• Bibliography
• Filmography
• Biography
• Address

Yundi Li – 1st Prize winner, 14th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (2000). Yundi Li began learning piano at the age of seven with Dan Zhaoyi. He continued his studies with the same teacher at the secondary school of the Sichuan Conservatoire (1994–1995). In 1995, he entered the Shenzhen Arts School to study in Professor Zhaoyi’s piano class, which he graduated from in 2000. Since 2001, he has been studying in Hanover with Arie Vardi.

Yundi Li has participated in many competitions in China and abroad. At the age of ten (1993), he won a music competition for children in Chongqing, his hometown; two years later, he took 3rd Prize at the International Stravinsky Piano Competition in Champaign (Illinois) and 3rd Prize at the Missouri Southern Piano Competition. In 1999 at the age of 17 he was awarded at three international piano competitions – the Liszt Competition in Utrecht (3rd Prize), the Gina Bachauer Competition in Salt Lake City (1st Prize) and the China International Piano Competition in Beijing (3rd Prize). His greatest success, however, came at the 14th Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 2000, where he was awarded 1st Prize (as the youngest contestant in history, and the first gold medal to be awarded in 15 years) and the Chopin Society Award for best polonaise performance.

Between 1996 and 1998, Mr. Li went on two European tours, appearing in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary. He has played with symphony orchestras in Prague, Berlin, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Guangzhou and other Chinese cities. After his victory in Warsaw, he has been developing his international career as a virtuoso.

Mr. Li is on contract with Deutsche Grammophon. In 2002, his first recording of Chopin’s works was released (featuring the Sonata in B minor, Andante spianato & Grande Polonaise in E flat major, Impromptu in C sharp minor, Nocturne in B flat minor Op. 9 No. 2, Etude in A minor and in G flat major from Op. 10 and Etude in A minor, Op. 25 No. 11). This was followed in 2003 by a release of a Liszt CD (featuring the Sonata in B minor, Campanella, Widmung, Tarantella from Venezia e Napoli, Liebestraum and the Rigoletto Concert Paraphrase).

Stanisław Dybowski