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Jean-Yves Thibaudet

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Jean-Yves Thibaudet is a French pianist, born in 1961 in Lyon. His mother, herself a fairly accomplished pianist, introduced him to the piano. At five he went to the Lyon conservatoire, at seven he gave his first performance and at twelve he won a gold medal there. He then studied in Paris with Aldo Ciccolini and Lucette Descaves, and at eighteen he won the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York.

Music and breakthrough

He has played with the great orchestras of Berlin, Amsterdam, London, New York, Chicago and other cities and was the first permanent artist in residence at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and the Colburn School in Los Angeles. He made more than fifty recordings, most of them for Decca. These include a box set of the complete piano works of Erik Satie, released on the composer's 150th anniversary. He is known for his interpretation of French music, but also plays Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin and opera transcriptions.

Influence

He also ventured into jazz. The albums Conversations with Bill Evans from 1997 and Reflections on Duke from 1999 contain arrangements and elaborations of improvisations by Bill Evans and Duke Ellington. His playing can also be heard on film music, including Atonement, which won an Oscar for best score. In this way he stands on the border between classical concert life, jazz and film.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a piece from Conversations with Bill Evans or Reflections on Duke and notice how a classically trained pianist makes room for jazz harmony and free phrasing.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists