May 26, 2020

Dear friends of the Cliburn,

In light of the global pandemic and its implications on the performing arts industry, the Cliburn today announces modified plans for the upcoming months, including new pop-up concerts; summer and fall seasons for its digital Cliburn at Home initiative; and a delayed start to its traditional Cliburn Concerts season, now in January 2021.

We’ve been closely monitoring developments in our industry—both in Fort Worth and internationally—as we look forward to the fall and beyond. While we must make decisions now regarding some of our programming, we intend to continue to be flexible and responsible, to best serve our communities. All current and future determinations are based on the following considerations:

  • The health and security of our constituents—the artists, staff, patrons, volunteers, and all others;
  • Social distancing guidelines and how those would affect the concert environment;
  • And the availability and safety of international travel, which is paramount to the success of most of our programs—as we showcase the premier talent in the world.

As such, the Cliburn today announces the following:

POP-UP SOCIALLY DISTANCED CONCERTS
The Cliburn is exploring options for a few small live concert experiences this fall at alternative venues that lend themselves to safe, social distancing—to feature regionally based artists. Information will be announced in the weeks prior to each event.

CLIBURN AT HOME – SUMMER AND FALL SEASONS
A Cliburn at Home summer season of the Cliburn Watch Party and Cliburn Kids series will begin on June 15, and plans are taking shape for new offerings for the fall as well. All details to be announced in the coming weeks, and all previously premiered videos can be found at Cliburn.org/Cliburn-at-home.

The Cliburn at Home initiative launched March 30 and will conclude its current spring season on this Saturday, May 30. The three new programs—Cliburn Watch Party, Cliburn Kids, and Cliburn Amateur Spotlight—have amassed 3 million impressions online, with more than 1 million minutes of music watched across 100 countries to date.

2020–2021 CLIBURN CONCERTS DELAYED TO JANUARY 2021
The traditional concert series features recitals from the world’s top classical performing artists at the Kimbell Art Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Scat Jazz Lounge, and Bass Performance Hall. The season would have normally opened in October 2020; the Cliburn currently plans to host a shortened season, beginning in January 2021. The announcement of the spring concerts, as well as the ticket-on-sale date, will occur in fall 2020, contingent on conditions at that time.

The Cliburn appreciates the support of its global community during this time and continues to join our classical music colleagues in offering videos online to provide a respite for a world in quarantine. We encourage all to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.