SEVENTEENTH VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

May 21–June 7, 2025
Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU • Bass Performance Hall • Fort Worth, Texas USA
Paul Lewis, jury chairman

The best pianists in the world.
The ideal performance environment.
Unrivaled international exposure.
The launch of careers.

APPLICATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY

Applications are now open and will be due October 16, 2024.

The Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities. First-prize winners of previous Van Cliburn International Piano Competitions are not eligible to compete. Applicants must have been born after June 7, 1994, and on or before May 21, 2007.

ABOUT THE 2025 COMPETITION

Widely considered “one of the most prestigious contests in classical music” (The New York Times), the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition exists to share excellent classical music with the largest international audience possible and to launch the careers of its winners every four years. Building on a rich tradition that began with its 1962 origins in honor of Van Cliburn and his vision for using music to serve audiences and break down boundaries, the Cliburn seeks, with each edition, to achieve the highest artistic standards while utilizing contemporary tools to advance its reach. Beyond cash prizes, winning a Cliburn medal means comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the three years following.

The 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition builds on the historic success of the 2022 edition, which was an outstanding embodiment of the Cliburn’s core tenants: enduring commitment to artistic excellence, the discovery of new artists, and the advancement of classical piano music throughout the world. It reached a record-breaking number of people around the globe, exponentially surpassing viewership and online engagement from its past editions. It has now become one of the most-watched classical events in history, with more than 40 million views on Cliburn channels across 177 countries—and immeasurable viral reach beyond that.

And it launched the careers of three extraordinary medalists. Gold Medalist Yunchan Lim has had a meteoric rise to stardom. In his first two seasons as Cliburn winner, concert engagements include New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestras, and Orchestre de Paris, and Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw, and Seoul Arts Center (most quickly sold out.) His performance videos are now the most viewed online for some of classical piano’s most popular works including Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3, Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3, Liszt 12 Transcendental Etudes, and Mozart Piano Concerto No. 22, K. 482. Silver Medalist Anna Geniushene and Bronze Medalist Dmytro Choni have each set off on busy touring careers, with performance highlights including Washington Performing Arts at the Kennedy Center, Wiener Konzerthaus, Palau de la Música, and Elbphilharmonie; Lille Piano and Lucerne Festivals; top orchestras of the United States and Europe; and tours of Japan, China, Italy, and Germany. Studio recordings for each are forthcoming.

KEY DATES

October 16, 2023—Applications Open

Summer 2024—Premium Ticket Subscription Packages On Sale

October 16, 2024—Applications Due

Fall 2024—Single Tickets On Sale; Screening Auditions Schedule Announced

March 9–15, 2025—Screening Auditions

April 2, 2025—30 Competitors Announced

May 21–June 7, 2025—Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

THE 2025 CLIBURN JURY

The Cliburn proudly presents the jury for the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The jury comprises some of the best performing pianists of our time. Each jury member actively shapes the classical music landscape through their performance and instruction.

THE 2025 CLIBURN ARTISTIC COLLABORATORS

Marin Alsop—one of the foremost conductors of our time and the first woman to serve as the head of a major orchestra in the United States, South America, Austria, and Britain—returns to the Cliburn to again lead the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in the Final Round after her 2022 appearance as both conductor and jury chair. Carlos Miguel Prieto—famed Mexican conductor, influential cultural lead and educator, and newly named music director of the North Carolina Symphony—will conduct the all-Mozart Semifinal Round. In addition to serving on the jury, Gabriela Montero has been commissioned to compose a new work for the 2025 Cliburn Competition, to be performed by all 30 competitors.

CONDUCTORS

THE 2025 ROUNDS & REPERTOIRE

Over four exhilarating rounds of competition, 30 of the world’s top emerging pianists will compete for gold.

THE 2025 ARTWORK

The signature design for the 2025 Competition features “Chromesthesia” by internationally renowned, Texas-based muralist DAAS.