Lang Lang Kicks Off New Classical Concert Series Ahead Of Interlochen Anniversary

Grammy-nominated pianist Lang Lang is expected to generate over six figures in funding for future performances when he takes the stage at Interlochen Center for the Arts on August 2, launching a new concert series that will bring world-class classical artists to northern Michigan.

The Shenyang, China-born performer, known for his cinematic, if not unserious approach to piano, has built international acclaim since breaking out at the turn of the millennium. He’s played the White House, performed alongside jazz legend Herbie Hancock, and is now headed to Interlochen as the first guest in the Shirley Young Distinguished Artists Series. He’s slated to perform George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue along with selections by film composer John Williams, including music from Star Wars and Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. As he does, Lang Lang will be accompanied by both the Interlochen Philharmonic and the World Youth Symphony Orchestra.

“All of the ticket sales are going to go into a permanent endowment that will allow us to bring in artists in future years,” says Interlochen President Trey Devey. This year’s ticket buyers will also receive priority access to future concerts in the series. “Hopefully the series becomes self-sustainable and people in this region for generations to come will get access to artists that you'd have to travel around the country to see—they’ll be coming right here,” he says.

The series is underwritten by the family of Shirley Young, including her son Doug Hsieh, an Interlochen trustee. Young, who passed away in 2020, was an emeritus trustee of the school and a longtime supporter of Interlochen’s classical music programs. Often described as a trailblazer who broke glass ceilings as a corporate executive, she was also a founding member of the Committee of 100, an organization established in 1989 to promote Chinese American inclusion and foster cultural understanding between the U.S. and China. She saw classical music and the artists who perform it as pivotal to that work. 

While Young was passionate about exposing audiences to high-caliber performers, bringing one of Lang Lang’s stature to far-flung northern Michigan is no easy task. From a logistical standpoint, “It’s incredibly tricky and nuanced,” Devey says, noting that major international artists don’t usually come this far north since their tour itineraries keeps them close to hubs like Chicago and Detroit.

Following Lang Lang, the Shirley Young Distinguished Artists Series is expected to continue with Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming in 2026 and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in 2027. The plan is to run the series through 2028, aligning with Interlochen’s centennial celebration and, as funding allows, beyond.

That celebration, which marks 100 years of Interlochen, will bring more opportunities for northern Michiganders to take in artists that rarely make their way up from downstate. On March 7, 2026, the school’s 1,049-seat indoor Corson Auditorium will host cellist Yo-Yo Ma. That concert will kick off the first stop on a four-city national tour developed in collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma and Interlochen. It will feature a new cello concerto by Wynton Marsalis and involve every artistic discipline at the school.

More than 150 academy students and over 40 alumni are expected to take part in the massive performance, which Devey describes as a major focus for the school’s 2025–2026 academic year.

The Yo-Yo Ma tour and Shirley Young Distinguished Artists Series are part of "Only at Interlochen," a school-wide initiative in which students are taught by and rehearse with resident artists like Fleming and Marsalis before taking the stage with them. 

Interlochen’s classical performance program has seen a 27 percent enrollment increase since last year, while its summer camp programming counts big names like Josh Groban and Norah Jones as both alumni and headliners of its annual summer concert series.

Each year, tens of thousands of audience members stream into Interlochen’s venues, reaching national markets. “It’s pretty broad reaching,” Devey says. Yet despite being a mostly rural region, locals are showing up as the majority segment of ticket buyers – about 55 percent – something Devey says is by design. “We see this as one of the most meaningful ways that we can add to the quality of life and energy of this community for those who live and work here,” says Devey.