Two years after leaving Universal to join EMI, Chinese pianist Yundi is back in the Universal Music Group fold.

His first new recording for the Deutsche Grammophon label will be of Beethoven Sonatas, including the Moonlight, Pathétique and Appassionato sonatas, due for release later this year. This will be followed by a recording of Beethoven piano concertos.
 
Yundi – initially known by his full name of Yundi Li - first gained prominence by winning the 14th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2000, the first pianist in 15 years to be awarded the First Prize and, at 18, the youngest too. He then joined DG, making recordings of music by Chopin, Liszt, Prokofiev and Ravel, before continuing his exploration of Chopin with a disc on EMI (but not the complete works for solo piano by Chopin that was announced at the time of the EMI signing). Back with DG, the pianist describes it as a 'home-coming for me'.