2019 CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR PIANO COMPETITION
for pianists age 13 to 17
MAY 31–JUNE 8, 2019 • DALLAS, TEXAS
Laura Bush, honorary chairman
Alessio Bax, jury chairman
ABOUT THE 2019 JUNIOR COMPETITION AND FESTIVAL
The second edition of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, for pianists age 13 to 17, took place May 31–June 8, 2019, in Dallas, Texas. The Preliminary through Semifinal Rounds and festival events took place on the campus of SMU. The Final Round was held at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, where the three finalists performed full concertos with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Ruth Reinhardt. Alessio Bax, remarkable pianist, winner of both the Leeds and Hamamatsu International Piano Competitions, and SMU artist-in-residence, served as jury chairman. All Competition performances can be seen at YouTube.com/theCliburn
The Junior Competition and Festival was established in 2015 as another means for the Cliburn to use its standing and expertise to encourage tomorrow’s great artists, to provide a valuable forum for them to express themselves, and to give them an entrance to the next step of their journeys. Key ingredients were top international jurors, the media and webcast, Final Round performances with orchestra, and the festival atmosphere, which included performance experience and artistic workshops—all put into place to make the program significantly useful for students with aspirations of being professional musicians.
“The last four years have been a time of growth for the Cliburn: we have fine-tuned or expanded many of our programs and added some as well—the Junior Competition being the most impactful of our new initiatives,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO. “The first edition in 2015 was a great success and accomplished its intention, to help keep the Cliburn brand alive internationally over our four-year cycle and to connect us with the top international talent at an earlier age. With the second edition, we look to build upon that success.”
The 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival was held May 31–June 8, 2019 and drew 230 applications from 32 countries. Over 20 journalists, including several from Europe, covered the event in person, writing over 120 stories about the Competition and the 23 pianists who participated. Live and on demand webcast views have topped 500,000 for over 3.8 million minutes watched by viewers in 120 countries.
“One key to continuing the Cliburn’s strategic advancement is to continuously reach a broader community, both around the world and in our own backyard,” said Marquis. “We are pleased to be presenting the second edition of this still-new program in Dallas in 2019, and believe it will expose the Cliburn to a greater audience base in the region, as well as bring fantastic new partnerships with SMU, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and more to come. Fort Worth was Van Cliburn’s home and is the Cliburn’s permanent home. It will, in perpetuity, play host to the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. We have no intention of lessening our presence in Fort Worth; in fact, we have been increasing our programs in our hometown. Our offices are in downtown Fort Worth; our concert series are held in Fort Worth; our education program visits every elementary school in Fort Worth each year; and our community partnerships have never been stronger—including those with longtime, cherished collaborators TCU and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. We are proud to be adding to that robust Cliburn family now with the outstanding organizations and people of Dallas.”