1、WhenFortuneSpotsYouI started winning competitions. We still had very little money - my father had to borrow $5,000 to pay for a trip to the International Young Pianists Competition in Ettlingen, Germany, in 1994, when I was 12. I realized later how much pressure he was under as I watched footage of
2、the contest. Tears streamed down his face when it was announced that Id won - earning enough money to pay back our loan.It was soon clear I couldnt stay in China forever. To become a world-class musician, I had to play on the worlds big stages. So in 1997, my father and I moved again, this time to P
3、hiladelphia, so I could attend The Curtis Institute of Music. Finally our money worries were easing. The school paid for an apartment and even lent me aSteinway（斯坦威钢琴）.At night, I would sneak into the living room just to touch the keys.Now that I was in America, I wanted to become famous, but my new
4、 teachers reminded me that I had a lot to learn. I spent two years practicing, and by 1999 I had worked hard enough for fortune to take over. The Chicago Symphony orchestra heard me play and liked me, but orchestra schedules were set far in advance. I thought I might join them in a few years.The nex
5、t morning, I got a call. The great pianist Andre Watts, who was to play the Gala Benefit Evening at Chicagos Ravinia Festival, had become ill. I was asked tosubstitute（代替）.That performance was, for me, the moment. After violinist Isaac Stern introduced me, I played Tchaikovskys Piano Concerto No. 1.
6、 My fathers mouth hung open throughout the entire song.Afterward, people celebrated - maybe they were a bit drunk - and asked me to play Bachs Goldberg Variations. So I played until 3:30 a.m. I felt something happening. Sure enough, gigs startedpouring in（大量涌入）.Lincoln Center. Carnegie Hall. Still,
7、my father kept telling me, Youd better practice! But living in America with me was beginning to relax him. In Beijing Id been fat - he made sure I ate - and hed been skinny. Now I was getting thin. He wasnt.I wanted to do something special for him for all he had done for me. So when I made my Carneg
8、ie Hall solorecital（独奏）debut in 2003 at age 21, I included Chinese music. I wanted to revive our familys Shenyang tradition of playing together.My father and I had often practiced a piece called Horses, a fun version for piano and erhu. That night in Carnegie Hall, after I played Chopin and Liszt, I
9、 brought Dad out on the stage, and we played ourduet（二重奏）.People went crazy - they loved it. My father couldnt sleep for days. He was too happy to sleep.There have been lots of concerts in Carnegie Hall, but for me playing there was especially sweet when I remember the cold days in Beijing. Together, my father and I worked to reach the lucky place where fortune spots you, and lets you shine.
