Biography of Jean-Yves Thibaudet

About the Artist

Masterly, brilliant, poetic, miraculous, breathtaking, virtuoso: these are only a handful of the many accolades the press has used to describe pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet.  A charismatic and versatile musician acclaimed for his sensitivity and ranges of color and texture, he is sought after by today's foremost orchestras, festivals, conductors and collaborative musicians.  In both live performance and recordings, he continues to uphold his reputation as "one of the best pianists in the world."
 
His ongoing relationships with world-renowned symphony orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony bring him to such destinations as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Concertgebouw on a regular basis.  Last season alone, he played Carnegie Hall in solo recital, with the Boston Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony.
 
An exclusive recording artist for Decca with over 30 releases, Jean-Yves Thibaudet was the soloist on the 2005 Oscar-nominated soundtrack of Universal Pictures' Pride and Prejudice.  Also new in 2005 was his recording of Strauss' Burleske with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Among Mr. Thibaudet's recent award-winning recordings are the box-set "Satie: The Complete Solo Piano Music" and "Night Songs" with soprano Renée Fleming.  Mr. Thibaudet's diverse repertoire also includes works by Gershwin, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Schumann, Liszt, Chopin, Grieg, Messiaen, Debussy, and Ravel.  His enthusiasm for jazz has also resulted in popular recordings including "Reflections on Duke: Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays the music of Duke Ellington" and "Conversations with Bill Evans."  In 2002, selections from these recordings were merged into one CD, "DAYDREAMS: Reflections on Bill Evans and Duke Ellington" and released in Australia to great acclaim.  His recordings over the years have garnered a Grammy nomination and many prizes including the Schallplatten Preis, the  Diapason d'Or, Choc de la Musique, Gramophone Award, two Echo awards, and the Edison Prize.
 
Offstage, Mr. Thibaudet has appeared in Bruce Beresford's 2001 feature film "Bride of the Wind" and played on the soundtrack.  He also performed two Schubert Impromptus on the movie soundtrack of the 1997 feature film "Portrait of a Lady."  On television, he was featured in the 2000 PBS/Smithsonian special, "Piano Grand!", hosted by Billy Joel to celebrate the 300^th anniversary of the piano, and he has impacted the fashion world with concert attire designed by London fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.
 
Of French and German heritage, Jean-Yves Thibaudet was born in Lyon, France, where he began his piano studies at age five and made his first public appearance at age seven.  At age 12, he entered the Paris Conservatory where he studied with Aldo Ciccolini and Lucette Descaves, a friend and collaborator of Ravel.  At age fifteen he won the premier Prix du Conservatoire, and three years later won the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York.  In 2001, the Republic of France awarded Mr. Thibaudet the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.  In 2002, he was awarded the Premio Pegasus from the Spoleto Festival for his artistic achievements and his longstanding involvement with the festival.

Last updated: February 27, 2007

Additional information about Mr. Thibaudet can be found at his record label's website: http://www.deccaclassics.com/jeanyvesthibaudet