Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, considered one of the best pianists in the world, has the rare ability to combine poetic musical sensibilities with dazzling technical prowess. His talent at coaxing subtle and surprising colors and textures from even old favorites led The New York Times to exclaim “…every note he fashions is a pearl…the joy, brilliance and musicality of his performance could not be missed.” Thibaudet, who has performed around the world for more than 30 years and recorded more than 50 albums, has a depth and natural charisma that have made him one of the most sought-after soloists by today’s foremost orchestras, conductors, and festivals. In 2010 the Hollywood Bowl honored Thibaudet for his musical achievements by inducting him into its Hall of Fame. His recordings have been nominated for two Grammy Awards and won many prizes, including the Schallplattenpreis, the Diapason d’Or, Choc du Monde de la Musique, a Gramophone Award, two Echo Awards, and the Edison Prize. In 2010 Thibaudet released his latest CD, Gershwin, featuring big jazz band orchestrations of Rhapsody in Blue, Variations on “I Got Rhythm,” and Concerto in F live with the Baltimore Symphony and its music director, Marin Alsop. Thibaudet was the soloist on the Oscar- and Golden Globe-award winning soundtrack to Atonement and the Oscar-nominated Pride and Prejudice. In 2012 Jean-Yves recorded the soundtrack of the film Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, composed by Alexandre Desplat. Known for his style and elegance, Thibaudet wears a concert wardrobe designed by Vivienne Westwood. Previously a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Thibaudet was awarded the title Officier by the French Ministry of Culture in 2012. Jean-Yves Thibaudet's 2014-2015 season is an intriguing combination of a wide variety of music: a balance of orchestral appearances, chamber music, and recitals and a repertoire that includes familiar pieces, unfamiliar work by well-known composers, and new compositions. He also follows his passion for education and fostering the next generation of performers by becoming the first-ever resident artist at the Colburn School of Los Angeles this year and the following two. Summer 2014 sees him touring with Mariss Jansons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Lucerne Festival, and the Ljubljana Festival. Mr. Thibaudet then travels to play Gershwin paired with a new piano concerto “Er Huang” by Qigang Chen with Long Yu conducting to open the China Philharmonic season in Beijing—a program both artists will repeat in Paris with the Orchestre de Paris. In October, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and its Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, he performs the Khachaturian Piano Concerto, which he also plays in the spring with the Cincinnati Symphony and on tour in Germany and Austria with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the baton of Tugan Sohkiev. After concerts in Prague, Mr. Thibaudet embarks on a US tour with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in November, reaching both East and West coasts with a grand finale at Carnegie Hall, where he performs Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2. The end of the year is a whirlwind of Gershwin, Ravel, and Liszt with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne.