That day I told my father what he’d been waiting to hear — that I wanted to study with a new teacher. From that point on, everything turned around.
I started winning competitions. It was soon clear I couldn’t stay in China forever. To become a world-class musician, I had to play on the world’s big stages. So in 1997, my father and I moved again, this time to Philadelphia, so I could attend The Curtis Institute of Music. Finally our money worries were easing. The school paid for an apartment and even lent me a Steinway. At night, I would sneak into the living room just to touch the keys.
Now that I was in America, I wanted to become famous, but my new teachers reminded me that I had a lot to learn. I spent two years practicing, and by 1999 I had worked hard enough for fortune to take over. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra heard me play and liked me, but orchestra schedules were set far in advance. I thought I might join them in a few years.
The next morning, I got a call. The great pianist Andre Watts, who was to play the“Gala Benefit Evening”at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, had become ill. I was asked to substitute. That performance was, for me, the moment. After violinist Isaac Stern introduced me, I played Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. My father’s mouth hung open throughout the entire song.
Afterward, people celebrated — maybe they were a bit drunk — and asked me to play Bach’s Goldberg Variations. So I played until 3:30 a.m. I felt something happening. Sure enough, gigs started pouring in. Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall. Still, my father kept telling me,“You’d better practice!”
我小時候在中國的沈陽市生活，每天都花6個小時練習彈鋼琴。我喜歡這種樂器。一開始我彈的鋼琴是國產的，樣子笨重但卻便宜，是我們能買得起的最好的鋼琴。後來我父母給我買了一架瑞典鋼琴，於是我就用這架鋼琴練習柴可夫斯基的曲子，可是半數的琴弦都彈斷了。這時我父母和老師認為這樣的樂器以及我的家鄉已經不再適合我了。要成為一名真正的音樂家，我得去我們的文化之都——北京。那年我才8歲。