CLIBURN IN THE CLASSROOM

Cliburn in the Classroom is an interactive concert experience designed specifically for elementary audiences. We bring our own Steinway baby grand piano into every school, along with a virtuoso pianist to perform impressive music. A teaching-artist leads students through activities and bridges connections between the music and theme of the program.

With Cliburn in the Classroom, instructional time is enhanced, not lost. Our interdisciplinary themes explore the intersection of music and multiple subjects, including math, reading, language arts, social studies, history, and art. When combined with our curriculum guides, they address state and national standards for STEAM education for students in the second through fourth grades.

We take a student-centered approach to music education. All Cliburn in the Classroom programs are crafted through a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) lens. Our experiences provide multiple, flexible means of engagement to celebrate the variability in all students, and to allow kids the opportunity to participate in ways that are most meaningful and comfortable for them. We cater to multiple learning styles, utilize movement and peer-building activities, and address social-emotional learning competencies. Our performance length and structure is both attention and sensory friendly. We are also able to offer bilingual (Spanish/English) presentations, so that every child can fully participate. Cliburn in the Classroom is provided without cost to schools and districts in North Texas, to remove financial barriers to access.

Cliburn in the Classroom received a 2024 Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Award for Innovation in Education from D CEO Magazine.

For more information about Cliburn in the Classroom, please contact Nicole Paglialonga at npaglialonga@cliburn.org or call 817.738.6536.

Cliburn in the Classroom 2024–2025 Programs

All of our programs are available to be presented bilingually (Spanish/English), based on host availability.

What makes a Hero?

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a pianist?! A musical conversation about heroes, from caped comic book characters to heroes we meet in everyday life; told through the lens of how Van Cliburn used the superpower of music to connect people around the world.

Featured Composers: BEETHOVEN, CHOPIN, TCHAIKOVSKY, HOUGH, BENZECRY

Download the Curriculum Guide

Nature Walk

Let’s take a stroll through America’s National Parks! Learn about the great eco-diversity of our country and see why these natural wonders spark so much imagination and creativity in music.

Featured Composers: BANSAL, LIAS, HAILSTORK, WALLER, THOMAS, BRANDON, GOLIJOV

Download the Curriculum Guide

Pianoblox

Have you ever wondered who wrote the epic music to your favorite video game or movie? In this program, we learn about some of the most celebrated composers of this unique genre and how much music adds to the thrill of play.

Featured Composers: RAINE, UEMATSU, SHIMOMURA, HISAISHI, ROSENFELD, BADELT-RADNICH, CHOPIN

Download the Curriculum Guide

Pictures at an Exhibition

Imagine yourself in the grand hall of an art museum. There are so many rooms to explore, each representing a different culture, style, and time period of art. What sorts of things will you see…and hear?

Featured Composers: MUSSORGSKY, BELLIDO, AGÓCS, LEE III, RANJBARAN, CHEN YI, MACDOWELL

Download the Curriculum Guide

Pianos in Space

Cliburn in the Classroom launches into space! We visit each of the planets, learning about the music and mythology behind their names, while photos from NASA bring the planets right into your school.

Featured Piece: HOLST The Planets