Source: CCTV.com
In China, there's been an explosion of interest in classical music. Up to fifty million youngsters are thought to be taking tuition -- and that's just for the piano. The massive growth in potential child prodigies is attributed to the inspirational success of Lang Lang. The celebrity pianist began his own musical odyssey when he was just three years old. Teachers say the new generation of potential prodigies is being spurred on by their hero's achievements.

Zhang Ziyue is just seven years old, but she tackles her music exercises with the seriousness of a much older child.

She studies at Beijing's Jiang Jie piano school, along with thirty thousand other students.

Her teacher, Xu Weili, is a graduate of the city's Central Conservatory of Music and is now responsible, among others, for preparing future Chinese superstars.

Xu says his pupils may be very young, but they are all keen to emulate the success of the celebrated pianist Lang Lang.

He says that although ability and opportunity will decide a child's future success, he believes that deep down everyone has it in them to become a star of tomorrow.

Wang Xiang, the publisher of China's Gramophone magazine, says the Chinese embrace of western classical music is part of the wider acceptance of western culture that has grown over the past thirty years.

More significantly, he believes there has been a change in parental expectations. They enroll their children in music classes because they increasingly want them to enjoy a full creative education.

An indication of how popular piano has become is the fact that the Jiang Jie music school makes as much money from selling the instruments as it does from the lessons.

Many in China have argued that the quest to produce 'the next Lang Lang' will backfire. They argue that mass teaching will result in countless technically gifted, but artistically stunted, pianists.

However, Wang Xiang insists that technical training is a necessary foundation, which the top artists will use to express their own individual styles.

The manager of the Jiang Jie piano School, Jiang Tian, says piano lessons are by far the most popular classes. But children can also study singing, dancing, painting and English.
Jiang Tian acknowledges the pressure that many of the youngsters at his school face, but denies any of the parents really think their child will make it to the big time.
Regular exams allow parents to see how their child measures up against the competition.
Zhang Ziyue's family insists they are not expecting their little girl to be a musical prodigy.
Her grandmothers say Zhang Ziyue will face more demands on her time as she gets older.