Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, considered "one of the most fascinating talents of our time," captivates with his expressive phrasing, lush timbres, and brilliant technique. His poetic interpretations have won him numerous enthusiastic listeners. He is a welcome guest with famous orchestras, conductors, and festivals, and collaborates with outstanding musical personalities. As one of the greatest pianists of our time – with an international career in both concert life and CD recordings – he is celebrated by the press as "a musical treasure of this age." In 2010, he performed, among other engagements, Grieg's Piano Concerto and Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 5 in Australia and toured Europe with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg. In the USA, he also toured with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, performing Bernstein's Age of Anxiety, and appeared with the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Nashville. He performed chamber music and recitals in Amsterdam, Strasbourg, and Valladolid, as well as in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Aspen. For the Liszt Year 2011, he will perform recitals in Germany, including Frankfurt, Berlin, Dortmund, and Leipzig. Jean-Yves Thibaudet is a versatile musician who is at home in all genres. As a valued accompanist, he currently performs with Renée Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, and Angelika Kirchschlager, Yuri Bashmet, and the Rossetti String Quartet. Awarded many international prizes and a Grammy nomination, Jean-Yves Thibaudet is under exclusive contract with Decca/London. He has now released more than 30 CD recordings. His most important release is the 5-CD box set "Satie: The Complete Piano Works" (awarded the Choc de la Musique in 2003). Other releases included: "The Magic of Satie" (released in autumn 2002 and awarded the Echo 2003 as best 20th-century solo repertoire), Mendelssohn Piano Concertos with the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Herbert Blomstedt, a selection of arias titled "Night Songs" with Renée Fleming featuring works by Fauré, Debussy, Marx, Strauss, and Rachmaninoff (awarded the Echo 2002), and a CD with works by Chopin/Grieg with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Valery Gergiev. Jean-Yves Thibaudet's repertoire includes works by Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Liszt, Messiaen, Chopin, Shostakovich, Gershwin, Brahms, Schumann, D'Indy, Wolf, and Ravel, whose recording received a Grammy nomination. He makes successful forays into jazz, including "Reflections on Duke: Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays the music of Duke Ellington" and "Conversations with Bill Evans" (Echo 1998). Another CD release by him is the Strauss Burleske with the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Herbert Blomstedt. His release "Aria – Opera without words" with opera paraphrases from various eras (February 2007) was followed in the autumn of the same year by a Grammy-nominated recording of Piano Concertos No. 2 & No. 5 by Camille Saint-Saëns. Most recently, his recording of Gershwin's Piano Concerto with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Marin Alsop was released in spring 2010. Jean-Yves Thibaudet has also gained attention outside of concert life. In November 2004, he took over the presidency of the renowned Hospice de Beaune, an annual charity event in Burgundy. In 2001, he contributed to the film score for Bruce Beresford's film "Bride of the Wind" about Alma Mahler. He also appeared in 2000 in the PBS/Smithsonian special "Grand Piano!", a television appearance promoted by Billy Joel on the occasion of the piano's 300th birthday. His concert attire is designed by the celebrated London designer Vivienne Westwood. Jean-Yves Thibaudet was also a soloist in the film scores for "Atonement," which won an Oscar and a Golden Globe, as well as in the Oscar-nominated music for "Pride & Prejudice." Jean-Yves Thibaudet is of German-French descent and was born in Lyon, where he received his first piano lessons at the age of five and made his first public appearance at seven. His most important teachers were Lucette Descaves, a friend and collaborator of Ravel, and Aldo Ciccolini, with whom he began studying at the Paris Conservatory at the age of twelve. Ciccolini not only had a great musical influence on him but also strongly supported the young pianist. At fifteen, Jean-Yves Thibaudet won the Premier Prix du Conservatoire and three years later the Young Concert Artists Auditions (New York). In 2001, Jean-Yves Thibaudet was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France, and in 2002, the Premio Pegasus of the Spoleto Festival. Jean-Yves Thibaudet lives in Paris and Los Angeles. 12/2010