.

NPR: Lang Lang: A Life In Music, So Far

At the age of nine, Lang Lang gained a place at the Central Music Conservatory in Beijing and moved there with his father, who quit his job to concentrate on his child prodigy's career.

CNN: Lang Lang: The most popular pianist on the planet