VENUE UPDATE: CLIBURN SESSIONS WITH GABRIELA MONTERO ON APRIL 26 MOVES TO TULIPS FTW

March 25, 2024

The Cliburn is proud welcome back renowned pianist and composer Gabriela Montero for two concerts this April: first, Cliburn Concerts on Thursday April 25, 2024, at the Kimbell Art Museum Renzo Piano Pavilion (3333 Camp Bowie Blvd.); followed by Cliburn Sessions, the Cliburn’s classically alternative club series, at Tulips FTW (112 St. Louis Ave.) on Friday, April 26, 2024. Cliburn Sessions was previously scheduled to take place at The Post at River East; all tickets purchased for the previously scheduled venue will be honored, and no action is required.

For her Kimbell performance, Gabriela will perform pieces by Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and Rachmaninov, in addition to improvised score to Charlie Chaplin’s 1917 silent classic The Immigrant, while the film plays on the big screen.

For her Tulips performance, Gabriela will perform a selection of classical and improvised pieces to be announced from the stage.

When awarding her the 2023 Performance Today Classical Woman of the Year, American Public Media noted that Gabriela Montero is “a soulful artist at the piano, bringing out the beauty and humanity in a wide range of music, and a fervent composer of music that speaks to the joy and tumult of our times.”

Performances have taken her to many of the world’s most prestigious halls and orchestras. An award-winning recording artist and composer, she has combined the two, to outstanding results: her 2015 release, which includes her own Ex Patria and Improvisations, won the Latin Grammy® for Best Classical Album. And she is a powerful and eloquent champion for the people of her native Venezuela, often using the power of her gifts of composition and improvisation as a tool of creative dissent; her advocacy has earned recognition from the Human Rights Foundation, Beethoven Academy, and Amnesty International.

Now she returns to Cliburn Concerts for her first appearance in almost 15 years.

In addition to her Cliburn Concerts appearance, Gabriela will serve on the jury of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and has been commissioned to compose a new work for the Competition, to be performed by all 30 competitors. This marks the third time that the composer of the commissioned work will also serve on the jury.

CONCERT INFO

Cliburn Concerts
Thursday, April 25, 2024  I  7:30 p.m.
Kimbell Art Museum Renzo Piano Pavilion
3333 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76107
Tickets are reserved seating and are $35–$85

Cliburn Sessions
Friday, April 26, 2024  I  8:00 p.m.
Tulips FTW
112 St. Louis Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76104
Tickets are general admission and are $45

ABOUT CLIBURN SESSIONS
Cliburn Sessions was established in 2014, and presents classically trained artists in a relaxed environment, where they are free to blend genres and interact with the audience. The intimate, casual setting allows for a unique showcase of talent outside of the traditional recital experience.

The venue for the May 10 Cliburn Sessions performance with the Anderson & Roe Piano Duo will be announced at a later date.

 

 

FREE CLIBURN IN THE COMMUNITY CONCERTS IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA, MARCH 5–15

February 12, 2024

The Cliburn is proud to present a series of free Cliburn in the Community concerts this March, featuring 2023 Cliburn Junior winner Seokyoung Hong and local Cliburn Kids on the Road programs and artists. See the full schedule below.

2023 Cliburn Junior winner Seokyoung Hong returns to North Texas this March for a series of free community concerts. At only 16 years old, Seokyoung is the recipient of several first- and second-place prizes in Korea, Switzerland, and the United States. Recently, he performed at the Cliburn’s 12-artist Homecoming Concert and Party in October, and he continues his studies under HaeSun Paik at the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School in Boston. In addition to his public concerts, Seokyoung will give private performances and talk with students at Fossil Ridge and Eaton high schools and with a group of music students from Arlington ISD.

Then this Spring Break, March 11–15, Cliburn Kids on the Road will bring concerts at parks and public libraries across Fort Worth and Dallas. The featured programs “Pet Parade” and “Laugh Out Loud” will take participants through exciting musical journeys, highlighting the inspiration of animals and comedy in classical music. Cliburn Kids on the Road features excellent pianists leading musical programs for elementary-aged children and families, with several events offering bilingual hosting in English and Spanish.

