Jean-Yves Thibaudet is a French pianist, born on September 7, 1961, in Lyon. He studied at the Paris Conservatory with Lucette Descaves and Aldo Ciccolini. In 1979, he received second prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition.
A reviewer described Thibaudet as one of the finest interpreters of varied, languorous and sentimental music, especially noting his performances of Erik Satie and calling him an heir to Maurice Ravel. His repertoire and recordings also include works by Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, Camille Saint-Saëns, Vincent d’Indy, Claude Debussy and Olivier Messiaen.
Thibaudet has recorded more than 30 albums for Decca Records. His playing is featured in the films The Portrait of a Lady (1996), Pride & Prejudice (2005) and Atonement (2007). His chamber-music collaborators have included singers Renée Fleming and Cecilia Bartoli, violinist Joshua Bell, violist Yuri Bashmet and cellist Truls Mørk.
He received the Echo Klassik award in the Classical Without Borders category in 1998. In 2007, he was given the Victoire d’honneur at the Victoires de la Musique awards.