Universal Music Group UK and The Reading Agency Partner With World Renowned Pianist Lang Lang and his International Music Foundation to Make Digital Pianos Available in Public Libraries Nationwide
Universal Music Group UK and The Reading Agency Partner With World Renowned Pianist Lang Lang and his International Music Foundation to Make Digital Pianos Available in Public Libraries Nationwide
Starting in Manchester, libraries across the UK will receive state-of-the-art digital pianos as part of a national celebration of reading, music and creativity
[27 February, London] Universal Music Group UK and The Reading Agency have partnered with world-renowned pianist Lang Lang and his International Music Foundation to bring music to the heart of UK libraries for the annual Summer Reading Challenge: Read to the Beat!
Today Manchester Library receives the first smart piano gifted through this programme which is aimed at ensuring children can read for pleasure in creative new ways, and have access to high quality music instruments.
The Lang Lang International Music Foundation, through its Keys Of Inspiration community programme, will be installing two state-of -the-art digital Roland pianos in selected libraries across the country, inviting communities to explore reading and music side by side. Libraries taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge have been able to apply to be gifted pianos, with further installations in the coming months. Backed and co-produced by Universal Music Group UK, the initiative will help libraries and children nationwide Read to the Beat!
The initiative kicks off in Manchester on the eve of the city hosting the first ever Brit Awards outside London. With its rich musical history, Manchester is an ideal location to launch the programme and today’s event saw Newcastle-raised, London-based singer-songwriter Victor Ray — who himself started out busking on the streets as a teenager — perform and speak to 90 local schoolchildren about pursuing a career in music.
The partnership expansion aims to address declining participation and reduced access to music education – particularly among pupils from low-income backgrounds – and respond to the urgent need to support and revitalise music education across the UK. This aligns directly with the Lang Lang International Music Foundation’s Keys of Inspiration school program, providing under-resourced inner-city schools with state-of-the-art digital pianos and a robust curriculum.
The Lang Lang Foundation’s Keys of Inspiration programme has already demonstrated the power of this approach in UK schools, where students who previously had no access to instruments are now learning piano as part of their regular curriculum. By extending this proven model into public libraries through Read to the Beat!, the partnership creates a complementary network of music education touchpoints, reaching children both during the school day and in their leisure time within their local communities.
The initiative will transform libraries into local hubs for community music-making, creativity and connection, building on successful pilots in the London Borough of Camden where library pianos have already inspired hundreds of local children to make music for the first time. The gifted Roland pianos, each paired with an Android tablet and access to Skoove, a leading piano learning app, will sit at the heart of a wider series of musical and storytelling activities, from performances and workshops to rhythm-inspired reading lists and creative events for families.
Each year, the Summer Reading Challenge inspires over half a million children to keep reading over the holidays through libraries, schools, and community venues. In 2026, the Challenge will take on a musical twist, combining rhythm, storytelling, and imagination to spark creativity and confidence in young readers.
Lang Lang, the internationally acclaimed pianist and founder of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, said: “Both music and reading bring people joy and hope. By bringing pianos into libraries, we can open the door for every child to experience creativity, expression, and learning in the most inspiring way possible.
“Our mission has always been about creating opportunities where talent can flourish. When a child can walk into their local library and discover a quality piano waiting for them, we’re offering far more than access to an instrument, we’re opening doors to confidence, self-expression and creativity that will enrich their lives for years to come.”
Karen Napier, CEO of The Reading Agency, said: “This exciting and innovative partnership is all about helping every child find their rhythm in reading. Music is a universal language that connects us all and libraries are the perfect stage for children and families to discover that joy together.”
Sharlotte Ritchie, Senior Director, Global Impact & Communications, Universal Music Group, said: “Universal Music Group UK is proud to help make this vision a reality. Read to the Beat! celebrates everything that makes reading and music transformative. Together, they can spark a lifelong love of creativity in children everywhere. We hope this first gift in Manchester will help perpetuate the energy and vibrancy around music this weekend.”
Councillor John Hacking, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure said: “What better place than Manchester Central Library to launch a wonderful initiative bringing together both reading and music for children and their families to enjoy. As a city steeped in both literature and music, we look forward to children enjoying access to music and books as we look ahead to combining them in the Summer Reading Challenge this year.”
For more information about the Summer Reading Challenge, visit summerreadingchallenge.org.uk.
About the Summer Reading Challenge
The Summer Reading Challenge has been running since 1999 and inspires a passion for reading outside the classroom. With the help of local libraries, the Summer Reading Challenge is accessible to all and provides a fun, free activity for children. In 2025, the Summer Reading Challenge nearly 600,000 children and families across the UK, with over half a million children taking part through their local library service.
About The Reading Agency
The Reading Agency is a UK charity that inspires social and personal change through the proven power of reading. We work with individuals of all ages, communities and trusted partners to share the transformative benefits of reading for happy, healthy and thriving lives. The Reading Agency reaches over two million people a year but with a UK population of over 67 million that’s not nearly enough. We want to get more people fired up about reading because everything changes when you read. Get in touch today to find out more about what we do and to help us on our mission.
readingagency.org.uk | @readingagency
About Universal Music Group UK
Universal Music Group UK is the UK’s leading music company. It is home to a wide range of artists and labels including Island EMI Label Group, Polydor Label Group (which includes Capitol UK and 0207 Def Jam), Decca Records, Fontana, Universal Music Recordings, as well as Globe – UMUK’s Creative and Commercial Partnerships division – and the world’s most famous recording studios, Abbey Road. It is the UK division of Universal Music Group (UMG).
Universal Music Group exists to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. For more information, visit www.universalmusic.com
About Lang Lang Foundation
Founded in 2008 by internationally acclaimed concert pianist Lang Lang, the Lang Lang International Music Foundation is dedicated to ensuring all children have access to music education, regardless of background or circumstance. The Foundation educates, inspires, and motivates young people through programs that use music performance to support social and emotional development.
Its flagship Keys of Inspiration® program equips schools with permanent piano labs featuring Roland pianos, a Royal Conservatory of Music curriculum, Lang Lang–designed workbooks, and ongoing teacher training. The program embeds high-quality, keyboard-based music education into the school curriculum, reaching students who might otherwise have no access to music.
The Music Heals program supports children facing physical illness, mental health challenges, or loss, using music as a source of comfort and hope. Through concerts and creative workshops, it offers moments of inspiration and emotional support.
The Foundation’s longest-running initiative, the Young Scholars Program, identifies and nurtures outstanding young pianists worldwide through mentorship, intensive training, and performance opportunities. Since 2008, Young Scholars have performed on leading international stages and are emerging as the next generation of classical music leaders.
About Arts Council England:
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. From 2023 to 2026 we will invest over £467 million of public money from Government and an estimated £250 million from The National Lottery each year to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk
