Yundi At Musikverein, 2024

Yundi Li ( zh, s=李云迪, t=李雲迪, p=Lǐ Yúndí; born 7 October 1982), also known simply as Yundi (stylized as YUNDI), is a Chinese classical concert pianist. Yundi is considered one of the greatest contemporary interpreters of Chopin and is also especially known for his interpretations of Liszt and Prokofiev.

Yundi rose to fame for being the youngest pianist, at the age of eighteen, to win first prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2000. In 2015, he also served as the competition's youngest-ever juror. In recognition to his contribution to Chopin pieces, the Polish government awarded Yundi with the world's first Chopin passport (''Chopinowskie paszporty''). Yundi is also the first Chinese recipient of both Silver (2010) and Gold (2019) Medal for Merit to Culture - Gloria Artis issued by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Polish government, in regards to his contribution to both music and Polish culture.

Yundi has promoted Chinese national music worldwide, as well as the development of classical music in China, both by his influence and philanthropy.

Early life and education

Yundi Li was born in Chongqing, Sichuan, China on 7 October 1982. Both his father, Li Chuan (), and his mother, Zhang Xiaolu (), worked for the Chongqing Iron and Steel Company. Although his family was not musically inclined, he began a formal music education at a very young age. At age three, he was so enchanted by an accordion performance at a shopping mall that he refused to leave. His parents subsequently bought him an accordion; he studied with Tan Jianmin, a local music teacher, he learned the instrument so quickly that he won the top prize at the Chongiqing Children's Accordion Competition in March 1987.

Yundi began studying piano with Wu Yong at the age of seven. Two years later, Wu introduced him to Dan Zhaoyi, a well-known piano teacher, with whom he studied for nine years. In 1994, Yundi enrolled at the to join Dan, who had recently taken up a position there, with whom he studied for the next six years. Yundi attracted interest from renowned schools of music, including the Eastman School of Music and Juilliard School, and was invited to study at the latter by Jerome Lowenthal. From 2001 to 2006, he studied under Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover in Hannover, Germany.

Career

Signing with Deutsche Grammophon

Yundi has gained international recognition since winning the XIV International Chopin Piano Competition in 2000, as he became the first competitor to be awarded the First Prize in 15 years since Stanislav Bunin won it in 1985, as well as the youngest and first Chinese first-prize winner. Since then, he has collaborated with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and Philharmonia Orchestra.

In 2001, Yundi became the first Chinese pianist signed by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) for which he exclusively recorded until 2008. His first album for the label was ''Yundi Li: Chopin''. It was first released in Japan and warmly welcomed. In its review, ''Gramophone magazine'' wrote, "his unequivocal triumph is faithfully mirrored on his DG début album in performance after performance. Everything is naturally and enviably proportioned (a rare but necessary attribute in the everelusive Chopin)‚ everything fuelled alike by a style and poise way beyond his teenage years".

Yundi made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2003, performing in a concert celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Steinway & Sons. Bernard Holland of ''The New York Times'' wrote: "Yundi Li, a young but seasoned competition gladiator, played Chopin and Liszt with a promising mix of elegance and impetuosity." His United States orchestral debut took place the next month, when he played Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He was also honored at a special reception at the home of the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, where he performed for various officials of the US State Department.

Deutsche Grammophon released Yundi's second recording, of Liszt, in August 2003, which was named among the "Best Classical CD's of the Year" by ''The New York Times''. This album also won the German Echo Klassik Solo Recording of the Year ''Solistische Einspielung des Jahres'', the Chinese Gold Record Award, and nominated Edison Award's Instrumental Soloist (''Instrumentale Solorecitals''). Harris Goldsmith of ''Musical America'' wrote that it "includes perhaps the finest account of the B-minor Sonata I have ever heard— tis, if anything, light years ahead in patrician elegance: exquisite artistry from one of the greatest talents to surface in years—nay, decades." His third recording, ''Chopin: Scherzi/Impromptus'', comprising Chopin's four scherzi and three impromptus, was released in 2004. Anthony Tommasini of the ''New York Times'' praised it for Yundi's "white-hot virtuosity" and "uncanny clarity". Also in 2004, Yundi gave a recital at the Musikverein, Vienna, of works by Mozart, Scarlatti, Schumann, and Liszt.

