The famous classical pianist,Kong Xiangdong, surprised his fans last week, by giving a concert combining classical music with Chinese folk music. Kong explained that he tried this because he wanted to create something new. "As a musician,playing the same music in different cities of the world is very boring,"says Kong. He also feels that playing Chinese folk music on the piano can help bring it to the rest of the world. Music has always been part of Kong's world. As his mother was a great music lover, he lived with music from birth. But it wasn't always easy for the young Kong Xiandong. His mother couldn't buy him a piano until he was seven. She had to draw piano keys on a piece of paper, so that he could learn to play as early as possible. The 5-year-old Kong would practise on the paper piano as his mother clapped the rhythm. He was made to practise the piano so much that, at times,he thought about giving up. However,he didn't quit, and he became a great pianist.