Lang Lang's mentor from the Carnegie Hall concert attended to congratulate him.
On February 4, at Carnegie Hall in New York, he performed three sonatas by Mozart and four ballades by Chopin, and added a Chinese piece, "Spring Festival Overture." Lang Lang's brilliant performance earned him a standing ovation and enthusiastic applause from the audience, injecting a warm current into New York's cold winter. His mentor, Gary Graffman, the president of the Curtis Institute of Music, was present to watch and reminisced with Lang Lang backstage.
Lang Lang was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of Kentucky."
On February 9, in Lexington, Kentucky, Lang Lang performed Richard Strauss's Piano Concerto for the first time. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear attended the event and conferred upon Lang Lang the title of "Honorary Citizen of Kentucky." Beshear told Lang Lang that he and his wife first saw him perform at the White House and have since become loyal fans. After the concert, Governor Beshear specifically invited Lang Lang to ride horses at his ranch, as Kentucky is home to the best horse racing in the United States—the Kentucky Derby.
February 22 is celebrated as "Lang Lang Day" in the United States.
On February 22, in Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, Lang Lang successfully performed Ravel's "Piano Concerto in G Major" with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. After the concert, Baton Rouge Mayor Melvin Holden announced that February 22 would be designated as "Lang Lang Day" to commemorate Lang Lang's great success at the Baton Rouge concert and to recognize his contributions to the city. That evening, in addition to the mayor, the Consul General of China in Houston, Xu Erwen, also attended the concert and praised Lang Lang's performance afterwards.