The Cliburn is proud to partner once again with Fort Worth Public Library, Dallas Public Library, Heart of Texas Therapy Dogs, Klyde Warren Park, and the Dallas Asian American Youth Orchestra for this series.

SPONSORED BY

2025 CLIBURN COMPETITION: CONDUCTORS AND SCREENING JURY ANNOUNCED

December 13, 2023

The Cliburn is proud to announce the artistic collaborators for the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place May 21–June 7, 2025, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. 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.

Learn more about 2025 Artistic Collaborators


Additionally announced are the members of the 2025 Cliburn Competition Screening Jury: Philippe Bianconi, Alexander Kobrin, Momo Kodama, Anne-Marie McDermott, and Roberto Plano. All members of the panel combine distinguished performance careers with a commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists. They will be charged with selecting the 30 competitors from the pool of up to 84 pianists invited to the Screening Auditions, taking place March 9–15, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Learn more about the 2025 Screening Jury

2025 CLIBURN COMPETITION: OFFICIAL ARTWORK ANNOUNCED

November 16, 2023

The Cliburn is proud to announce the official artwork of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The signature design features “Chromesthesia” by internationally renowned, Texas-based muralist DAAS; the piece was originally commissioned for the Cliburn’s first-ever mural, painted in May 2022 at 113 South Main Street in Fort Worth’s vibrant Near Southside. The mural was a lasting gift to the city of Fort Worth and a celebration of the Cliburn’s 60th Anniversary.

Now the Cliburn is pleased to share the gorgeous piece with the world, prominently featuring it in all materials related to the Seventeenth Cliburn Competition, set to take place May 21–June 7, 2025, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. Applications for the 2025 Cliburn Competition opened on October 16, 2023 and will close on October 16, 2024.

 

2013 CLIBURN FINALIST FEI-FEI TO PERFORM CLIBURN POP-UP CONCERT NOVEMBER 29 AT THE POST AT RIVER EAST

November 1, 2023

The Cliburn is proud to announce that 2013 Cliburn finalist Fei-Fei will be returning to Fort Worth for a special Cliburn Pop-Up Concert on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at 8:00 PM inside the Trinity Room of The Post at River East. Single tickets are $45, with tables of four available for $150, and each are on sale now at cliburn.org. Doors open at 7:15 PM, and concert program starts at 8:00 PM.

ABOUT FEI-FEI

Praised for her “bountiful gifts and passionate immersion into the music she touches” (The Plain Dealer), pianist Fei-Fei is a winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition and finalist at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. She continues to build an international reputation for her poetic interpretations, charming audiences with her “passion, piquancy and tenderness” and “winning stage presence” (The Dallas Morning News).

Fei-Fei’s concert tours have taken her across the globe in concerto performances, recitals, and chamber music collaborations alike. Recent projects include artist-in-residence with the Baden-Baden Philharmonic with touring in Germany, a Carnegie Hall performance and tour of Spain with the New York Youth Symphony, debut at Lincoln Center with the Pegasus Orchestra, a 19-city tour of China with her Aletheia Piano Trio, and performances of lesser-represented repertoire such as concertos by Leroy Anderson, Florence Price, Clara Schumann, and Xiaogang Ye. Deeply committed to sharing her joy for music and connecting with communities, she also engages students and community audiences through frequent school and outreach activities.

Born in Shenzhen, Fei-Fei began piano lessons at the age of 5. She is a graduate of The Juilliard School where she studied with Yoheved Kaplinsky, and is currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree with pianist Yefim Bronfman at the Manhattan School of Music. Fei-Fei is also a member of the piano faculty at John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University and teaching associate of pianist Yefim Bronfman at the Manhattan School of Music beginning in Fall 2023.

2025 CLIBURN COMPETITION APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

October 16, 2023

Applications are now open for the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place May 21–June 7, 2025, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities, ages 18–30 at the time of the event. (Applicants must have been born after June 7, 1994, and on or before May 21, 2007.) More information below or at cliburn.org/2025-application.

