Gramophone Award
Hooray! Colouring Book won a Gramophone Award, in the Concept Album Category. I received the award on October 15, 2025, in a celebration of this year’s classical recordings in London – humbled and overjoyed to be included in such stellar company.
“It is undeniable that the success of this album rests primarily on the quality of Fu’s Debussy: in his original review, Jed Distler describes the pianist’s ‘enchantingly characterised interpretations’ and hails his ‘abundant gifts and stellar musicianship’. Even with benchmarks as established as Mitsuko Uchida (Decca, 7/90) and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (Chandos, 12/08), as well as the more recent recording from Steven Osborne (Hyperion, 12/23), Fu’s account stands out. Of course, a fine set of Debussy’s Études doesn’t itself make for a concept album award. Ultimately, ‘Colouring Book’ is not only a showcase for the genre of the étude and a triumphant combination of music old and new, but a programme designed to celebrate colour and timbre as essential components of piano-playing… To present such imaginative new music as part of the mainstream, not in any way ghettoised, is itself cause for celebration.” -Tim Parry