The Expo Weekly interviewed Lang Lang on the eve of the World Expo's opening. The following is part of the transcript.

Reporter: It's said in order to meet expectations for a World Expo envoy you have immersed yourself in all the information about it. What's your favorite construction in the Expo Park? And what are your hopes for the event?

Lang Lang: I keep an eye on the organization and construction process via the Internet. Last year CNN produced a documentary on me. With the sanction and assistance of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, I took the film crew through the park. When the video was broadcast, snippets about the site intrigued viewers worldwide.

My favorite buildings are the China Pavilion and the Performance Center. The flamboyant color of the former speaks of felicity in the Chinese culture, and its design is dynamic and stately. The latter venue is where I will give my blessing to the event via the language of music.

Following its record gold medal haul in the Beijing Olympic Games, I hope China, represented by Shanghai in this case, will have similar success in the 2010 World Expo. I believe China will be marveled at, and take great pride in its economic juggernaut, Shanghai.

Reporter: You once said that music makes life better. What's the correlation you see between cities and music? Do you think of the city in terms of a soundscape?

Lang Lang: Shanghai is a city of music. Last September I was invited to perform in a concert marking the 130th anniversary of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra – 130 years, isn't that amazing? On May 1, I will join other guest entertainers such as Jay Chou from Hong Kong and Andrea Bocelli, the blind Italian singer, in a performance of Song Zuying in front of an audience of 80,000. Shanghai will rock under the spell of music. Of course I believe music can make a city a better place. The logo for the fair is "better city, better life"; it is also the goal of its citizens and government. Some people say Shanghai is the Paris in the East, but I prefer to think of it as a window on the charms of China. It embodies both national and international sensibilities. And the World Expo is a showcase that will spotlight its glamour to all the regions of the world.

Reporter: At the one-year countdown to the 2010 World Expo you, Yao Ming and Jackie Chan sang the Expo theme song City together. The tune repeats the words "city" and "soul," so do you see any link between city life, music and the human psyche?

Lang Lang: Music fills every corner of the most loved cities in the world. It belongs to all social strata, all demographic groups, and all times. Music adds color to life, and soothes a wounded heart. In some circumstances music is the rose that makes a bouquet complete, in others it is more like warmth and shelter against a storm. It often inspires people to find common ground and build cohesion.

Reporter: Year on year you commit to a tight performance schedule, which is usually set at the beginning of each year. This means you always know where to go and what to play in the coming months, and follow this fixed course all the time. Are you bored by such a life? How do you continue to find inspiration and motivation for your art?