{"id":30618,"date":"2023-07-11T15:55:36","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T13:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=186436"},"modified":"2023-07-11T16:40:02","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T14:40:02","slug":"who-is-jean-yves-thibaudet-a-guide-to-the-pianist-and-his-best-recordings","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/who-is-jean-yves-thibaudet-a-guide-to-the-pianist-and-his-best-recordings\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Jean-Yves Thibaudet? A guide to the pianist and his best recordings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our quick guide to the life, work and inimitable style of the supercar-driving French pianist <\/p>

By Jeremy Pound\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 11 July 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

An introduction to Jean-Yves Thibaudet, the stylish French pianist who\u2019ll be performing Gershwin<\/strong><\/a> at the 2023 BBC Proms<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Who is Jean-Yves Thibaudet?<\/h2>\n
Jean-Yves Thibaudet is a world-renowned pianist, originally from France but based today in Los Angeles, US. Though well known to many for his performances and recordings of French music, his repertoire embraces a wide range of composers, not least from his adopted home country.<\/p>\n
The 20 greatest pianists of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
How old is Jean-Yves Thibaudet?<\/h2>\n
Thibaudet was born on 7 September 1961.<\/p>\n\n<h3>And where was he born?<\/h3>\n<p>He was born in Lyon. His parents were keen musicians and at the age of five he entered the Conservatoire de Lyon to study the piano. He later moved north to study at the Paris Conservatoire, where his teachers included the famous concert pianist Aldo Ciccolini.<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-newarticle-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/best-french-composers-ever\/"\">25 greatest French composers of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3>When did he make his breakthrough?<\/h3>\n<p>In 1981, Thibaudet won the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York, a prestigious competition whose other famous winners include pianists Murray Perahia and Emanuel Ax, violinist Pinchas Zukerman and soprano Dawn Upshaw. This success particularly helped to boost his career in the US.<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-newarticle-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/who-is-paul-lewis\/"\">Who is Paul Lewis? All you need to know about the British pianist, including his best recordings<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3>When did Thibaudet first play at the BBC Proms?<\/h3>\n<p>He first appeared at the BBC Proms in August 1992, playing <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/sergey-rachmaninov\/"\"><strong>Rachmaninov<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s Third Piano Concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conductor Tadaaki Otaka. He has gone on to play at the festival on a further 14 occasions, including the Last Night of the Proms in 1998.<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-newarticle-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/seven-best-works-rachmaninov\/"\">Seven of the best works by Rachmaninov<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3>Does he play only classical music?<\/h3>\n<p>By no means. His recordings include homages to two jazz greats in <em>Reflections on Duke<\/em>, featuring the music of Duke Ellington, and <em>Conversations with Bill Evans<\/em>. He also writes his own arrangements of music not originally composed for the piano, such as can be heard on his <em>Aria: Opera Without Words<\/em> recording of 2007.<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-newarticle-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/greatest-ever-jazz-pianists\/"\">28 best ever jazz pianists<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3>What does Jean-Yves Thibaudet wear on stage?<\/h3>\n<p>In 2002, Vivienne Westwood asked him if she could design an outfit for him to perform in at the BBC Proms, and the two struck up a partnership.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Vivienne is one of the people in my life who has really made an impression,\u2019 he told <em>BBC Music Magazine<\/em>\u2019s Jeremy Pound in 2010. \u2018She knows that for my concerts she can\u2019t be too crazy \u2013 so it always has a classic feel but with a twist, whether it\u2019s in the material, in the cut or in the way she prepares it. It\u2019s fascinating, and I feel very privileged that we work together.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>And what car does he drive?<\/h3>\n<p>As well as cutting a dash in his Vivienne Westwood suits, Jean-Yves Thibaudet looks equally stylish behind the wheel. His choice of motor is a McLaren 720S, complete with the numberplate PIANO JY.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Soloist\" jean-yves=\"\" thibaudet=\"\" plays=\"\" no.=\"\" sound=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/a1yBjMQsgbw?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" web-share=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<h2>Jean-Yves Thibaudet: three great recordings<\/h2>\n<h3>Gershwin: <em>Rhapsody in Blue<\/em>; Piano Concerto in F etc.<\/h3>\n<p>Baltimore Symphony Orchestra\/Marin Alsop<br\/><em>Decca 478 2189<\/em><\/p>\n<p>From <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/reviews\/orchestral\/gershwin-piano-concerto\/"\"><strong>our review<\/strong><\/a>: \u2018Clarinet and trumpet certainly set <em>Rhapsody in Blue<\/em> off in fine style\u2026 But the best is Thibaudet\u2019s diamond-bright playing, relaxed and joyful in a way that brushes vexed questions of authenticity aside.\u2019<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.prestomusic.com\/classical\/products\/7984293--jean-yves-thibaudet-plays-gershwin"\">Download from Presto Music<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\""monetizerprice-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizerprice-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Gershwin-Piano-Concerto-Jean-Yves-Thibaudet\\\/dp\\\/B0035F0MU0\\\/ref=sr_1_1","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"19.6-36.4","sid":"term-classicalmusic-4-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizerprice-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3>Aria: Opera Without Words<\/h3>\n<p><em>Piano arrangements of arias by Saint-Sa\u00ebns, Puccini, Bellini et al<br\/><\/em><em>Decca E475 7668<\/em><\/p>\n<p>From <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/reviews\/miscellaneous\/bellini-gluck-korngold-puccini-saint-sans-strauss-and-wagner\/"\"><strong>our review<\/strong><\/a>: \u2018Thibaudet is always poetically refined and plays with delicacy and colour. He is immaculately controlled in Grainger\u2019s wonderful Ramble on the Last Love Duet from <em>Der Rosenkavalier<\/em>, while in music of greater lyrical simplicity he is suave and knowing.\u2019<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.prestomusic.com\/classical\/products\/8050799--aria-opera-without-words"\">Download from Presto Music<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\""monetizerprice-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizerprice-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizerdeals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Aria-Opera-Without-Jean-Yves-Thibaudet\\\/dp\\\/B000M9BTPE\\\/ref=sr_1_1","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"12.6-23.4","sid":"term-classicalmusic-4-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/camille-saint-saens\/"\">Saint-Sa\u00ebns<\/a>: Piano Concertos Nos 2 & 5<\/h3>\n<p>L\u2019Orchestre de la Suisse Romande\/Charles Dutoit<em><br\/><\/em><em>Decca 475 8764<\/em><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Saint-Sa\u00ebns:\" piano=\"\" concerto=\"\" no.5=\"\" thibaudet=\"\" concertgebouw=\"\" orchestra=\"\" live=\"\" concert=\"\" hd=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1IEYtta_ZsI?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" web-share=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Awarded five stars in <em>BBC Music Magazine<\/em>, Thibaudet is in scintillating form \u2013 in turns brilliantly light-fingered and masterfully evocative \u2013 in this 2007 recording of the French composer\u2019s two best-known piano concertos.<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.prestomusic.com\/classical\/products\/7959873--saint-saens-piano-concertos-nos-2-5"\">Download from Presto Music<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\""monetizerprice-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizerprice-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Saint-Saens-Piano-Concertos-Nos-2-etc\\\/dp\\\/B000T0XEBS\\\/ref=sr_1_3","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"5.6-10.4","sid":"term-classicalmusic-4-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts 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