Jean-Yves Thibaudet facts for kids

Jean-Yves Thibaudet (born on September 7, 1961) is a famous French pianist. He is known for his amazing skill and his love for classical music. He has performed all over the world with many top orchestras.

Early Life and Piano Training

Jean-Yves Thibaudet was born in Lyon, France. His parents loved music, even though they were not professional musicians. His father played the violin. His mother, who was from Germany, was a good pianist herself. She was the one who first showed him the piano.

Starting Music School Young

Thibaudet started studying piano at the Conservatoire de Lyon when he was only five years old. He gave his first public performance at the age of seven. He won a gold medal at the Conservatoire when he was twelve.

Studying in Paris

After his success in Lyon, he went on to study at the famous Conservatoire de Paris. There, he learned from great teachers like Aldo Ciccolini and Lucette Descaves. Just three years later, he won the Premier Prix du Conservatoire. When he was eighteen, he won the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York. This was a big step in his career.

A Career on the World Stage

Thibaudet has played with many of the world's best orchestras. These include the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. He has also performed in major concert halls across Europe, North America, and Asia. In 2010, he was honored by being added to the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame.

Special Roles and Collaborations

Thibaudet was the first-ever Artist-in-Residence at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He also held this special role at the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and the Colburn School in Los Angeles.

He has worked with many other talented musicians. These include singers like Renée Fleming and Cecilia Bartoli. He has also played with violinists such as Joshua Bell and Midori. In 2011, he performed a new piano concerto written for him by James MacMillan. He played it with the Minnesota Orchestra.

Praise from a Piano Legend

The famous pianist Vladimir Horowitz once praised Thibaudet's playing of Liszt's music. Horowitz said, "It was amazing, such dexterity, such technique, such articulation, such command." This was very high praise from one of the greatest pianists ever.

Recordings and Musical Styles

Thibaudet has made more than 50 recordings. Most of these were for the British music company Decca Records. He recorded all of Erik Satie's solo piano works. This special collection was released on the 150th birthday of the composer.

Exploring Different Genres

While he is famous for playing French classical music, Thibaudet has also explored other styles. He has played jazz arrangements and improvisations. You can hear these on his CDs Conversations with Bill Evans (1997) and Reflections on Duke (1999).

Opera Transcriptions

Thibaudet is also known for recording piano versions of opera music. In 1993, he recorded pieces from operas by Franz Liszt and Busoni. In 2007, he released a CD called Aria: Opera Without Words. On this album, he chose some of his favorite opera songs and overtures. Some of these were his own arrangements.

He has also recorded piano concertos by Camille Saint-Saëns and works by Gershwin. His recordings include music by many other famous composers. These include Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Grieg, Ravel, and Schumann.

Music in Movies

You can hear Thibaudet's piano playing in several movie soundtracks. These include The French Dispatch, The Portrait of a Lady, and Pride & Prejudice. His music was also featured in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Atonement. The soundtrack for Atonement even won an Academy Award for Best Original Score.

Personal Life and Honors

Jean-Yves Thibaudet has homes in Los Angeles and Paris. He often travels with his partner, Paul.

His concert clothes were designed by the famous fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. They became close friends after he first asked her to design an outfit for a concert in London in 2002. Their friendship lasted throughout her life. Their last project together was a special vinyl record of Thibaudet's Debussy recordings. Vivienne Westwood designed the cover for it.

In 2001, Thibaudet was given a special honor in France. He was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2012, he was promoted to the higher rank of Officier (Officer) in the same order.

See also

In Spanish: Jean-Yves Thibaudet para niños