César Franck

A child prodigy pianist at the Liège Conservatory, Franck moved to Paris with his family, studying at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1858, he was appointed titular organist at the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde, where his sublime improvisations on the newly installed Cavaillé-Coll organ fascinated Franz Liszt.

As professor of organ at the Conservatoire, 'Père Franck' mentored a generation of composers including Vincent d'Indy and Ernest Chausson. His revolutionary cyclic form—reappearing and transforming musical themes across movements—reached perfection in his Violin Sonata (1886) and Symphony in D minor (1888).