Van Cliburn was only twenty-three when he won the first
International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow on April 14, 1958,
at the height of the Cold War.
Upon his return to the United States, the young pianist received
a hero's welcome in New York City with a ticker-tape parade. This
was the first and only time the city gave such an honor to a
classical musician.
On that historic day, Van Cliburn became both cultural hero and
unofficial diplomat. He went on to perform before every U.S.
president from 1958 until today; the most famous of these concerts
occurred in 1987 when he played for Ronald Reagan and Mikhail
Gorbachev in the White House. This occasion is now remembered as
the day the Cold War was lost.
Inspired by Mr. Cliburn's extraordinary talent and love for
music, a group of Fort Worth music teachers and private citizens
established the Van Cliburn Foundation and International Piano
Competition in 1962. Today, this competition is regarded as one of
the world's preeminent musical events.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Mr. Cliburn's historic
victory, one thousand guests attended the gala on March 1, 2008, on
the lawn of the Kimbell Art Museum. The Russian Minister of Culture
joined the Russian ambassador to the United States, the United
States ambassador to Japan, and four Cliburn gold medalists in
special salutes. Music icons CHICAGO provided late-night
entertainment.
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