The internationally acclaimed pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet celebrates his 60th birthday on September 7th,. To mark the occasion, the ASCAP Deems Taylor Virgil Thomson Award winning program Between the Keys will devote an hour to a wide range of his recordings, featuring music of Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Brahms, Satie, Mendelssohn, Bill Evans and Alec Wilder.
“I met Jean-Yves in 1996, when his label Decca enlisted me to create arrangements and transcriptions for the pianist’s upcoming recording Conservations with Bill Evans,” recalls the Classical Network’s Artist-in-Residence Jed Distler, who is the creator, producer and host of Between the Keys.
“Jean-Yves and I immediately hit it off, and were on the same page about how to approach the project. It was amazing to watch Jean-Yves read through my Bill Evans arrangements perfectly at first sight , but also to see how he would internalize and fine-tune the music over time. Even with his vast experience and authority, Jean-Yves is an artist who keeps evolving.”
Thibaudet was a special guest on Between the Keys back in 2018. “We had a wonderful time speaking about his favorite repertoire and his formative years studying with Aldo Ciccolini,” says Distler. “ And I was touched to learn that Jean-Yves listens to the program when he can, which means a lot to me, considering his whirlwind schedule.”
Tune in and raise a glass to Jean-Yves Thibaudet on Between the Keys, Tuesday September 7th at 10 PM, with a rebroadcast Wednesday September 8th at noon, exclusively on The Classical Network and WWFM.org.