The long, careful journey of pianist who started late

Behind every successful Chinese pianist, there's always a devoted parent. Such mothers and fathers are role models to people who dream of their children becoming star musicians someday. But obviously, only children with an interest in the piano and ample talent will make it to the top.

What's common to Lang Lang, Wang Yuja, Zhang Haochen and Li Yundi? Yes, they all play the piano. But more importantly, they've all loved the instrument since early childhood with an intensity that they didn't feel even for toys back then. As kids they might have taken a break from being around the piano if they got bored, but they would return to it by themselves.

On that list is Tian Jiaxin, another rising pianist, who was born to a composer father and soprano mother in Beijing in 1986. But her parents did not want her to start a career in music until she entered college.