Superstar Chinese Pianist Yundi Li Makes His Los Angeles Recital Debut at UCLA Live's Royce Hall

“Light years ahead in patrician elegance; exquisite artistry from one of the greatest talents to surface in years — nay decades” — Harris Goldsmith, 2004 Musical America Directory

Yundi Li's UCLA Live solo program features Mozart's Sonata No. 10 in C major, K. 330; Schumann's Carnaval, Op. 9; Liszt's “Rhapsodie Espagnole” (Folies d'Espagne et Jota Aragonesa), S. 254; and Chopin's Andante Spianato and “Grande Polonaise Brilliante,” Op. 22.

Described by The Boston Globe as “an unusual combination of brains and brawn, poetic temperament and romantic fire,” Yundi Li has set the music world aflame with his fearless technique and lyrical pianism. At age 18 in his first-ever trip to Europe, he was one of the youngest pianists ever to win at the prestigious 2000 Warsaw Chopin competition, and was the first person in 15 years to be awarded a first prize. Notable past winners have included Martha Argerich, Krystian Zimerman and Maurizio Pollini.

Lauded for his soulful playing and deeply intuitive interpretive skills, Li offers his own unique take on the standard fare.

“Li deals in a more poetic, deeply considered pianism, delivered without extraneous gestures and body language,” wrote The New York Times. He shows “that thoughtful interpretation can be every bit as virtuosic and exciting as the showier variety.”

Born in Chongqing, China, Li was raised and educated there until 1995 when his family moved to Shenzhen, allowing him to continue studies with his teacher, professor Zhaoyi Dan, who moved there to teach at the Shenzhen Arts School.

Li signed an exclusive recording with Deutsche Grammophon in 2001. The New York Times named Li's second recording featuring Liszt as “Best of the Year” for 2003 and also praised Li's recent recording of Chopin's “Scherzos and Impromptus” for his “white-hot virtuosity” and “uncanny clarity.” Deutsche Grammophon just released the “Vienna Recital” CD and plans to release a new recording featuring Li each year through 2008.

In July 2003, Li made his American concerto debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra, performing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1. In April 2004, he completed his North American debut recital tour, which included sold-out performances in Boston; Vancouver, British Columbia; San Francisco; and New York City. In August 2004, Li was the only piano soloist to be invited to perform in the gala concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood.

His American subscription debut in February 2005 was with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. In spring 2005, he performed in Los Angeles and at New York City's Carnegie Hall with the American Youth Symphony, celebrating its 50th anniversary. His second major U.S. recital tour in April 2005 included performances in Seattle; Portland, Ore.; San Diego; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Kansas City, Mo.; Baltimore; and New York City at Alice Tully Hall.

Highlights of Li's past appearances include concerts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; concerts with the Cincinnati Symphony (Paavo Järvi); return engagements with the Philadelphia Orchestra; concerts with l'Orchestre National de France (Kurt Masur); a tour of Japan with the Cincinnati Symphony (Paavo Järvi); concerts with the Israel Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and New Japan Philharmonic (Seiji Ozawa). Li has performed recitals in Salzburg, Austria; Berlin (Philharmonie); Verbier, Switzerland; Prague, Czech Republic; New York City; Boston; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Paris; London; Munich, Germany; Hamburg, Germany; Amsterdam, Netherlands (Concertgebouw); Shanghai, China; Beijing; and Hong Kong. He also made a 13-city recital tour of Japan with two performances in Suntory Hall in Tokyo. In the late fall 2005, he toured with the Dresden Staatskapelle (Paavo Järvi) and the Verbier Festival Orchestra (James Levine), and appeared in recital in Vienna.

Future recitals include London; Hamburg, Germany; Paris; and Dresden, Germany; as well as a North American tour in spring 2006. Future orchestral tours include Leipzig Gewandhaus in the United States (Riccardo Chailly) and the Vienna Symphony in Japan (Fabio Luisi). Other upcoming orchestral engagements will be with the San Francisco Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony and the National Symphony.

This performance is supported by the Shirley & Ralph Shapiro Director's Discretionary Fund.

Tickets to Yundi Li are available for $50, $40 and $30 at the UCLA Central Ticket Office at the southwest corner of the James West Alumni Center, online at http://www.uclalive.org/ and at all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information or to charge by phone, please call (310) 825-2101. UCLA students may purchase tickets in advance for $15. Student rush tickets, subject to availability, are offered at the same price to all students with a valid student ID one hour prior to show time.

UCLA students may purchase tickets in advance for $15

Cost : $50, $40 and $30

www.uclalive.org