Yundi

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Yundi Li (Template:Lang-zh; born 7 October 1982), also known simply as Yundi (stylized as YUNDI), is a Chinese classical concert pianist. Yundi is considered one of the greatest contemporary interpreters of Chopin and is also especially known for his interpretations of Liszt and Prokofiev.

Yundi rose to fame for being the youngest pianist, at the age of eighteen, to win first prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2000. In 2015, he also served as the competition's youngest-ever juror. In recognition to his contribution to Chopin pieces, the Polish government awarded Yundi with the world's first Chopin passport (Chopinowskie paszporty). Yundi is also the first Chinese recipient of both Silver (2010) and Gold (2019) Medal for Merit to Culture - Gloria Artis issued by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Polish government, in regards to his contribution to both music and Polish culture.

Yundi has promoted Chinese national music worldwide, as well as the development of classical music in China, both by his influence and philanthropy.

Early life and education

Yundi Li was born in Chongqing, Sichuan, China on 7 October 1982.<ref name="AllMusic">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Lee2001">Template:Cite web Template:Subscription required</ref> Both his father, Li Chuan (Template:Lang), and his mother, Zhang Xiaolu (Template:Lang), worked for the Chongqing Iron and Steel Company.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although his family was not musically inclined, he began a formal music education at a very young age. At age three, he was so enchanted by an accordion performance at a shopping mall that he refused to leave.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His parents subsequently bought him an accordion; he studied with Tan Jianmin, a local music teacher, he learned the instrument so quickly that he won the top prize at the Chongqing Children's Accordion Competition in March 1987.<ref name="Yomiuri">Template:Cite news</ref>

Yundi began studying piano with Wu Yong at the age of seven. Two years later, Wu introduced him to Dan Zhaoyi, a well-known piano teacher, with whom he studied for nine years.<ref name="Globe">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1994, Yundi enrolled at the Template:Ill to join Dan, who had recently taken up a position there, with whom he studied for the next six years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Yundi attracted interest from renowned schools of music, including the Eastman School of Music and Juilliard School,<ref name="okla">Template:Cite web</ref> and was invited to study at the latter by Jerome Lowenthal.<ref name="book">Template:Cite book</ref> From 2001 to 2006, he studied under Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover in Hannover, Germany.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

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,<ref name="competitions">Template:Cite web</ref> as well as the youngest and first Chinese first-prize winner.<ref name="ch c">Template:Cite web</ref> Since then, he has collaborated with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,<ref name="ber">Template:Cite web</ref> the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and Philharmonia Orchestra.<ref name="bi">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2001, Yundi became the first Chinese pianist signed by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) for which he exclusively recorded until 2008. His first album for the label was Yundi Li: Chopin. It was first released in Japan and warmly welcomed.<ref name="Prize Winning Pianist Releases CD">Template:Cite web</ref> In its review, Gramophone magazine wrote, "his unequivocal triumph is faithfully mirrored on his DG début album in performance after performance. Everything is naturally and enviably proportioned (a rare but necessary attribute in the everelusive Chopin)‚ everything fuelled alike by a style and poise way beyond his teenage years".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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."<ref name="AllMusic"/><ref name="chopin and liszt">Template:Cite web</ref> His United States orchestral debut took place the next month, when he played Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Philadelphia Orchestra.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="US">Template:Cite web</ref>

Deutsche Grammophon released Yundi's second recording, of Liszt, in August 2003, which was named among the "Best Classical CD's of the Year" by The New York Times.<ref name="NY Times">Template:Cite web</ref> This album also won the German Echo Klassik Solo Recording of the Year Solistische Einspielung des Jahres, the Chinese Gold Record Award, and nominated Edison Award's Instrumental Soloist (Instrumentale Solorecitals).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name ="Edison">Template:Cite web</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 it for Yundi's "white-hot virtuosity" and "uncanny clarity".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in 2004, Yundi gave a recital at the Musikverein, Vienna, of works by Mozart, Scarlatti, Schumann, and Liszt.<ref name="first world tour">Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2004, Yundi completed his North American debut recital tour, which included sold-out performances in Boston, Vancouver, San Francisco, and New York.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May, Yundi gave concerts at the National Museum in Warsaw, representing cultural exchange between China and Poland.<ref name="speech">Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Yundi Li 2005.jpg
Yundi in 2005

