Once again it was evident that the quality of great violinists is manifested at an early age. For the first time in its history, the entire festival will bear the artistic signature of a personality from the world of music. For the first time, I can give shape to a musical idea that then becomes reality in many different concerts.
I am extremely pleased to be able to do this in cooperation with Audi in Ingolstadt β a place I know from my childhood. From the very start of his career, he delighted in music beyond the standard repertoire, from jazz to opera, which he transcribed himself to play on the piano.
His profound professional friendships crisscross the globe and have led to spontaneous and fruitful collaborations in film, fashion, and visual art. He also expresses his passion for education and fostering young musical talent as the first-ever Artist-in-Residence at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, where he makes his home. The school has extended the residency for an additional three years and has announced the Jean-Yves Thibaudet Scholarships to provide aid for Music Academy students, whom Thibaudet will select for the merit-based awards, regardless of their instrument choice.
As one of the premiere interpreters of the solo part in Bernstein's Age of Anxiety , Thibaudet continues to perform the piece around the world as the composer's centennial year comes to a close. In , on the th anniversary of Erik Satie's birth, Decca released a box set of Satie's complete solo piano music performed by Thibaudet β one of the foremost champions of the composer's works.
Thibaudet's AriaβOpera Without Words , which was released the same year, features aria transcriptions, some of which are Thibaudet's own. Thibaudet has also had an impact on the world of fashion, film and philanthropy. In he served as president of the prestigious charity auction Hospices de Beaune. His concert wardrobe is designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood. Jean-Yves Thibaudet was born in Lyon, France, where he began his piano studies at age five and made his first public appearance at age seven.