In April 2004, Yundi completed his North American debut recital tour, which included sold-out performances in Boston, Vancouver, San Francisco, and New York. He made his New York recital debut at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 24 April, performing Chopin scherzos and the Liszt sonata, among other pieces. Reviewing this recital, Allan Kozinn of the ''New York Times'' wrote: "Mr. Li deals in a more poetic, deeply considered pianism, delivered without extraneous gestures and body language. One thing Mr. Li showed was that thoughtful interpretation can be every bit as virtuosic and exciting as the showier variety." In May, Yundi gave concerts at the National Museum in Warsaw, representing cultural exchange between China and Poland.

In 2005, Yundi became the first Chinese pianist to appear on the cover of Wall Street Journal and '' Aera'' magazine. He obtained Hong Kong residency in 2006 and was among the first group of successful applicants under the recently announced Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.

In 2007, Yundi became the first Chinese pianist to record live with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Seiji Ozawa. Deutsche Grammophon released Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major, which garnered positive reviews; it was named Editor's Choice by ''Gramophone'', and praised by ''The New York Times'' as one of the best classical CDs of the year. Bryce Morrison of ''Gramophone'' wrote: "his performance of the Prokofiev, in its prodigious, unflagging power and brilliance, far surpasses any other in the catalogue".

Yundi is the subject of the 2008 documentary ''The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi'', directed by Barbara Willis Sweete. This documentary "captures the poetic intensity of this young virtuoso as he works with the great Maestro Seiji Ozawa to prepare for his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra". In 2008, he became the first Chinese pianist to have a wax sculpture at Madame Tussauds. Also in 2008, he appeared as a ''Pennington Great Performers'' series artist with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.

Signing with EMI Classics

In 2010, Yundi signed an exclusive recording contract with EMI Classics with plans to record Chopin's complete solo piano works.

Also in 2010, the Fryderyk Chopin Institute invited Yundi to perform at The Memory Recital of Chopin's Birth 200th Anniversary Concert, in celebration of Chopin's 200th birthday at Chopin Year.

Yundi performed a solo recital at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 16 March 2010. He played a repertoire of Chopin pieces in a sold-out concert.

Signing with Deutsche Grammophon again

In May 2012, Yundi officially signed with Universal Music Group and collaborated with Deutsche Grammophon once again. Deutsche Grammophon released his recording of Beethoven sonatas in 2012."Pianist Yundi is back with Deutsche Grammophon"
, Gramophone, 4 May 2012 This recording was chosen as one of Classic FM's "Album of the Year 2013" and attained Platinum status in China. Yundi then released recordings of the Schumann Fantasie, ''The Art of Yundi'', and Chopin preludes, ballades, berceuse, and mazurkas.

Yundi launched his "Piano Dream" national tour in Chongqing on 19 August 2013, and brought his music to 30 cities in the next 80 days. Most of those cities were second or third-tier. In response to questions from the media and the public, Yundi said it was not demeaning for him to perform in second and third-tier cities and he didn't mind the less ideal conditions of some concert halls; he simply wanted to provide more people with an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of classical music.

On 1 March 2014, Yundi performed a piano recital at the Poland's National Philharmonic, celebrating the 204th anniversary of Chopin's birth. Anna Komorowska, then First Lady of Poland, attended the concert.

In July 2015 and as featured guest soloist, Yundi embarked on a nine-concert tour with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States led by conductor Charles Dutoit. Comprising mainly the orchestra's debut performances in Asia, the tour started at Purchase College's Performing Arts Center and ended in Hong Kong. Carnegie Hall was the second stop. The other six concerts were given in mainland China.

