“When I was a little boy, I learned that music unites us. No matter how different we may seem on the surface, we are inspired and healed by music. It doesn’t matter if one grew up in Beijing or Boston, the common ground is music. It reminds us that we are not so different after all”.

Noting the power of music to unite people and cultures, world-renowned Chinese classical musician Lang Lang opened his speech at the Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in the live performance category.

The renowned musician was honored on April 10 with the 2,778th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first Asian pianist to receive the honor.

“Getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is incredible, it’s the biggest dream you can have in the world,” he said.

“I’ve been very lucky to be a musician, to share my love and music with the world,” he added.

Lang Lang, one of the finest classical pianists of his generation, has performed for some of the most influential figures on the planet, including former US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis.

“Music brought me here today. And the music made me start playing in my hometown,” Lang said.

He was born in Shenyang, northeast China and his piano career began when he was only two years old. Lang says he was inspired by the cartoon after watching “The Cat Concerto” in an episode of “Tom and Jerry.”

At the age of nine he was considered a piano prodigy and moved to the US with his father in 1997 to pursue his musical career.

Lang released his first live album ‘Lang Lang: Live At Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood’ in 2000 and his first studio album in 2003, ‘Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn: First Piano Concertos’. His new album, ‘Lang Lang – Saint -Saéns’ was released on March 1st.

Lang Lang said in a statement that he was surprised by the success of the first season of the music competition ‘The Piano’, on which he is a judge, and that strangers told him that the Channel 4 TV show had “touched their hearts”.