19th September 2022 – (Beijing) On 21st October 2021, after a tip-off by public informants referred to as the Chaoyang masses, Chinese concert pianist Yundi Li was detained by Beijing police for allegedly hiring a prostitute. Under Chinese law, Li can be detained for up to 15 days and fined up to 5000 yuan (US$782) for illegally soliciting a sex worker. The Chinese Musicians’ Association subsequently declared that it would revoke Li’s membership.
On 16th March 2022, the US Department of Justice released a document that includes a detail suggesting “the derogatory information regarding the Pianist may have been manufactured”. Multiple news sources reported that “the Pianist” is an apparent reference to Li Yundi.
Recently, a netizen in Australia revealed that while attending the performance of Croatian pianist, Maksim Mrvica, he saw Li’s name appearing in a new schedule between 1st and 5th November 2023. Another source subsequently confirmed the news. It is reported that the venue of this performance is in Sydney, and the musicians who have been invited to perform in the past also appeared in the list. A photo of Yundi Ki was also displayed on the big screen. Li was described as one of the most acclaimed classical pianists of this generation.