The world of music discovered Frank Braley in 1991, when he won the first prize in the Queen Elisabeth Competition for piano. Here, at last, we have made available again his superb performances at this great annual Brussels event.

The work of restoring and making accessible the Queen Elisabeth Competition’s sound archives has made it possible to relive the great moments of the competition, which has been at the heart of musical life in Belgium for more than 75 years; it also gives us an opportunity to rediscover and to see in perspective the performances of laureates who have left their mark on its history. Frank Braley is undoubtedly one of those. Far from belonging to the ‘competition specialist’ category, the musician who took part in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 1991 was a true poet: everything he touched was transformed into crystal; everything was pure and luminous. Although he himself didn’t think he was ‘ready’, the jury and the public were unanimous in acclaiming his talent. His route towards the first prize took him through Liszt, Rachmaninov, Mozart, and a magnificent Beethoven concerto; his musicianship was irresistible, as these live recordings show.

At 22 years of age, Frank Braley offered the audience a moment of beauty and music that nobody present has ever forgotten; he has continued, ever since, to successfully share those emotions throughout the world.