In 2005, Yundi became the first Chinese pianist to appear on the cover of Wall Street Journal and Aera magazine.<ref name="Wall Street Journal">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He obtained Hong Kong residency in 2006 and was among the first group of successful applicants under the recently announced Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.<ref name=citizenship>Template:Cite news</ref>

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 Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major, which garnered positive reviews; it was named Editor's Choice by Gramophone,<ref name="ber"/> and praised by The New York Times as one of the best classical CDs of the year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="AllMusic"/> Bryce Morrison of Gramophone wrote: "his performance of the Prokofiev, in its prodigious, unflagging power and brilliance, far surpasses any other in the catalogue".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Yundi is the subject of the 2008 documentary The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi, 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".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2008, he became the first Chinese pianist to have a wax sculpture at Madame Tussauds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in 2008, he appeared as a Pennington Great Performers series artist with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.<ref name="baton">Template:Cite web</ref>

Signing with EMI Classics

File:The Memory Recital of Chopin's Birth 200th Anniversary Concert, Chopin Year (Chopin and his Europe) 2010.png
Yundi performing at the Memory Recital of Chopin's Birth 200th Anniversary Concert, Chopin Year 2010

In 2010, Yundi signed an exclusive recording contract with EMI Classics with plans to record Chopin's complete solo piano works.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Signing with Deutsche Grammophon again

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Yundi performing at the St George's Hall, April 2013

In May 2012, Yundi officially signed with Universal Music Group and collaborated with Deutsche Grammophon once again.<ref name="gramophone.co.uk"/> Deutsche Grammophon released his recording of Beethoven sonatas in 2012.<ref name="gramophone.co.uk">"Pianist Yundi is back with Deutsche Grammophon" Template:Webarchive, Gramophone, 4 May 2012</ref> This recording was chosen as one of Classic FM's "Album of the Year 2013" and attained Platinum status in China.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Yundi then released recordings of the Schumann Fantasie, The Art of Yundi, and Chopin preludes, ballades, berceuse, and mazurkas.<ref>"Yundi Discography" Template:Webarchive, Deutsche Grammophon</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In response to questions from the media and the public, Yundi said it was not demeaning for him to perform in second and third-tier cities and he didn't 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Yundi at 204th anniversary concert of Fryderyk Chopin's birth, with First Lady Anna Komorowska.webp
Yundi with First Lady Anna Komorowska in 2014

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.<ref name="204 Chopin's anniversary">Template:Cite web</ref>

In July 2015 and as featured guest soloist, 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 and ended in Hong Kong. Carnegie Hall was the second stop. The other six concerts were given in mainland China.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 30 October of the same year, while performing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Korea, Yundi suffered a memory lapse.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He subsequently performed the piece smoothly again with conductor David Robertson and the orchestra.<ref name="review">Template:Cite web</ref> Yundi apologised for his mistake on his weibo, saying it was because of travel fatigue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Critics wrote, "The famed Chinese pianist's slip up steals the show, but his Chopin is still stellar", "that's the nature of live music, and perfection is boring", and "it gave me even greater admiration, on many levels, for everyone involved […] In the temple to the arts, I was witnessing a moment of pure civility, decency and camaraderie, and was given a reminder that the gods are, in fact, human, and all the more heroic for that."<ref name="review"/>

