Pianist Li Yundi reportedly detained on suspicion of patronising prostitute
- Li gained international fame in 2000 when he won the Frederic Chopin international piano competition at the age of 18
- He has in recent years appeared frequently on China’s entertainment TV shows
Beijing police have reportedly detained renowned pianist Li Yundi on suspicion of patronising a prostitute.
Li and a 29-year-old woman were detained and both admitted to their alleged behaviour, according to the city’s Chaoyang district police on their social media account on Thursday evening.
While the police message did not identify Li by his full name, state media, including People’s Daily, confirmed the 39-year-old man arrested was the pianist.
The police also posted a photo of a piano keyboard, with text saying: “The world is not simply black and white, but one must distinguish black and white. It must never be mistaken.”
02:19
Public censure of China’s piano prince Li Yundi over sex scandal questioned
The police message gave no further details of the arrest. Chaoyang police declined to comment when contacted on Thursday night.
Li gained international fame in 2000 when he won the Frederic Chopin international piano competition at the age of 18. In recent years he has moved away from the classical musical scene and instead has appeared frequently on China’s entertainment TV shows.
