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Sean Rafferty spends time in the company of the pianist Lang Lang, one of the most famous classical musicians in the world today. He has had a hugely creative, successful and glamorous career, performing all over the world and collaborating with musicians from Herbie Hancock to Sir Simon Rattle.

But during his private time, Lang Lang has spent 20 years of deep study and personal reflection on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach’s Goldberg Variations is the musical peak that many major pianists have attempted to scale over the course of time.

Sean meets Lang Lang at the piano, where he plays and talks about his personal journey towards performing and recording J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations – one of the most mysterious, complex and rewarding pieces in all music. Along the way, Sean meets Lang Lang’s wife, Gina Alice, as they perform an informal duet, and Lang Lang opens up about the very personal struggles he faced as a child prodigy, and talks about how the power of music now inspires his work and commitment to young people and music education.

Image: Lang Lang (Credit: Simon Webb)