File:Yundi Li 2016.06.29 ShenZhen.jpg
Yundi in 2016

In 2016, Yundi went on a Chopin world tour, including Germany, Russia, and the United States.<ref name="irish">Template:Cite web</ref> 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".<ref name="NY">Template:Cite web</ref> On 21 April, he performed at the National Concert Hall of Dublin.<ref name="irish"/>

In May 2017, Yundi attended the opening ceremony of the Yundi Art Museum, in the Chongqing Huangjueping Piano Museum. It displays several pianos from different stages of Yundi's career, including his first piano, as well as a collection of his awards, albums and photographs, and a high-tech experience pavilion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This tour was the first of a series of events commemorating the 100th anniversary of Poland's regained independence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In November 2017, Yundi went on tour playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 with Staatskapelle Dresden in Germany and China.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 3 November, he gave a live concert at Beijing National Aquatics Center celebrating the 2017 League of Legends World Championship.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Yundi conducting in 2018 (cropped).jpg
Yundi conducting in 2018 concert

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Signing with Warner Classics

In 2019, Yundi signed with Warner Classics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He released a new album on its label, Chopin's Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, in 2020. In this recording, he conducts the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra from the piano bench.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This album was chosen by Donald Vroon of the American Record Guide as one of the "Best of 2020".<ref name="arg2022">Template:Cite book</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2023–present: YUNDI Plays Mozart The Sonata Project 1 Comeback Tour

File:Yundi at Musikverein, 2024.jpg
Yundi performing at the Golden Hall, Musikverein, April 2024

Yundi embarked on his comeback tour, 2023 Australia Coming Back Tour: YUNDI Plays Mozart The Sonata Project 1 in 2023, two years after he was blacklisted in China for alleged solicitation of prostitutes.<ref name="Australian">Template:Cite web</ref> At his performance in Adelaide, Yundi performed Chopin's Nocturne in E Flat Major as an encore.<ref name="Australian"/> Yundi's comeback tour was regarded as excellent and successful.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In alignment with the tour, he released the album Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="moz warner">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> From September to October, Yundi went on an Asian tour, including Japan<ref name="JA 2025">Template:Cite web</ref> and Singapore.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The album "Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg" has received rave reviews from Bryce Morrison and Norman Lebrecht, among others. In Gramophone, Morrison wrote, "His approach is a convincing challenge to a more conventional restraint, a restless Sturm und Drang precursor of Romanticism."<ref name=moz>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In January 2025, Yundi expanded his Japan tour with four additional concerts,<ref name ="JA 2025"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while simultaneously launching a North American tour that included Vancouver, Toronto, New York City and San Francisco.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His Carnegie Hall return after nine years sold out.<ref name ="w25">Template:Cite web</ref>

Repertoire, technique, performance style and habit

Regarded as one of the finest interpreters of Chopin,<ref name="journal">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="arg2011">Template:Cite book</ref> Yundi is also known for his interpretations of Liszt and Prokofiev.<ref name="Liszt"/><ref name="Liszt 1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name= "prokofiev">Template:Cite web</ref> His other repertoires, such as Mozart,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Beethoven,<ref name=Beethoven>Template:Cite web</ref> Ravel<ref name= NYT>Template:Cite web</ref> and Schumann,<ref name="sc">Template:Cite web</ref> have also received acclaim.

Performance habit

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. He deliberately skips dinner or substantial food before performances, stating: "Usually, I don’t have dinner or anything heavy before my show, in order to stay at my peak because I might get sleepy after eating". To sustain energy without digestive burden, he substitutes light snacks like chocolate, noting: "I love chocolate as a supplement before my show".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Chopin

Template:Listen Ivan Hewett of the Telegraph praised Yundi's performance as "beautifully polished and unfailingly elegant",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while BBC Music Magazine noted that his "technically precise considered" approach to the music was heightened with "virtuosic flair".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

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,<ref name="arg">Template:Cite book</ref> "flawless, dazzlingly agile, existing in perfect symbiosis with the musical intent – noble and majestic" by French Crescendo Magazine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="NY Times"/> 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 .<ref name="Liszt 1"/> 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."<ref name= NYT/>

