Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, a pianist celebrated for his interpretive range, delves into diverse musical territory that spans works by Debussy and Liszt, additional virtuoso pieces, contemporary compositions, and jazz explorations. A longtime fixture in Decca’s recorded output, he has amassed well over fifty releases across the label’s various imprints.

Born in Lyon, France, on September 7, 1961, Thibaudet grew up with parents who pursued music as dedicated amateurs. He started playing the piano in early childhood and entered the Conservatoire de Lyon at age five. His first public appearance came two years later. He later continued his training at the Conservatoire de Paris under Aldo Ciccolini and Lucette Descaves, the latter of whom had known Ravel personally. A series of major awards during his teenage years, among them victory at the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York at eighteen, propelled him onto the international stage. Once signed to Decca, where his discs have appeared regularly, sometimes under the London imprint, he could be heard in 1990 on a recording of Chausson’s Concerto for violin, piano, and string quartet. Among his numerous Decca projects are two jazz-focused albums: Conversations with Bill Evans from 1997 and Reflections on Duke from 1999.

Thibaudet has performed with many of the globe’s foremost orchestras, among them the Berlin Philharmonic, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony. He has made frequent appearances at Los Angeles’s Hollywood Bowl, where he was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2010, and maintains a devoted following in Australia, which he visits regularly on tour. Distinct among classical pianists, his promotional materials highlight that his concert attire is designed by Vivienne Westwood; he maintained a close friendship with Gianni Versace and was once widely recognized for performing in bright red socks. In 2001 the French government named him a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters, elevating him to Officier in 2012.

His chamber-music collaborators have included violinists Joshua Bell and Midori as well as cellist Gautier Capuçon, while he has partnered in recital with leading vocalists such as soprano Renée Fleming and mezzo-sopranos Angelika Kirchschlager and Cecilia Bartoli. He served as pianist-in-residence with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra during the 2019-2020 season. In fall 2021 he issued the solo recital album Carte Blanche. The following year he joined Midori on Warner Classics for a complete set of Beethoven’s Sonatas for Piano & Violin. In 2024 he returned to Decca with the album Gershwin Rhapsody, recorded together with pop pianist and vocalist Michael Feinstein.