On 30 October of the same year, while performing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Korea, Yundi suffered a memory lapse. He subsequently performed the piece smoothly again with conductor David Robertson and the orchestra. Yundi apologised for his mistake on his weibo, saying it was because of travel fatigue. Critics wrote, "The famed Chinese pianist's slip up steals the show, but his Chopin is still stellar", "that's the nature of live music, and perfection is boring", and "it gave me even greater admiration, on many levels, for everyone involved ��In the temple to the arts, I was witnessing a moment of pure civility, decency and camaraderie, and was given a reminder that the gods are, in fact, human, and all the more heroic for that."

In 2016, Yundi went on a Chopin world tour, including Germany, Russia, and the United States. In March, he performed an all-Chopin program in Carnegie Hall, with an encore of Ren Guang's ''Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon''. Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim of the New York Times wrote, "he showed off a graduated array of colors and moods, including moments of understated simplicity and tenderness light-years removed from his high-decibel image". On 21 April, he performed at the National Concert Hall of Dublin.

In May 2017, Yundi attended the opening ceremony of the Yundi Art Museum, in the Chongqing Huangjueping Piano Museum. It displays several pianos from different stages of Yundi's career, including his first piano, as well as a collection of his awards, albums and photographs, and a high-tech experience pavilion.

From 29 August to 5 September 2017, Yundi led the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra on a five-city concert tour in China, performing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 and No. 2 as both pianist and conductor. It was his conducting debut. This tour was the first of a series of events commemorating the 100th anniversary of Poland's regained independence.

In November 2017, Yundi went on tour playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 with Staatskapelle Dresden in Germany and China. On 3 November, he gave a live concert at Beijing National Aquatics Center celebrating the 2017 League of Legends World Championship.

In 2018, Yundi had a successful debut in Australia and New Zealand. In a series of sold-out concerts, Yundi performed with local orchestras Chopin's Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 as both soloist and conductor.

Signing with Warner Classics

In 2019, Yundi signed with Warner Classics. He released a new album on its label, Chopin's Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, in 2020. In this recording, he conducts the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra from the piano bench. This album was chosen by Donald Vroon of the American Record Guide as one of the "Best of 2020". The International Piano Magazine wrote, "This is aristocratic Chopin, unfailing in its clarity, elegance and unforced eloquence. Nothing is over-played, everything is expressed. Yundi Li ranks among the finest, his reading of the F minor Concerto's central love song hauntingly inward looking. The Warsaw Philharmonic offer stout support, and sound and balance are exemplary."

2023–present: YUNDI Plays Mozart The Sonata Project 1 Comeback Tour

Yundi embarked on his comeback tour, 2023 Australia Coming Back Tour: YUNDI Plays Mozart The Sonata Project 1 in 2023, two years after he was blacklisted in China for alleged solicitation of prostitutes. At his performance in Adelaide, Yundi performed Chopin's Nocturne in E Flat Major as an encore. Yundi's comeback tour was regarded as excellent and successful.

In March to May 2024, Yundi embarked on a European Tour of YUNDI Plays Mozart The Sonata Project 1, visiting cities historically connected with Mozart, including Vienna, Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Berlin. In alignment with the tour, he released the album '' Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg''. From September to October, Yundi went on an Asian tour, including Japan and Singapore.

The album " Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg" has received rave reviews from Bryce Morrison and Norman Lebrecht, among others. In Gramophone, Morrison wrote, "His approach is a convincing challenge to a more conventional restraint, a restless Sturm und Drang precursor of Romanticism." Lebrecht wrote: "In twelve and a half minutes, Yundi gives Mozart a total makeover. This is the most refreshing and innovative Mozart pianism I have heard in years."

In January 2025, Yundi expanded his Japan tour with four additional concerts, while simultaneously launching a North American tour that included Vancouver, Toronto, New York City and San Francisco. His Carnegie Hall return after nine years sold out. On 8 February, he performed in Taipei during his fourth Taiwan visit, followed by a scheduled 24 June concert in Malaysia’s Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, marking 13 years since his last performance there.

