2000–2009: 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,^[14] as well as the youngest and first Chinese first-prize winner.^[15] Since then, he has collaborated with such international orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,^[16] the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and Philharmonia Orchestra.^[17]

In 2001, Yundi became the first Chinese pianist signed by Deutsche Grammophon (DG)^[18] recording exclusively for DG until 2008.^[17] On December 19, 2001, his first album Yundi Li: Chopin was released simultaneously in Beijing and globally.^[19] In Japan, it sold 200,000 copies,^[18] and in Hong Kong, it broke platinum sales within 10 days of release,^[20] for which it also won the IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Award [zh].^[21] In its review Gramophone praised his DG début album for faithfully mirroring "his unequivocal triumph" in every recording. "Everything is naturally and enviably proportioned (a rare but necessary attribute in the ever-elusive Chopin)‚ everything fuelled alike by a style and poise way beyond his teenage years".^[22]

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."^[2][23] His United States orchestral debut took place the next month, when he played Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Philadelphia Orchestra.^[24] 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.^[25]

Deutsche Grammophon released Yundi's second recording, Yundi Li: Liszt, in August 2003, which was named among the "Best Classical CD's of the Year" by The New York Times.^[26] This album also won the German Echo Klassik Solistische Einspielung des Jahres (transl. Solo Recording of the Year) and the Chinese Gold Record Award, as well as nominated for Edison Award's Instrumentale Solorecitals (transl. Instrumental Soloist).^[27][28] Harris Goldsmith of Musical America wrote that it "includes perhaps the finest account of the B-minor Sonata I have ever heard—[it] is, if anything, light years ahead in patrician elegance: exquisite artistry from one of the greatest talents to surface in years—nay, decades."^[29] 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 Yundi's recording for "white-hot virtuosity" and "uncanny clarity".^[30] Also in 2004, Yundi gave a recital at the Musikverein, Vienna, performing works by Mozart, Domenico Scarlatti, Robert Schumann, and Liszt.^[31]

In April 2004, Yundi completed his North American debut recital tour, which included sold-out performances in Boston, Vancouver, San Francisco, and New York.^[32] 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."^[33] In May, Yundi gave concerts at the National Museum in Warsaw, representing cultural exchange between China and Poland.^[34]

In 2005, Yundi became the first Chinese pianist to appear on the cover of Wall Street Journal and Aera magazine.^[35][36] He obtained Hong Kong residency in 2006 and was among the first group of successful applicants under the recently announced Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.^[1] 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 Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major, which garnered positive reviews: named Editor's Choice by Gramophone^[16] and praised by The New York Times as one of the best classical CDs of the year.^[37][2] Bryce Morrison of Gramophone wrote that "his performance of the Prokofiev, in its prodigious, unflagging power and brilliance, far surpasses any other in the catalogue".^[38]

Yundi is the subject of the 2008 documentary The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi Li, 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".^[39] In 2008, he became the first Chinese pianist to have a wax sculpture at Madame Tussauds.^[40] The same year he appeared among Pennington Great Performers with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.^[41]

On 31 December 2008 and 1 January 2009, Yundi performed as a soloist at the National Centre for the Performing Arts New Year's Concert, playing the second and third movements of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with conductor Daniel Harding and the China National Symphony Orchestra, for which they received the warmest applause of the evening. As an encore, he performed a Chopin nocturne, a piece for which he was known.^[42][43] His recitals in South Korea on 15 February 2009 at Goyang Aram Nuri in Gyeonggi Province and on 18 February 2009 at the Seoul Arts Center marked six years since his last performance in the country, having spent the intervening period touring Europe and North America. The programme included works by Chopin, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, and Wang Jianzhong's Five Yunnan Folk Songs. Regarding Pictures at an Exhibition, Yundi noted that because the piece was inspired by paintings, the performance should be vivid like observing an actual exhibition, expressing a variety of paintings marked by solemnity, confidence, sorrow, and gaiety. He also stated that he had long been a fan of Chinese folk music and works by contemporary Chinese composers, and he described the Five Yunnan Folk Songs as coming from China's most exotic region, Yunnan, a quality that he felt translated into the piece.^[44]

Additionally, the documentary The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi Li was a top winner at the Gemini Awards in 2009.^[45] It won four awards, which are Best Performing Arts Program, Best Direction in a Performing Arts Program, and Best Photography and Best Picture Editing in a Comedy, Variety, or Performing Arts Program.^[46] It was also nominated for the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.^[47]

2010–2018: Signing with EMI Classics and return to Deutsche Grammophon

In 2010, Yundi signed an exclusive recording contract with EMI Classics with plans to record Chopin's complete solo piano works.^[48]

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.^[49][50] 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.^[51]

In May 2012, Yundi officially signed with Universal Music Group and collaborated with Deutsche Grammophon once again.^[52] Deutsche Grammophon released his recording of Beethoven sonatas in 2012.^[52] It was chosen as one of Classic FM's "Album of the Year 2013" and attained Platinum status in China.^[53] Yundi then released, The Art of Yundi (2013), containing recordings of the Schumann Fantasie as well as Chopin preludes, ballades, berceuse, and mazurkas.^[54]