THE CLIBURN PRESENTS FREE HALLOWEEN CONCERTS IN FORT WORTH AND DALLAS OCTOBER 31 & NOVEMBER 4

October 12, 2023

In the spirit of the Halloween season, the Cliburn will present free Community Concerts featuring spooky sounds October 31 & November 4, 2023 in Fort Worth and Dallas. More details are below.

The Cliburn is proud to partner with local festival and community organizers in the production of two free concerts featuring spooky selections and sounds of the season. The Fort Worth concert at Marine Park Stage, in partnership with Artes de la Rosa, joins in the festivities of Día de los Muertos; on Halloween, the Cliburn partners with Downtown Dallas for a series of special Trick or Treat performances.

Cliburn in the Community provides the experience of live classical music performance for free to a broad audience through partnerships with vibrant venues and organizations throughout North Texas. For more information, visit cliburn.org/community.


CONCERT DATES

Tuesday, October 31, 2023  I  4:00–7:00 PM

Trick or Treat on Downtown Streets
In partnership with Downtown Dallas
Performances will occur for 10 minutes each at every half hour.
Pegasus Plaza
1500 Main St
Dallas, TX 75201

Saturday, November 4, 2023  I  1:00 PM

Concert for Día de los Muertos Festival
In partnership with Artes de la Rosa
The Día de los Muertos Festival will run from 12:00–5:00 PM.
Marine Park Stage
303 NW 20th Street
Fort Worth, TX 76164

NPR’S FROM THE TOP GOES BACKSTAGE AT THE 2023 CLIBURN JUNIOR

October 3, 2023

Airing nationally during the weeks of October 9 and 16, 2023, NPR’s From the Top goes behind-the-scenes at the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival with two broadcasts. Available on participating NPR stations and by podcast (details at fromthetop.org).

Hosted by pianist Peter Dugan, this two-part documentary-style episode of From the Top features 10 of the 23 pianists (age 13 to 17) chosen to participate in two weeks of high-level competition and intense artistic development at the third edition of the Cliburn Junior, held June 2023 in Dallas, Texas. From the Top’s two-part special reveals the personal journeys and backstories of these young artists in the midst of this incredible experience, as well as some of their groundbreaking performances.

The Cliburn International 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. Learn more at cliburn.org/2023-junior-competition.


EPISODES

Listen to the episodes at the links below:

https://fromthetop.org/show/behind-the-scenes-at-the-cliburn-part-i-show-436/

https://fromthetop.org/show/behind-the-scenes-at-the-cliburn-part-ii-show-437/

Audio will not be available at these links until October 9 and 16, respectively.

Featured performances:

PART I – Airing week of October 9th

Eddison Chen, 13, from Kansas City, MO, United States, performing HAYDN Sonata in A-flat Major, Hob. XVI: 46 (I)

Zihan Jin, 14, from China, performing CHOPIN Berceuse in D-flat Major, op. 57

Alyssa Gabrilovich, 17, from Philadelphia, PA, United States, performing Ossip GABRILOVICH Melody in E Minor, op. 8

Zhonghua Wei, 14, from China, performing MOZART Sonata No. 14 in C Minor, K. 457

Tiankun Ma, 16, from China, performing SANCAN Toccata

Yiran Zhou, 15, from China, performing BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, op. 7 (II)

PART II – Airing week of October 16th

Seokyoung Hong, 15, from South Korea and Boston, MA, performing RACHMANINOV Prelude in G Major, Op. 32, No. 5, and RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43

Modan Oyama, 17, from Japan, performing SCARLATTI Sonata in A Major, K. 24

Jan Schulmeister, 16, from Czechia, performing DEBUSSY “La cathédrale engloutie” from Préludes, Book 1

Yifan Wu, 14, from China, performing CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11 (II)

Available Now—Anna Geniushene’s New Album Berceuse on Piano Classics Label

September 28, 2023

2022 Cliburn Silver Medalist Anna Geniushene’s new album Berceuse is out now on the Piano Classics record label. It features a collection of berceuses, cradle songs, and lullabies from 18 different composers, representing this traditional musical form across geographic boundaries, cultures, and erasThis deeply personal album also serves as a tribute to her two young sons Tomas and Mark, to whom this recording is dedicated.

