Yundi Li

Yundi Li (Chinese: 李云迪; pinyin: Lǐ Yúndí), born October 7, 1982 in Chongqing, Sichuan, China, is a Chinese pianist who is very famous for being the youngest pianist to win the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition, in 2000, at 18 years old. He now lives in Hong Kong.

 Early life 
Li's parents both worked at the Sichuan Chongqing Steel and Iron Company. When he was three years old, his parents bought him an accordion. He studied the instrument with Tan Jianmin, a music professor in China, and mastered it when he was four. Only one year later, he won the top prize at the Chongqing Children's Accordion Competition. At seven years old Li began to learn the piano. He continued to study with Dan Zhaoyi for another nine years. In 1994, he learned at the Shenzhen Arts School at Shenzhen, China, and later learned at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover in Hanover, Germany.

 Prizes 
Li 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 Missouri Southern International Piano Competition's junior division, and got Third Prize at the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition of Utrecht the next year. He also won the China International Piano Competition. He also got first place at the Gina Bachauer Young Artists International Piano Competition. Li participated in the 14th International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw and won the first prize and the "polonaise award".

Recordings
Chopin
 Complete Nocturnes

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

Franz Liszt
 Piano Sonata in B minor
 La Campanella
 Widmung after Schumann: Liebeslied
 Liebestraum No. 3
 Tarantella from Venezia e Napoli
 Rigoletto-Paraphrase
Awards: Echo Award 2003

Chopin: Scherzo & Impromptus
 4 Scherzi:
 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

Vienna Recital
 Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole
 Mozart: Piano Sonata KV 330
 D. Scarlatti: Sonatas K. 380 + K. 13
 Schumann: Carnaval op. 9

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

Prokofiev/Ravel: Piano Concertos
 Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor
 Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major

Yundi – The Young Romantic
 Frédéric Chopin: Scherzo in B minor, op.20 Scherzo in B flat minor, op.31 Scherzo in C sharp minor, op.39 Scherzo in E major, op.54; Franz Liszt: Grandes Études de Paganini: La Campanella
 Bonus: Yundi Li plays at La Roque d’Anthéron

 References 

Category:1982 births
Category:Living people
Category:Chinese pianists