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,^[55] and in response to questions from media and public, Yundi said it was not demeaning for him to perform in second and third-tier cities and he did not 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.^[56]

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.^[57]

In July 2015, 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 in New York City, performed at Carnegie Hall as the second stop, and ended in Hong Kong. The other six concerts were given in mainland China.^[58] On 30 October of the same year, while performing Frédéric Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Korea, Yundi suffered a memory lapse.^[59] He subsequently performed the piece smoothly again with conductor David Robertson and the orchestra.^[60] Yundi apologised for his mistake on his weibo, saying it was because of travel fatigue.^[61] Limelight reviewer deemed the performance to be a stellar interpretation of Chopin and a "reminder that the gods are, in fact, human, and all the more heroic for that". ^[60]

In 2016, Yundi went on a Chopin world tour encompassing Germany, Russia, and the United States.^[39] 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".^[62] On 21 April, he performed at the National Concert Hall of Dublin.^[39]

On 8 May 2017, Yundi attended the opening ceremony of the Yundi Art Museum, in the Chongqing Huangjueping Piano Museum – the largest piano museum in China. He performed two pieces at the ceremony.^[63] It displays several pianos from different stages of Yundi's career, including his first piano (purchased by his parents when he was seven years old), as well as a collection of his awards, albums and photographs, and a high-tech experience pavilion.^[64] Upon seeing the old piano, Yundi played an impromptu piece on it, marking the first time he had touched the instrument in 24 years.^[63] The museum integrates piano art with high‑technology features: in the Piano Ensemble Conductor Experience Hall, a visitor may place any score that Yundi has performed onto the conductor's podium, and the system automatically recognizes the page and plays the music; in the Dapeng Wings Multimedia Hall, a touchscreen interface allows a three‑dimensional presentation of Yundi's career and recreates important concert moments.^[65] Yundi stated his hope that the museum would encourage children to develop an interest in the piano and cultivate their artistic taste. He also noted that learning the piano can improve a child's concentration, that piano examinations are not the sole purpose of studying the instrument, and that both children and parents should regard such exams with moderation, prioritizing the enhancement of cultural cultivation.^[63]

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.^[66] This tour was the first of a series of events commemorating the 100th anniversary of Poland's regained independence.^[67] Upon seeing the old piano, Yundi played an impromptu piece on it, marking the first time he had touched the instrument in 24 years. The museum integrates piano art with high‑technology features: in the Piano Ensemble Conductor Experience Hall, a visitor may place any score that Yundi has performed onto the conductor's podium, and the system automatically recognizes the page and plays the music; in the Dapeng Wings Multimedia Hall, a touchscreen interface allows a three‑dimensional presentation of Yundi's career and recreates important concert moments. Yundi stated his hope that the museum would encourage children to develop an interest in the piano and cultivate their artistic taste. He also noted that learning the piano can improve a child's concentration, that piano examinations are not the sole purpose of studying the instrument, and that both children and parents should regard such exams with moderation, prioritizing the enhancement of cultural cultivation.

In November 2017, Yundi went on tour playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 with Staatskapelle Dresden in Germany and China.^[68] On 3 November, he gave a live concert at Beijing National Aquatics Center celebrating the 2017 League of Legends World Championship.^[69] 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.^[70][71]

2019–2021: Signing with Warner Classics and the Chinese Musicians' Association membership revocation

In 2019, Yundi signed with Warner Classics,^[72] releasing his next album, Chopin's Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, in 2020. The recording contains performance by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yundi from the piano bench.^[73] It was chosen by Donald Vroon of the American Record Guide as one of the "Best of 2020".^[74] 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."^[75]

On 21 October 2021, after a tip-off by public informants referred to as the Chaoyang masses,^[76] 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 revoked Yundi's membership, citing his "extremely negative social impact".^[77][78] 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".^[79] According to The Guardian on 22 October 2021, there has thus far been no evidence that indicates the detention is politically motivated.^[80] On 16 March 2022, the United States Department of Justice released a document suggesting "the derogatory information" regarding Yundi "may have been manufactured".^{[81][82][83][84]}

2023–present: Comeback tour in Australia and return to Carnegie Hall

As his first project since 2021 controversy, Yundi embarked on his 2023 comeback tour (2023 Australia Coming Back Tour: YUNDI Plays Mozart The Sonata Project 1). In Adelaide Yundi performed Chopin's Nocturne in E Flat Major as an encore.^[85] Yundi's comeback tour was regarded by Pizzicato magazine as excellent and successful.^[86]

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.^[87][88][89] In alignment with the tour, he released the album Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg.^[90][91][92] From September to October, Yundi went on an Asian tour, including Japan^[93] and Singapore.^[94][95]

The album "Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg" has received rave reviews from Bryce Morrison and Norman Lebrecht, among others^[96][97]. In Gramophone, Morrison wrote, "His approach is a convincing challenge to a more conventional restraint, a restless Sturm und Drang precursor of Romanticism."^[98] 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."^[99]

