Acclaimed Chinese pianist Li Yundi will be part of the jury panel for next year's International Chopin Piano Competition, the Embassy of Poland in Beijing announced on Tuesday, according to the Global Times.
Li, who became the competition's youngest winner when he grabbed the top prize in 2000 at 18, will be the international music contest's youngest judge when he joins the jury next year at 33.
"It is not that every talented pianist is invited to be on the jury of the piano competition. To be invited as a juror for the competition, which is considered as one of the most important music competitions in the world, one needs to be recognized as a great artist," remarked Polish Ambassador to China Tadeusz Chomicki.
The International Chopin Piano Competition, which is among the oldest music contests in the world and considered the most well-known piano tournament, started in 1927 and has been held every five years since.
Pianists from around the world aged 16 to 30 vie for the top prize every contest year.
During a press conference, Li said that the competition set the stage for his international career, and talked about the influence of Frederic Chopin on him.
"Chopin is one of my favorite composers, not only because of his music talents, but also his spirit of patriotism, which impacted me a lot," he said.