The album (PCL10279) is now available worldwide on CD and through all download and streaming services.
The physical CD is available in the Cliburn Shop here.

Anna shares this insight into her recording selections:

“We remember, from when we were infants, these precious moments of being cuddled by our relatives who were always there for us. We might even remember their gentle voices, whispers, and breathing, and the smells of the place we were at that time. Once you become a parent, you are no longer the center of your own universe and have to concentrate all your resources on giving everything to your beloved children, particularly when they need extra comfort. So what can be more natural than a mother’s voice for this type of occasion? So we start to say something in a very gentle way, we may even sing some melodies, sometimes blending it with words directed and dedicated to our beloved ones. This is how the story of every ‘cradle song’ begins.

While designing this program, I was fascinated by the amount of this music which had never been recorded. My particular interest was in finding a way to promote compositions which could undoubtedly be named as hidden treasures of piano music.”

While competing in the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Anna was seven months pregnant with her second son, Mark. After three weeks of intense competition, she returned home to Lithuania, to her husband and their 1.5-year-old son Tomas, with the silver medal. Mark was born the following October. In the concert season since, she has embarked on a busy touring schedule, performing in top concert halls across North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Her husband, Lukas Geniušas, is also a highly accomplished touring pianist.

2025 CLIBURN COMPETITION: JURY, VENUES, FORMAT, COMPOSER ANNOUNCED

September 20, 2023

The Cliburn announces the major elements of the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place May 21–June 7, 2025, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. Applications open October 16, 2023, and will be due October 16, 2024.

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 tenets: 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 Orchestra, 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.

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 upcoming Cliburn FOUR-YEAR COMPETITION CYCLE will be:

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
May 21–June 7, 2025
For pianists 18 to 30 years old
Fort Worth, Texas, USA (Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU & Bass Performance Hall)

Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival
June 2027 (Details to be announced 2026)
For pianists 13 to 17 years old
Dallas, Texas, USA

Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
June 2028 (Details to be announced 2027)
For non-professional pianists 35 years and older
Fort Worth, Texas, USA


IMPORTANT DATES

October 16, 2023—Applications Open
Spring 2024—Premium Ticket Subscription Packages On Sale
October 16, 2024—Applications Due
Early 2025—Single Tickets On Sale; Screening Auditions Schedule Announced
March 9–15, 2025—Screening Auditions in Fort Worth, Texas USA
April 2, 2025—30 Competitors Announced
May 21–June 7, 2025—Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition


ELIGIBILITY

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.

Videos will be submitted through the online application process. Submissions must be between 35 and 40 minutes in length. The repertoire will consist of works chosen by the pianist and may be selected from works offered for the Competition recital rounds. Only complete works will be accepted. The video must be filmed with the pianist’s face and hands in the frame at all times.

2023–2024 Tours Announced for 2022 Cliburn Winners

August 17, 2023

Over one year after the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, its three medalists—Yunchan Lim, gold; Anna Geniushene, silver; and Dmytro Choni, bronze—have completed their inaugural concert seasons and summer tours as Cliburn winners. They have performed in person for fans around the globe, and their Competition performances have been viewed well over 40 million times.

The Cliburn is proud to share their full tour schedules for the 2023–2024 concert season, below.

 


YUNCHAN LIM 임윤찬
GOLD MEDALIST
Cliburn.org/Yunchan-Lim

 

2023–2024 TOUR DATES

 

AUGUST 2023

18.  Festival International de Piano de La Roque-d’Anthéron, La Roque-d’Anthéron, France

20.  Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands

22.  The Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark

SEPTEMBER 2023

8–10.  Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

13.  Fundación Sinfonía, with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

17.  Eastman Piano Series, Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Rochester, New York, USA

21.  McCarter Theatre Center, Matthews Theatre, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

23.  Washington Performing Arts, Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, Washington, D.C., USA

OCTOBER 2023

1.  Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, Budapest, Hungary

8.  Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Radio France Auditorium, Paris, France

12.  Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Radio France Auditorium, Paris, France

NOVEMBER 2023

15–16.  Münchner Philharmoniker, Isarphilharmonie, Munich, Germany

24–29.  Münchner Philharmoniker, Korean Tour, including Sejong Grand Theater, Seoul, South Korea

