"The Montblanc Culture Foundation has become the global platform for Montblanc for all its cultural activities," says Lutz Bethge, CEO of Montblanc. "The success of the foundation depends to a great extend on the commitment of the jury and especially the chairman, who has a profound knowledge and understanding of the art and culture sponsorship and its contributions, who is willing to invest in the development of arts and culture.
"Lang Lang possesses all these qualities," he continues. "Young, talented and passionate, at the age of 25, he has realized that helping others gives success true meaning, and that arts and culture needs strong development from successful individuals, companies and the best artists themselves."
Montblanc owns a "cutting art collection" of 100 works from major artists who have interpreted the Montblanc logo in their own way. They include well-known Chinese artists such as Fang Lijun, Wang Ying and Zhu Jinshe. The Salzburg Festival is sponsored by Montblanc with its Young Directors project.
In 1995, the company helped realize the dream of late Leonard Bernstein by setting up a youth orchestra of young musicians from all over the world. Playing for "peace and understanding," the Philharmonia of the Nations is considered among the best, visiting China twice in 2004 and 2006 to participate in the Beijing Music Festival.
The Montblanc press conference on Lang Lang's appointment was attended by past winners and jury members of the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award. They included the 2007 winner Yang Lan, chairperson of the Sunshine Culture Foundation; 2006 winner Handel Lee, chairman of King & Wood; the 2003 winner Xiao Xiangyu, a renowned Yuju Opera artist; 2003 jury member Yu Long, the conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, and this year's jury member Ye Mingzi, a well-known fashion designer.
After the announcement a ballet performance was presented by 20 students from the Sun Foundation Ballet Troupe together with professional dancers from the National Ballet of China. Last year's winner Yang set up a one-of-a-kind ballet troupe, using funds from the award, to enroll troubled youth in Beijing in a program to help them heal psychologically.
Many of the students wept when they received a certificate after their premiere performance before their parents and schoolmates months ago.
"None of these children ever expected that one day they would have the chance to learn ballet," says Yang. "They thought they were hopeless. However, after the six months' training, they have come to realize the beauty of life through arts."
Editor:Wang Nan
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