Li Yundi Drove Taiwan Audience Crazy

Taiwan's media lately showered praise on Li Yundi, the 18-year-old piano prodigy, who is now on his concert tour in Taipei. As reported, the audiences were totally captivated by his outstanding interpretation of Chopin's works.

His performance on the 15th hit a great success. And his interpretation of Chopin in a magnificent and elegant way was beyond belief which might shock Chopin himself, if he came back to life, a local newspaper was quoted as saying thus. After Li fully displayed the emotional intricacies and technical challenges of Chopin's No. 1 Piano Concerto, the crazy listeners gave him seven ovations before closing the curtain.

Li won the gold medal in the 14th International Frederic Chopin Competition, and for the first time the event's top prize has been awarded since 1985. In addition, he is the youngest in the world and the first Chinese to get the top prize.

The first Chinese pianist to win an award at the Chopin competition is Fou Ts'ong, who ranked third and was given the best performance of the mazurkas in 1955. Fou, the elder son of Fou Lei, a famous translator, scholar and an unyielding opponent of injustice in China, now is regarded as one of the world's most acclaimed interpreters of Chopin.
Li Yundi found himself following Fou Ts'ong. "I have never heard him play," Li acknowledged. "But I've read about him ---it's one of the things that have inspired me."

By PD Online Staff Yin Zhili

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