In January 2025, Yundi expanded his Japan tour with four additional concerts,^[93][100] while simultaneously launching a North American tour that included Vancouver, Toronto, New York City and San Francisco.^[101][102] During his tour, he performed a sold-out show at Carnegie Hall, nine years after his previous appearance at Carnegie.^[103]

Performance habits

Yundi maintains daily piano practice before every performance to ensure the best result. He also adheres to a specific pre-concert diet plan centered on avoiding heavy meals to maintain peak focus and alertness during performances, deliberately skipping dinner or substantial food before performances. To sustain energy without digestive burden, he substitutes dinner with light snacks like chocolate.^[114]

Chopin

Yundi's Fantaisie Impromptu

In Yundi's 2001 album Chopin, his Fantaisie Impromptu is regarded as "The melody design of the middle section is embedded in a very sonically oriented accompaniment. The fast passages are lively without being intrusive. Yundi Li manages to strictly adhere to the composition's guidelines and yet convey a vivacity that places his interpretation alongside that of other great pianists."^[115]

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Ivan Hewett of the Telegraph praised Yundi's performance as "beautifully polished and unfailingly elegant",^[116] while BBC Music Magazine noted that his "technically precise considered" approach to the music was heightened with "virtuosic flair".^[117]

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,^[118] "flawless, dazzlingly agile, existing in perfect symbiosis with the musical intent – noble and majestic" by French Crescendo Magazine.^[119]

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.^[26] 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.^[108] 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."^[112]

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.^[7][11] In 1995, he was awarded third place at the Stravinsky International Youth Competition.^[14][120] In 1996, he won the third prize in the tenth Hong Kong – Asia Piano Open Competition.^[120] In 1997, he won the Concerto "Yellow River" Group of the Chinese Piano Pieces.^[11] In 1998, he was awarded the third place at the 1998 Missouri Southern International Piano Competition (Junior Division).^[120] 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.^[120] In 1999, he won first place at the Gina Bachauer Young Artists International Piano Competition.^{[120][121][122]}

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.^[14] At 18 years of age, Yundi was the youngest and the first Chinese first prize winner in the competition's history.^[15] Yundi was also awarded a Special Prize for the "Best Performance of a Polonaise" by the Chopin Society.^[7][123] It is said that the jury was once again inclined to withhold the first prize at one point.^[124] However, according to a 2000 Los Angeles Times report, at the final, the entire auditorium in Warsaw erupted in a standing ovation following Yundi's rendition of the Concerto No. 1. The panel of 23 judges, which included Martha Argerich, praised his approach to Chopin's music.^[125] A report from Wirtualna Polska that same year stated that, while announcements of some other contestants' results caused some confusion among the journalists, Yundi's victory was received as "undoubtedly justified".^[126] Gazeta Wyborcza commented that the selection of Yundi as the first-prize winner ultimately preserved the jury's credibility, despite the overall level of the competition.^[127] After the competition, the chairman of the jury, Andrzej Jasiński, summed up the competition in a statement to journalists, stating, among others, "I would also like to emphasize that Yundi Li is very mature for his age, and most importantly - he feels Chopin's music. His interpretations are never controversial; he plays beautifully and has imagination, charm and pearly technique."^[128][129]

Awards and honours

• 2003: Yundi's album Yudi: Liszt received the German Echo Klassik Solo Recording of the Year Solistische Einspielung des Jahres and China Gold Record Awards,^[130] additionally named a "Best CD of the Year" by The New York Times.^{[107][131][26]}
• 2004: Yudi: Liszt was nominated Edison Award's Instrumentale Solorecitals (transl. Instrumental Soloist)^[28]
• 2005: Yundi won "Best New Classical Artist" of XM Satellite Radio's First Annual XM Nation Music Awards.^[132]
• 2006: Yundi won the Nord/LB Artist Award.^[133]
• 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.^[134][135] The same year, the 200th anniversary of Chopin's birth, the Polish government also awarded him the world's first Chopin passport (Chopinowskie paszporty) in recognition of his contribution to Chopin's works..^{[136][137][138]}
• 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.^[139][140]
• 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.^[134][141]
• 2022: Yundi was selected as the Honorary Board of Summa Cum Laude Festival.^[142][143]

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.^[18] Since 2008, Yundi is sponsored by Rolex, only under the condition that they subsidise music teaching in rural China.^[150]

Soon after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, Yundi cancelled his European concerts^[155] 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.^[156] 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.^[157]

On 11 January 2011, he participated in a charity piano recital in Beijing for the individuals and companies that had contributed to the efforts of the Red Cross Society of China in 2010. Yundi was honored as the Music Ambassador of the Chinese Red Cross Foundation. Beforehand, Yundi told reporters: "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."^[158] Joining forces with I DO Fund of China Charity Federation^[159] 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.^[160]

Biography

• Christian Soleil (20 May 2025). Yundi Li, sonate pour mains liées: biographie [Yundi Li: The Bound Hands Sonata – A Biography] (in French). ISBN 979-8284614891.

Documentary

• The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi Li (2008)^[39]