There was no shortage of highlights at the recently completed Winter Olympic Games in Italy. One of them was classical pianist Lang Lang’s performance at the games’ opening ceremony in Milano Cortina. Seated at a white grand piano, he teamed up with mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli in performing the Olympic Anthem.
This wasn’t Lang’s first Olympics gig, either. Back in 2008, he performed at the Summer Games in Beijing.
Now Lang’s on a tour that brings him toSan Diego’s Jacobs Music Center next Thursday in a concert presentation from La Jolla Music Society. He’s scheduled to perform works by Beethoven, Mozart, Liszt and others.
Once an acclaimed teen prodigy in China, Lang is now 43 and considered to be at the top of his profession.
Whenever I hear a classical pianist of his stature I admittedly become a bit wistful, even rueful. Like many kids I took piano lessons as a child, and while I certainly never demonstrated the promise of a prodigy I was told by teachers that I had exceptional finger facility, that I had the chops (my words, not theirs) to play really well.
Alas, like many kids who took piano lessons I stopped taking them when my parents would allow me to do so, and I stopped playing. Shame on me.
Hopefully Lang Lang, who is an active educator as well as a concert performer, will inspire children wherever he goes to play the piano, to stick with their lessons and to realize that their dreams don’t have to be on account of their parents but because they are theirs.
The concert is nearly sold out but check for tickets at theconrad.org/events/lang-lang-3/.
British singer Nick Lowe will perform a solo acoustic show at The Belly Up in Solana Beach on Thursday, March 26. (Courtesy photo)
Rock music
Besides being part of one of the great underrated British power pop bands Rockpile and releasing a solo album with one of my favorite titles — “Labour of Lust” — Nick Lowe has carved out for himself a respected niche in rock ‘n’ roll history. His is a career that will mark 60 years on in 2027.
Yet in all those years I’ve never seen and heard Lowe in person. Here’s my chance — and yours: he’ll perform next Thursday night at The Belly Up in Solana Beach. The alt-country duo from Minneapolis known as the Cactus Blossoms will open the show. Visit bellyup.com.
A scene from filmmaker David Alvarado’s documentary “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez,” screening Sunday, March 22, at the San Diego Latino Film Festival. (David Alvarado)
Film festival
The San Diego Latino Film Festival runs through Sunday at various venues including Southwestern College’s Performing Arts Center, where at 7 p.m. Sunday, filmmaker David Alvarado’s documentary “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez” will screen. (At press time, a Saturday-night screening of the film was sold out.)
Valdez is an artistic hero of mine. With farm workers and students, the Chicano artist formed the groundbreaking theater troupe El Teatro Campesino. He also wrote the play “Zoot Suit” and the film about Ritchie Valens, “La Bamba.” The film festival documentary is narrated by Edward James Olmos and features among others Lou Diamond Phillips, who played Valens in “La Bamba,” and labor activist Dolores Huerta.
Here’s the festival schedule with descriptions, times and locations: https://sdlff2026.eventive.org/schedule
The inaugural cast of “Saturday Night Live UK,” which will be available for streaming Sunday on Peacock. (SNL UK)
Streaming
It’s taken 50 years, but the British have finally hopped on the “SNL” bandwagon with their own version of the sketch comedy show: “Saturday Night Live UK.” It premieres in Britain on Saturday, as it should, then will be available for streaming by us Yanks via Peacock starting on Sunday.
The British “SNL” will have its own cast of ensemble regulars and also will include regular musical guests. So why, with the established Saturday Night Live” on NBC flagging in quality over the past who-knows-how-many years would we be interested in a version from across the pond? I think I just answered my own question.
Ludacris will host the iHeart Radio Music Awards on Thursday, March 26. AP
Awards show
I’m tempted to watch the iHeart Radio Music Awards next Thursday night just to hear an explanation of why Miley Cyrus is being honored with their Innovator Award.
Nothing against Miley – she’s a talented singer and performer whose longtime popularity goes back to her “Hannah Montana” days. But an innovator?
I’ve got to let this go.
Anyway, Ludacris is back to host this awards show from the Dolby Theatre in L.A. after having done so in 2024. He’ll perform, too, along with Lainey Wilson, Alex Warren, British singer-songwriter Raye and others. In the meantime, you can still sign up to vote for your favorites in 11 categories. Glad to see one of them is “Favorite Tour Photographer.” Those artists deserve more credit and recognition.