Yundi Li

The internationally acclaimed pianist YUNDI rose to global prominence when, at the age of 18, he won first prize at the 14th International Chopin Competition in Warsaw. He was the youngest and first Chinese laureate in the history of the prestigious event. Since then, he has been considered a definitive interpreter of Chopin's works. In recognition of his contribution to the country's culture, the Polish government awarded him the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture, "Gloria Artis," in 2010. During his regular concert tours, he has performed in renowned venues including Carnegie Hall (New York), the Royal Festival Hall (London), the Vienna Musikverein, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Herkulessaal in Munich, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, the Salle Pleyel in Paris, the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing), the Seoul Arts Center, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Orchestras and conductors with whom he has collaborated include the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Riccardo Chailly, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under Daniel Harding, the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the podium, the Philharmonia Orchestra with Andrew Davis, the Mariinsky Orchestra with Valery Gergiev, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra with Gustavo Dudamel. He has also performed with the Vienna Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington), the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony, and the NHK Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his concert activities, YUNDI is involved in humanitarian work, for example, as an ambassador for the Chinese Red Cross Society and in efforts for his hometown of Chongqing. He also advocates for the integration of classical music into children's education and is one of the pioneers of music education in China; here, his success story has a significant impact on millions of children learning to play the piano. Furthermore, he has led masterclasses at the Royal College of Music and at the Universities of Cambridge and Tsinghua (Beijing). In the autumn of 2012, YUNDI became a professor and vice dean of the piano faculty at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music. YUNDI has been signed to Deutsche Grammophon since 2002 and released six internationally acclaimed CDs under this label until 2008. In 2007, he became the first Chinese pianist to record a live album alongside the Berlin Philharmonic under Seiji Ozawa, featuring their interpretations of Ravel and Prokofiev piano concertos – the CD garnered enthusiastic reviews and was named "Editor's Choice" in Gramophone Magazine. YUNDI began playing the piano at the age of seven. He continued his education at the Shenzhen Arts School and the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media. As of: 04/2014