Repertoire, technique and performance style

Regarded as one of the finest interpreters of Chopin, Yundi is also known for his interpretations of Liszt and Prokofiev. His other repertoires, such as Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel and Schumann, have also received acclaim.

Chopin

The Telegraph praised Yundi's performance as "beautifully polished and unfailingly elegant", while BBC Music Magazine noted that his "technically precise considered" approach to the music was heightened with "virtuosic flair".

Yundi's technique in Chopin's pieces is described as "He has all that's needed in poetry and sensitivity. His touch is perfect—never heavy, as Biret can be—and yet there is joy, zest, technical aplomb, healthy drama, and unerring tempos and rhythms." by American Record Guide, "flawless, dazzlingly agile, existing in perfect symbiosis with the musical intent – noble and majestic" by French Crescendo Magazine.

Liszt and Prokofiev

Yundi's interpretations of Liszt are described "dazzling, daredevil renderings, sheer, heart-stopping beauty" by Allan Kozinn of ''The New York Times''. His versions are believed to have "a smooth playing, with its flowing, impassioned rhythms, and full, rich tone, is a complete and dynamic interpretation of the score, without loss of style or form" by Thomas Michelsen of Politiken . According to The New York Times, Yundi "excels in Prokofiev's volatile, technically daunting Piano Concerto No. 2." and "plays with expansive lyricism, surging power and, when called for, incisive attack."

Achievements

Competitions

Yundi has received top awards at various competitions. He won the Chongqing Children's Piano Competition in 1993 and the Huapo Cup National Competition in Beijing in 1994. In 1995, he was awarded third place at the Stravinsky International Youth Competition. In 1996, he won the third prize in the tenth Hong Kong – Asia Piano Open Competition. In 1997, he won the Concerto "Yellow River" Group of the Chinese Piano Pieces. In 1998, he was awarded the third place at the 1998 Missouri Southern International Piano Competition (Junior Division). The next year, he took third prize at the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition of Utrecht, as well as being a first-prize winner in the China International Piano Competition. In 1999, he won first place at the Gina Bachauer Young Artists International Piano Competition.

In October 2000, selected by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China to represent the country, Yundi participated in the XIV International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. Yundi was the first competitor to be awarded the First Prize (the gold medal) in 15 years since Stanislav Bunin won it in 1985. At 18 years of age, Yundi was the youngest and the first Chinese first prize winner in the competition's history. Yundi was also given a Special Prize for the "Best Performance of a Polonaise" by the Chopin Society.

Awards and honours

* 2003: Yundi's release album ''"Liszt"'' received the German Echo Klassik Solo Recording of the Year ''Solistische Einspielung des Jahres'' and China Gold Record Awards, additionally named an "''Best CD of the Year''" by ''The New York Times''.
* 2004:''"Liszt"'' was nominated Edison Award's Instrumental Soloist (''Instrumentale Solorecitals'')
* 2005: Yundi won "Best New Classical Artist" of XM Satellite Radio's First Annual XM Nation Music Awards.
* 2006: Yundi won the Nord/LB Artist Award.
* 2010: In May, in recognition of his contribution to music, the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage presented Yundi with a Silver Medal for Merit to Culture - Gloria Artis. The same year, in recognition to his contribution to Chopin pieces, the Polish government presented Yundi with the world's first Chopin passport (''Chopinowskie paszporty'').
* 2015: At the age of 33, Yundi served as the juror of XVII International Chopin Piano Competition, making him the youngest-ever juror of International Chopin Piano Competition .
* 2019: In October, Yundi was awarded a Gold Medal for Merit to Culture - Gloria Artis by the Polish government, in recognition to his contribution to Polish culture.
* 2022: Yundi was selected as the Honorary Board of Summa Cum Laude Festival.

Impact

Yundi is a notable example of China's piano art development in the multifaceted development of the pianist's personality.

Additionally, Yundi has promoted the development of classical music in China. Since 2008, Yundi is sponsored by Rolex, only under the condition that they subsidise music teaching in rural China.
Yundi is the role model to millions of young musicians in his home country, and has inspired many to learn piano. He has also given masterclasses at the Royal College of Music, University of Cambridge and Tsinghua University.