Achievements

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.<ref name="Yomiuri" /><ref name="okla"/> In 1995, he was awarded third place at the Stravinsky International Youth Competition.<ref name="competitions"/><ref name="award list">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1996, he won the third prize in the tenth Hong Kong – Asia Piano Open Competition.<ref name="award list"/> In 1997, he won the Concerto "Yellow River" Group of the Chinese Piano Pieces.<ref name="okla"/> In 1998, he was awarded the third place at the 1998 Missouri Southern International Piano Competition (Junior Division).<ref name="award list"/> 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.<ref name="award list"/> In 1999, he won first place at the Gina Bachauer Young Artists International Piano Competition.<ref name="award list"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="competitions"/> At 18 years of age, Yundi was the youngest and the first Chinese first prize winner in the competition's history.<ref name="ch c"/> Yundi was also awarded a Special Prize for the "Best Performance of a Polonaise" by the Chopin Society.<ref name="Yomiuri"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is said that the jury was once again inclined to withhold the first prize at one point.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Awards and honours

Impact

Template:Quote box Yundi is a notable example of China's piano art development in the multifaceted development of the pianist's personality.<ref name="journal"/>

File:Yundi's Monument at Shenzhen Arts School.jpg
Yundi's Monument at Shenzhen Arts School, celebrating his first-prize in the International Chopin Piano Competition

Additionally, Yundi has promoted the development of classical music in China.<ref name=tm>Template:Cite web</ref> Since 2008, Yundi is sponsored by Rolex, only under the condition that they subsidise music teaching in rural China.<ref name="inde">Template:Cite web</ref> Yundi is the role model to millions of young musicians in his home country,<ref name=tm/> and has inspired many to learn piano.<ref name="irish"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He has also given masterclasses at the Royal College of Music, University of Cambridge<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Tsinghua University.<ref name="bi"/>

Yundi has promoted Chinese traditional music worldwide. He recorded traditional Chinese folk melodies but also world-premiere songs, aiming to promote Chinese keyboard music.<ref name=tm/>

Discography

Template:Main Yundi's discography contains 16 studio albums. He has also made five contributions to compilation albums with Deutsche Grammophon not under his name and featured in three video items, his 2005 and 2010 concert, as well as his documentary The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi. He has achieved considerable commercial and critical success. His albums have ranked on Billboard charts, including the Top Classical Albums.

Bibliography

Biography

Documentary

Personal life

Yundi owns a cat named Musigny.<ref name="cat">Template:Cite web</ref> His hobbies are listening to Verdi accompanied by good red wine, and drinking tea while listening to jazz.<ref name="inde"/> His role-model is Chopin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Foodie

Template:Quote box Yundi enjoys cuisine across the globe, as he believes that music styles of places can be found from food.<ref name="foodie"/> He particularly likes crabs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is also good at cooking, especially Sichuan cuisine twice-cooked pork.<ref name="foodie"/>

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.<ref name="Prize Winning Pianist Releases CD"/>

Soon after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, Yundi cancelled his European concerts<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 11 January 2011, before a charity piano recital in Beijing, Yundi told reporters that "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." This recital was for the individuals and companies that had contributed to the efforts of the Red Cross Society of China in 2010. During the recital, Yundi was honored as the Music Ambassador of the Chinese Red Cross Foundation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Joining forces with I DO Fund of China Charity Federation<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Arrest for allegedly hiring a sex worker

On 21 October 2021, after a tip-off by public informants referred to as the Chaoyang masses,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 declared that it would revoke Yundi's membership.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to The Guardian on 22 October 2021, there has thus far been no evidence that indicates the detention is politically motivated.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 16 March 2022, the United States Department of Justice released a document suggesting "the derogatory information" regarding Yundi "may have been manufactured".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

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