Lang Lang, Pianist Extraordinaire, Performs Debut Concert in Brisbane, Australia

Superstar classical pianist Lang Lang showed up in Brisbane, Australia on Tuesday to perform his first-ever concert in the city. He followed that evening's show at QPAC Concert Hall in "Bris Vegas" with a performance the following night at the Sydney Opera House.

The Sydney Morning Herald pointed out the dearth of musicians coming through the Concert Hall in Brisbane requiring the type of heavy security befitting a rockstar or Hollywood actor; Lang Lang needed guards posted at his dressing room door.

The pianist, who has collaborated with some of the world's most accomplished musicians -- classical and otherwise -- told the publication of his gradual progression in performing with various likeminded musical partners:

"I started accompanying singers like Cecilia Bartoli, Placido Domingo, Renee Fleming and so on and gradually I thought I had learnt so much from those singers I thought about working with singers who aren't classical ... John Legend, Metallica, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys and others."

Regardless of the musician's Rolodex of prominent mainstream collaborators, the pianist remains a classical musician at heart. In an interview with the The Guardian, he opined that not only is he foremost a classical musician, but that he aims to be the best one there is:

"I am, first and last, a classical musician. But when you sit down and practice, technical issues apart, what I'm concerned about is how music can touch us, what can I learn from the piano in life? That should be the concrete thinking for everyone. OK, when I was two, I wanted to be No. 1, best in the world. But it was all a fantasy, a wild dream. Now it's about the joy music can give."

The 34-year-old Lang Lang released his latest studio album, Liszt - My Piano Hero, in 2011. The collection was the first full-length record stemming from his 2010 signing with label Sony Classic after a fruitful relationship with German imprint Deutsche Grammophon from 2003-2008.

Below, watch's Lang Lang's performance at the 2011 Proms.

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TagsLang Lang, Classical Music