Magdalene Ho and Franck's "Prelude, Chorale and Fugue"

Hey everyone,

Hope you're all having a wonderful summer! If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the latest tonebase YouTube video where we dive into Magdalene Ho’s unforgettable Cliburn performance...and the possibly cursed masterpiece she dared to include: Franck’s Prélude, Chorale et Fugue.

Like many of you, I was deeply inspired by Magdalene’s artistry. Her performance got me thinking about the role of competitions in today’s musical landscape, and how certain repertoire choices can be both incredibly risky and deeply meaningful. This video was a chance for me to explore all that with you, and to celebrate one of my all-time favorite piano works.

Want to go even deeper? Don’t miss our interview with this year’s Cliburn gold medalist Aristo Sham, or Johnandrew Slominski’s fantastic tonebase lesson on the Franck!

What were some of your favorite Cliburn performances this year? What's your favorite Franck work? Sound off below, it's always great to hear from you!