FEBRUARY 2024

5.  Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Tokyo, Japan

15–18.  Boston Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

21.  Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium, New York, New York, USA

MARCH 2024

1, 3.  Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

6–7.  Orchestre de Paris, Paris, France

14.  Orchestre de Paris at the University of Michigan, Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

17.  Orchestra de Paris at the Celebrity Series of Boston, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

19.  Orchestre de Paris at the Maison symphonique de Montréal, Montréal, Canada

27.  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Festival Hall, London, England

APRIL 2024

6.  Steinway Prizewinner Concerts, Mendelssohn Hall, Gewandhaus Leipzig

10.  Societá dei Concerti, Conservatorio di Milano – Sala Verdi, Milan, Italy

26.  Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

28.  Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda, Maryland, USA

MAY 2024

15–18.  Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, Lucerne, Switzerland

ANNA GENIUSHENE
SILVER MEDALIST
AnnaGeniushene.com

 

2023–2024 TOUR DATES

 

SEPTEMBER 2023

3.  Imogen Cooper Music Trust, “Melodomia” Festival, Le Baux, France

8.  Tippet Rise Art Center, The Olivier Music Barn, Fishtail, Montana, USA

10.  Friends of Chamber Music, Rudder Theater, College Station, Texas, USA

13.  Fundación Sinfonía, with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

15.  Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts, CSU Fresno Concert Hall, Fresno, California, USA

17.  Fredericksburg Music Club, Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, Fredericksburg, Texas, USA

21–22.  Cliburn Concerts, Kimbell Art Museum Renzo Piano Pavilion, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

26.  Recital presented by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, Shanghai, China

28.  Zhuhai Huafa & CPAA Grand Theatre, Zhunhai, China

30.  Bay Opera of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China

OCTOBER 2023

2.  Changsha, China

6.  Altenburg Arts, Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore

10.  Steinway Prizewinner Concerts, Strovolos Municipal Theatre, Nicosia, Cyprus

14.  Orchestra Giovanile Italiana, Scuola di musica di Fiesole, Florence, Italy

NOVEMBER 2023

3.  Gaida Music Festival, National Philharmonic Hall, Vilnius, Lithuania

5.  Steinway Prizewinner Concerts, Rudolf Firkušný Piano Festival, Bohuslav Martinů Hall, Prague, Czechia

12.  Steinway Prizewinner Concerts, BASF-Gesellschaftshaus, Ludwigshafen, Germany

18.  Pianomusik i Flen, Församlingshemmet, Flen, Sweden

19.  Piano Visions Festival, Pianomusik på Konstakademien, Stockholm, Sweden

DECEMBER 2023

10.  Steinway Prizewinner Concerts, Salle de l’Institut, Orléans, France

20.  Organum Concert Hall, Vilnius, Lithuania

JANUARY 2024

18.  Waco Symphony Orchestra, Waco, Texas, USA

20.  Skyline Piano Artist Series, Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Evanston, Illinois, USA

21.  Sound Ways Festival, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

FEBRUARY 2024

5–10.  Masterclasses & Solo Recital, Sanok, Poland

10.  Organum Concert Hall, Vilnius, Lithuania

22.  Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, Wichita Falls, Texas, USA

MARCH 2024

1.  Kauai Concert Association, Lihue, Hawaii, USA

3.  University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

5.  Hawai’i Concert Society, Hilo, Hawaii, USA

APRIL 2024

7.  Vancouver Chopin Society, Vancouver Playhouse, Vancouver, Canada

20.  Richardson Symphony Orchestra, Charles W. Eisemann Center, Richardson, Texas, USA

24.  Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, Florida, USA

27.  Washington Performing Arts, Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, Washington, D.C., USA

MAY 2024

1.  Sanford-Hill Piano Series at Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, USA

8.  Weiner Konzerthaus, Schubert Hall, Vienna, Austria

DMYTRO CHONI
BRONZE MEDALIST
DmytroChoni.com

 

2023–2024 TOUR DATES

 

