Jean-Yves Thibaudet

piano

About this Artist

Through elegant musicality and an insightful approach to both contemporary and established repertoire, Jean-Yves Thibaudet has earned a reputation as one of the world’s finest pianists. He is especially known for his diverse interests beyond the classical world; in addition to his many forays into jazz and opera—including works that he transcribed himself for the piano—Thibaudet has forged profound friendships around the globe, leading to fruitful collaborations in film, fashion, and visual art. He is a devoted educator and is the first-ever Artist-in-Residence at the Colburn School, which awards several scholarships in his name.

Thibaudet opens the 2024/25 season with Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F at the Colorado Symphony; he later brings the piece to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. He performs another signature piece, Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5, with the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Macao Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and the Pacific, Kansas City, and San Diego symphonies. A major contemporary exponent of Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto, Thibaudet performs the piece with the National Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, and Tonhalle orchestras.

In Seoul, with the KBS Symphony Orchestra, he returns to Scriabin’s Prometheus: The Poem of Fire, which he performed last season in a synesthetic presentation with olfactory cues created by Mathilde Laurent of Cartier. He also appears as soloist in Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Münchner Philharmoniker; Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, “Age of Anxiety,” with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra; and Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with the New Jersey and Palm Beach symphony orchestras. Other season highlights include world premiere performances of two works: Benjamin Attahir’s double concerto Hanoï Songs, with the Seattle Symphony, and Manu Martin’s Cosmic Rhapsody, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; and the return of his program with Michael Feinstein, Two Pianos: Who Could Ask for Anything More? in Rome and San Francisco.

In addition to his orchestral dates, Thibaudet takes part in the Itzhak Perlman and Friends tour across California and a tour of Asia with longtime collaborator Gautier Capuçon. While visiting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he will play chamber music with members of the orchestra. He also continues his multi-season focus on Debussy’s Préludes, performing both books in their entirety at recitals across the United States; last season saw a reissue of his seminal 1996 recording of the Préludes on limited-edition vinyl with design by Vivienne Westwood.