Jean-Yves Thibaudet Essentials

Though he tended to be typecast as a French music specialist (and he's a superb performer of Ravel and Debussy), Thibaudet has very catholic music tastes and has given his attention to great works by the likes of Gershwin and Messiaen. A great opera buff, he has often worked with singers—Cecilia Bartoli and Renée Fleming among them—and is also a keen chamber musician. His playing is characterised by a great rhythmic sense and a broad palette. His flamboyant stage presence may have been upstaged by the likes of Lang Lang, but he's a serious musician and a player much loved by conductors who enjoy his easy rapport.