AUGUST 2023

19.  Kultur.Sommer.Semmering, Semmering, Austria

22.  Lucerne Festival, Lucerne, Switzerland

31.  Kempen Klassik with Frank Peter Zimmermann, Kempen, Germany

SEPTEMBER 2023

10.  Friends of Chamber Music, Rudder Theater, College Station, Texas, USA

13.  Fundación Sinfonía, with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

17.  Lied Center of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA

19.  WYO Theater, Sheridan, Wyoming, USA

28.  Palau de la Música, Barcelona, Spain

30.  Edesche Concertzaal, Ede, Netherlands

OCTOBER 2023

7.  Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Civic Center Music Hall, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

13.  El Camino College, Marsee Auditorium, Torrance, California, USA

17.  Yavapai Symphony Association, Jim & Linda Performing Arts Center, Prescott, Arizona, USA

20.  Cliburn Concerts, TX Whiskey Ranch, Fort Worth, TX, USA

22.  Ukrainian Institute of America, New York City, NY, USA

NOVEMBER 2023

7.  Societá del Quartetto di Milano with Frank Peter Zimmerman, Conservatorio di Milano – Sala Verdi, Milan, Italy

18.  Steinway Prizewinner Concerts, Konzertverein Schwerin, Schwerin, Germany

25.  Edesche Concertzaal with Julian Steckel, Ede, Netherlands

DECEMBER 2023

3.  Badische Philharmonie Pforzheim, CongressCentrum Pforzheim, Germany

JANUARY 2024

Tour with violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann in Italy and Germany, including:

16.  Teatro Verdi, Pisa, Italy

27.  Konzerthaus, Blaibach, Germany

28.  Prinzregententheater, Munich, Germany

FEBRUARY 2024

28.  Wiener Konzerthaus, Schubert-Saal, Vienna, Austria

MARCH 2024

17.  Oracle Piano Society, Oracle Center for the Arts, Oracle, Arizona, USA

23.  Irving Symphony Orchestra, Irving Arts Center, Irving, Texas, USA

APRIL 2024

13.  Edesche Concertzaal with Josef Špaček, Ede, Netherlands

MAY 2024

2.  Wiener Kammerorchester, Wiener Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria

JUNE 2024

4.  Steinway Prizewinner Concerts, NDR Kleiner Sendesaal, Hannover, Germany

6.  Steinway Prizewinner Concerts, Robert-Schumann-Saal, Dusseldorf, Germany

7.  Steinway Prizewinner Concerts, Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, Germany

CRESCENDO—2022 CLIBURN COMPETITION DOCUMENTARY— WORLD PREMIERE AUGUST 12 IN SOUTH KOREA

August 10, 2023

Crescendothe feature documentary that follows the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the discovery of sensation Yunchan Lim—makes its world premiere screenings this weekend at South Korea’s Jecheon International Music and Film Festival. Directed and produced by Heather Wilk in her directorial debut, the film is being met with early enthusiasm: the premiere screenings sold out in under two minutes.

AUD Present, the South Korean distributor behind arthouse titles such as Lamb, The Farewell, Moonlight, Mid90s, and Pavarotti, has acquired Crescendo, with plans to release it in theaters across South Korea this fall.

“It is an honor to partner with AUD Present,” said Wilk. “Their track record of sharing incredible films to Korean audiences is unparalleled. Our premiere in Korea marks just the beginning and we are excited to share our film with the rest of the world.”

“We are thrilled to work with the Crescendo team,” said AUD Present’s Sinae Kim. “As a distributor, introducing the great film is one of the highlights of our work. We cannot wait to see the audience enjoy and appreciate this special film.”

The film is now available for U.S. and worldwide distribution partnerships. Details on when and how to see it outside of South Korea will be announced later this year.


ABOUT CRESCENDO

Crescendo is set against an unprecedented backdrop of global geopolitics as 30 of the world’s most promising musicians travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to compete in the renowned Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Vying for gold and their shot at classical piano stardom, the contestants showcase their talent and voices through six intense, high-stakes performances, with multiple elimination rounds, a discerning panel of jurists, and audiences numbering thousands in person and millions online.

