There was a bit of a fracas during Lang Lang’s Proms appearance. As he bounced back on stage for an encore, a heckler in the arena hooted derisively. An embarrassed murmur ran through the audience. There was some nervous laughter. But the pianist took it in his stride and began a Chopin Etude, seemingly unruffled.

Lang Lang certainly provokes debate – to some he’s a poet with a prodigious technique, to others he’s merely a flashy showman. He certainly seems to enjoy playing the part of the superstar soloist, with his shiny jackets, spiky hair and larger-than-life gestures. But, meeting him in the interval, it’s easy to warm to his friendly, open enthusiasm.

He’s just performed Chopin’s Second Concerto, a piece he’s played often in his career and recorded last year – he’s evidently very fond of it. ‘Every musician feels that Chopin is personal to them,’ he says with a smile. ‘With this piece, there’s a sense of longing that makes it so special. I  feel it has similarities to Beethoven’s Fourth. It makes a singing instrument of the piano, when by nature it’s hard and brilliant. Chopin makes everything balanced, rather than percussive.’

Lang Lang, known for his high-wire solo acts, has been testing his limits recently, performing with jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, whom he describes as ‘absolutely the best. He has an extraordinary ability to improvise – he’s a great composer, like Mozart in a different style. I  learnt a lot from performing with him and started improvising myself.’

He’s also turned his hand to chamber music – a genre he’s not usually associated with – having just recorded Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio and Rachmaninov’s early Trio élégiaque with Mischa Maisky and Vadim Repin; he’s clearly enthusiastic. ‘As a soloist with orchestra it’s like you’re a striker – people kick the ball to you and you just do the work,’ he explains. ‘Chamber music is like you’re playing in midfield, passing the ball everywhere. It’s about teamwork, which can be difficult for a pianist because you train by yourself every day. Over the past five years I’ve been playing more and more chamber music and I  realise how important it is for my future development. There are so many things that I  will never learn as a soloist; through chamber music you digest music much more deeply – you get a complete picture and this is what I love about it.’

Tchaikovsky’s plangent, soulful, technically challenging Trio in A minor is ideal for the big musical personalities that perform it here. What were the challenges for Lang Lang? ‘Having enough time! Luckily we were all at Verbier together and had time to rehearse – just to go in and record would have been disastrous. There’s also the challenge of how you hold three completely different personalities together and make music in the same direction. Fortunately I  have such wonderful partners in Mischa and Vadim and I  think we make a great combination. We were also able to listen very carefully to the edits in the sessions.’

Is there more chamber music on the horizon? ‘Absolutely – I’m accompanying Cecilia Bartoli in recital and playing Mendelssohn, Mozart and Schubert during various residencies next season.’

Next year will also bring a welcome two months off in the summer. ‘The longest break I’ve had since I  started my career,’ he says. Time to reflect on life so far, perhaps. How does he feel about the various criticisms levelled at him? ‘I  don’t mind. A  musician needs to learn and to improve and hopefully to play better. So it doesn’t matter if the comments are bad or good; you still need to develop.’ An answer that indicates someone who is confident but not arrogant about his abilities. Lang Lang may surprise his critics yet. 

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