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Li Yundi
(Chinese: ???, pinyin: Li Yúndí) (born October 7, 1982) is a classical pianist. He is also popularly known by the Western iteration of his name, Yundi Li
. Born in Chongqing, China, Li is most well known for being the youngest pianist to win the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition at the age of 18 in the year 2000. Li now resides in Hong Kong.
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YUNDI LI TICKETS
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Childhood
His father, Li Chuan, and his mother, Zhang Xiaolu, both worked for the Sichuan Chongqing Steel and Iron Company.
[1] Although coming from a family of non-musicians, Li Yundi took to music early. When he was three-years old, his parents bought him an
accordion after he was so entranced by an accordion player in a shopping mall that he refused to leave.
[2] He mastered the instrument by the age of four, studying with Tan Jianmin, a music professor in China. Only one year later, he won the top prize at the Chongqing Children's Accordion Competition.
[3] Li began studying piano at the age of seven. Two years later, his teacher introduced him to Dan Zhaoyi, one of China's most renowned piano teachers, with whom he would study for nine years.
[4] Li's ambition was to become a professional pianist. In 1994, he entered the
junior high school associated with the
Sichuan Music Academy.
Awards
Li has received top awards at various competitions. He won the Children's Piano Competition in Beijing in 1994.
In 1995, he was awarded first place at the Stravinsky International Youth Competition. In 1998, he won 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 major winner in the China International Piano Competition. He also won first place at the Gina Bachauer Young Artists International Piano Competition.
[5]
In October 2000, at the urging of the Chinese Culture Ministry, Li participated in the 14th
International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in
Warsaw. He was the first participant to be awarded First Prize in 15 years. At 18 years of age, he was the youngest winner—and the first Chinese—in the competition's history. Li was given a
Polonaise award by the Chopin Society for his performance at the competition.
Soon after, Li sought out pianist
Arie Vardi as an instructor, and therefore left his parents' home to live and study at a music school in
Hannover, Germany ("Hochschule fuer Musik und Theater").
Performing and recording career
Li's debut in the United States took place in June 2003 at
Carnegie Hall, as part of
Steinway and Sons' 150
th Anniversary Gala. His United States concerto debut took place the next month, when he performed
Chopin's
Piano Concerto No. 1. He was also honoured 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.
Li's second recording of
Liszt for
Deutsche Grammophon, for whom he exclusively recorded until November 2008, was released in August 2003 and was named "Best CD of the Year" by
The New York Times
. His third recording, comprising Chopin's four
Scherzi and three
Impromptus, was released in late 2004. He has also given a recital in the renowned
Musikverein in
Vienna, performing works by
Mozart,
Scarlatti,
Schumann, and Liszt.
Li emigrated to Hong Kong in November 2006 under the
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the first batch of people to do so under the scheme.
[6]
Li is the subject of a forthcoming feature-length documentary,
The Young Romantic: Yundi Li
, directed by
Barbara Willis Sweete.
Recordings
Chopin Recital
- Piano Sonata in B minor No. 3 op. 58
- Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante op. 22
- Études op. 10 Nos. 2 + 5 op. 25 No. 11 »Winter Wind«
- Nocturnes op. 9 Nos. 1 + 2 op. 15 No. 2
- Impromptu op. 66
CD |D|D|D| 4714792
Franz Liszt
- Piano Sonata in B minor
- La Campanella
- Widmung after Schumann: Liebeslied
- Liebestraum No. 3
- Tarantella from Venezia e Napoli
- Rigoletto-Paraphrase
CD |D|D|D| 471 585-2
SACD |D|D|D| 474 2972
Awards: Echo Award 2003
Chopin: Scherzo & Impromptus
- 4 Scherzo:
- No. 1 op. 20 · No. 2 op. 31
- No. 3 op. 39 · No. 4 op. 54
- 3 Impromptus
- No. 1 op. 29 · No. 2 op. 36
- No. 3 op. 51
SACD |D|D|D| 474 8782
CD |D|D|D| 474 5162
Vienna Recital
- Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole
- Mozart: Piano Sonata KV 330
- D. Scarlatti: Sonatas K. 380 + K. 13
- Schumann: Carnaval op. 9
CD |D|D|D| 477 557-1 |G|H|
Chopin & Liszt Piano Concerto No.1
- Liszt: Concerto for piano no.1 in E-Flat,S.124
- Chopin: Concerto for piano no.1 in E-minor,op.11
CD |D|D|D| 00289 477 6402 |G|H|
Prokofiev/Ravel: Piano Concertos
- Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor
- Ravel: Piano Concerto in G majorE minor
CD |D|D|D| 477 659-3 |G|H|
References
- Shenzhen pianist shows forte
- Piano prodigy loves what he is doing, as his brilliance attests
- Piano prodigy restores luster to Chopin competition
- Pianist as pop star. Is Yundi Li better than Lang Lang? He says he doesn't care
- Charity show for Shenzhen pianist
- Pianist Li Yundi becomes a Hong Kong resident