Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
Hailed by the press as “one of the best pianists in the world,” Jean-Yves Thibaudet is sought after by today’s foremost orchestras, festivals, conductors and collaborative musicians. His absolute artistry, virtuosity and charisma have brought him to the world’s most renowned stages numerous times, leaving audiences around the globe repeatedly captivated. Following appearances at major festivals throughout Europe and the US as well as European tours with the New York Philharmonic and Royal Concertgebow Orchestra in summer 2008, the fall finds Mr. Thibaudet on tour with London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (with an appearance at Carnegie Hall on October 16), Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Kammerorchester Basel. Additional performances in the 2008-09 season are with Munich Philharmonic, Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, London Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, Dresden Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony, and Orchestre National de Lyon in Europe. Appearances in the US are with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and with the symphony orchestras of Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Colorado and Charleston. In April 2009, Jean-Yves Thibaudet embarks on a 9-city tour with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, bringing Ravel’s two piano concerti and Lizt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 to the audiences of Geneva, Cologne, Aachen, Frankfurt, Berlin, Wiesbaden, Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Additional tours are with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (May 2009) and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (March 2009). A vivid recitalist, he also performs in Dublin, Ireland; Madrid, Spain; Vienna, Austria; and at Lucerne Festival Piano in November 2008.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet is an exclusive recording artist for Decca, which has released over 40 of his albums, earning the Schallplattenpreis, the Diapason d’Or, Choc de la Musique, a Gramophone Award, two Echo awards, and the Edison Prize. His latest recording, Saint-Saëns, Piano Concerti Nos. 2&5, with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, released in early fall 2007, follows the album, Aria—Opera Without Words, which was released in February 2007, inspired by the artist’s love and admiration for the human voice as “the best vehicle for expression in music.” The disc features transcriptions of opera arias by Saint-Saëns, R. Strauss, Gluck, Korngold, Bellini, J. Strauss II, P. Grainger, and Puccini; some of the transcriptions are by Mikhashoff, Sgambati and Brassin, others—Thibaudet’s own. Thibaudet was the soloist on the Oscar and Golden Globe-award winning soundtrack of Universal Pictures’ Atonement and the Oscar-nominated Pride and Prejudice. In 2005, Decca released his recording of Strauss’s Burleske with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Among other recordings are Satie: The Complete Solo Piano Music, and the jazz albums Reflections on Duke: Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays the music of Duke Ellington and Conversations with Bill Evans, his tribute to two of jazz history’s greats.
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 twelve, he entered the Paris Conservatory to study 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 City. In 2001, the Republic of France awarded Thibaudet the prestigious Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and in 2002, he was awarded the Premio Pegasus from the Spoleto Festival in Italy, for his artistic achievements and his longstanding involvement with the festival. His most recent accolade is the 2007 Victoire d’Honneur, a lifetime career achievement award and the highest honor given by France’s Victoires de la Musique.
World Management: IMG Artists, LLC Public Relations: M. L. FALCONE, Public Relations 2008-09