Yundi has promoted Chinese traditional music worldwide. He recorded traditional Chinese folk melodies but also world-premiere songs, aiming to promote Chinese keyboard music.

Discography

Yundi's discography contains 16 studio albums. He has also made five contributions to compilation albums with Deutsche Grammophon not under his name and featured in three video items, his 2005 and 2010 concert, as well as his documentary ''The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi''. He has achieved considerable commercial and critical success. His albums have ranked on ''Billboard'' charts, including the Top Classical Albums.

Bibliography

Biography

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Documentary

* ''The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi (2008)''

Personal life

Yundi owns a cat named Musigny. His hobbies are listening to Verdi accompanied by good red wine, and drinking tea while listening to jazz. His role-model is Chopin.

Foodie

Yundi enjoys cuisine across the globe, as he believes that music styles of places can be found from food. He particularly likes crabs. He is also good at cooking, especially Sichuan cuisine twice-cooked pork.

Philanthropy

In 2001, Yundi donated a portion of the sales revenue of his first CD "Yundi Li: Chopin" to United Nations Children's Fund, aiming to benefit children living in China's economically disadvantaged areas.

Soon after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, Yundi cancelled his European concerts to perform in a fundraising concert in Beijing, along with several other famous musicians of Sichuan origin. Funds raised at the concert were donated to helping rebuild schools in Wenchuan County and providing mental healing services for children affected by the earthquake. On 29 November 2008, right before the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Yundi headlined a charity concert held in the Bird's Nest Stadium to support people disabled by the earthquake.

On 11 January 2011, before a charity piano recital in Beijing, Yundi told reporters that "Charity is just like music which comes from deep inside my heart. I can express my love for society and my country through my fingers, just like Chopin did." This recital was for the individuals and companies that had contributed to the efforts of the Red Cross Society of China in 2010. During the recital, Yundi was honored as the Music Ambassador of the Chinese Red Cross Foundation.

Joining forces with I DO Fund of China Charity Federation in 2016, Yundi helped build the first music classroom and library for Puma Jiangtang Elementary School, the school with the highest altitude (5373 meters) in Tibet. The music classroom was named after Yundi. At the opening ceremony on 1 September, also the first day of the new school year, Yundi taught the Tibetan children to play the piano hoping to help them open the door to music exploration.

Arrest for allegedly hiring a sex worker

On 21 October 2021, after a tip-off by public informants referred to as the Chaoyang masses, Yundi was detained by Beijing police for allegedly hiring a prostitute. Under Chinese law, Yundi could be detained for up to 15 days and fined up to 5000 yuan ($782) for illegally soliciting a sex worker.The Chinese Musicians' Association subsequently declared that it would revoke Yundi's membership. Jerome A. Cohen, a New York University law professor specializing in the Chinese law, called the "lack of transparency" about his case "concerning", noting that prostitution is a "time-honored Communist Party claim against political opponents". According to ''The Guardian'' on 22 October 2021, there has thus far been no evidence that indicates the detention is politically motivated.

On 16 March 2022, the United States Department of Justice released a document that includes a detail suggesting "the derogatory information regarding the pianist may have been manufactured". Multiple news sources reported that "the pianist" is an apparent reference to Yundi.

References

External links

Yundi at Warner Classics
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Yundi at Deutsche Grammophon
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Official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Yundi
1982 births
Living people
20th-century Chinese musicians
20th-century classical pianists
20th-century Chinese male musicians
21st-century Chinese musicians
21st-century Chinese classical pianists
21st-century Chinese male musicians
Child classical musicians
21st-century Chinese philanthropists
Deutsche Grammophon artists
EMI Classics and Virgin Classics artists
Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover alumni
International Chopin Piano Competition winners
Chinese male classical pianists
Musicians from Chongqing
People with acquired residency of Hong Kong
Recipients of the Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis
Recipients of the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis