Troubled prodigy

The late professor Lin Yaoji from the Central Conservatory of Music recalled the first time he listened to 6-year-old Li playing the violin.

"I didn't take it seriously at first, a 6-year-old playing (Edouard) Lalo, I just dismissed it. But once the boy started playing, I saw huge talent. I was amazed," Lin once said.

Though his talent is widely acknowledged, Li remains humble and shy.

His mother, Qiu Xingye, a violin teacher, who accompanies her son as he performs around the world, says: "He often looks at the scores alone practicing in his mind". When he feels bad after performing, he will practice over and over again.

Qiu describes his son as "an angel when he is happy but a monster when he feels down".

"He can be very talkative and make jokes but he can also be silent and sad," she says.

"I grew up in a good environment. Therefore, I am good at nothing but playing the violin," says Li.