Yet, the 2026 event felt markedly different. "This time, of course, it's part of the Olympic hymn. It's very loving and healing, symbolizing the world coming together," he says. "It's a very special moment right before the lighting of the flame. I felt it was a beautiful and heartfelt moment — very genuine."

Behind the scenes, the creative collaboration with Bartoli and the music director, Italian composer Andrea Farri, was a blend of technical expertise and artistic freedom. Lang fondly recalls the process: "Last December, I went to Rome, and immediately we began working. Andrea (Farri) showed me his ideas, and we had two different keys to choose from. One was higher, and one was lower. I suggested the higher one — it's more transparent.

"And then he said you can also add whatever you feel is more comfortable to play, adding some chords, harmonies, or technical scales, to make it more exciting, and to make it more 'pianistically brilliant'. That's what we did," the pianist says.

What followed was a process of pushing each other to new artistic heights. "When you play with the best artists, they always push you to be better," Lang notes. The proximity between Lang and Bartoli onstage only amplified the intimacy of the performance. "The piano was very close to her, so I could see her very clearly. Even though we were in this huge space, it felt like we were in a living room, just talking to each other. That gave us so much encouragement to create wonderful things together."

Compared with 2008, Lang approached this Olympic stage with greater composure. "I was much more nervous in Beijing. After that experience, I know what it's like. This time, I'm more relaxed," he says. "And it's winter, so you're extremely refreshed because it's cold."