For Jean-Yves the 1995-96 opera season was a dream come true. He debuted at
the MET!
Yes, in a real opera on the stage of the great opera house. He played the non-singing
role of the Chopinesque pianist-spy, Lazinski, in Umberto Giordano's Fedora.
He is a long-time fan of Mirella Freni and Placido Domingo, and being on stage
with them was an absolute thrill. The MET must have been as thrilled to have
had a real-life dashing pianist play the role of a dashing pianist.
Playing the Chopin-like nocturne was easy, it was the acting that somewhat fazed
him. But he pulled it off quite nicely - after all, with his elegant bearing
and his Lisztian lock of flaxen hair, he did look the part.
Here he is shown with soprano Ainhoa Arteta in the scene where he dazzles the
guests as a bon vivant beau and piano player, and - backstage after an
evening's performance - with the great Mirella Freni who sang the title role
and whom Jean-Yves met on the set for the first time .
And so Jean-Yves Thibaudet's love affair with opera continues and it will go
on for as long as he believes the voice is the most beautiful musical instrument
and his role as an artist is to make the piano sing.
A MESSAGE FROM JY (1999) 
UK
For Jean-Yves the 1995-96 opera season was a dream come true. He debuted at
the MET!