An Evening with Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier

We are invited to experience one of music’s most transcendent achievements as the Abu Dhabi Festival presents an entire recital devoted to Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I. On 11 December 2026, the Cultural Foundation becomes a sanctuary for musical contemplation as acclaimed Korean-American pianist Minsoo Sohn performs this landmark keyboard work in its complete entirety.

This is no ordinary concert programme. Within a single evening, Mr Sohn will guide us through all 24 preludes and 24 fugues spanning every major and minor key, revealing Bach’s extraordinary invention, boundless emotional range and enduring beauty. Each movement unfolds as a distinct world, yet together they form a harmonious cosmos of musical mastery that has captivated pianists and audiences for nearly three centuries.

Minsoo Sohn brings to this monumental undertaking a reputation for musical intelligence, poetic interpretation and refined virtuosity. His distinguished career as both performer and mentor has established him as a guardian of the classical tradition, one who has nurtured emerging talents and deepened our understanding of the keyboard repertoire through his expressive artistry.

The Well-Tempered Clavier stands as one of the great masterpieces of keyboard literature, a work that transcends its historical moment to speak directly to the human spirit. In Mr Sohn’s hands, we shall discover the infinite facets of Bach’s genius, experiencing music that continues to astonish with its structural perfection, emotional profundity and timeless relevance.

This is an opportunity to surrender ourselves to one of classical music’s supreme achievements, performed by an artist of considerable distinction in one of Abu Dhabi’s most distinguished cultural venues.