Behind the scenes, stories of adversity, sacrifice, and heartbreak drive the pianists to perform at the highest level. As fan favorites and early contenders are eliminated, one unassuming genius rises to the top.

Crescendo is directed and produced by Heather Wilk. It is produced by Red Entertainment and the Cliburn. Executive Producers include Red Sanders of Red Entertainment and Jacques Marquis and Maggie Estes of the Cliburn.

Available Now—Yunchan Lim’s Gold Medal CD on Steinway & Sons Label

July 7, 2023

The highly anticipated gold-medal album for 2022 Cliburn winner Yunchan Lim is available now on the Steinway & Sons record label featuring the remastered live recording of his historic, complete performance of the Liszt Transcendental Etudes during the Competition’s Semifinal Round (performed June 10, 2022, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, USA).

The album (STNS 30217) is now available worldwide on CD and through all download and streaming services.
The physical CD is available in the Cliburn Shop here.

The original announcement that Lim—at age 18, the youngest competitor—would play the entire monumental work for his 2022 Cliburn third-round recital “created a buzz throughout the international piano community;” and he delivered, with a performance defined by “intelligent virtuosity and total immersion into Liszt’s idiom [that] truly defined transcendental” (Gramophone). In addition to the ecstatic audience in person that day and the 4 million people who have watched it online since, the critics were universally enraptured: “Lim displayed mind-boggling virtuosity and interpretive depth scarcely imaginable in one so young. In the semifinal round, he gave as brilliant a performance as you’ll ever hear of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes, containing some of the hardest music ever composed for piano” (Dallas Morning News). Now fans around the globe can enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime concert for many years to come.

Winners Announced for the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival

June 17, 2023

After 12 days of thrilling competition at Caruth Auditorium at SMU and this afternoon’s Final Round Concert with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and conductor Valentina Peleggi at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, the winners of the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival were announced on Saturday evening.

The Winners

 Bernice Gressman Meyerson First Prize
cash award of $15,000
Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea

Shirley Cox McIntyre Second Prize
cash award of $10,000
Yifan Wu 吴一凡, 14, China

The Horchow Family Third Prize
cash award of $5,000
Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia

Each finalist will also receive $2,500 scholarships that must be spent toward furthering their musical advancement.

 

Other Awards

Audience Award
cash award of $500

Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea

Semifinalists
cash awards of $2,500 each

Zihan Jin 金子涵, 14, China
Modan Oyama 大山桃暖, 17, Japan
Zhonghua Wei 魏中华, 14, China

Online viewership for the 2023 Cliburn Junior webcast topped 1.2 million views in 122 Countries, nearly doubling the 2019 Cliburn Junior total of 650,000 views.

Finalists Announced for 2023 Cliburn International Junior Competition

June 15, 2023

Janina Fialkowska, chairman of the Jury for the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival (taking place June 8–17, 2023, at Caruth Auditorium at SMU and Meyerson Symphony Center) is proud to announce the three pianists advancing to the Final Round. The Final Round will take place this Saturday, June 17, beginning at 2:30 p.m. CDT, at Meyerson Symphony Center, where each finalist will perform a full concerto with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Valentina Peleggi.

Tickets to attend the Final Round in person are on sale now at Cliburn.org. The concert will also be streamed live and available on demand at Cliburn.org, YouTube.com/thecliburn, Hyfi.com, and Amadeus.tv (in China).


The Finalists

Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea
Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia
Yifan Wu 吴一凡, 14, China


Final Round Schedule

Final Round Concert  I  2:30 PM

Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia – SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22

Yifan Wu 吴一凡, 14, China – CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11

20-MINUTE INTERMISSION

Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea – RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43

SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2023 CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR PIANO COMPETITION

June 11, 2023

Janina Fialkowska, chairman of the Jury for the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival(taking place June 8–17, 2023, at Caruth Auditorium at SMU and Meyerson Symphony Center) is proud to announce the six pianists advancing to the Semifinal Round, which will take place in two phases.

  • Phase I (Wednesday, June 14): The six semifinalists each perform a 40-minute recital, to include one work written by a living composer and a substantial work of at least 16-minutes.
  • Phase II (Thursday, June 15): 6 competitors perform one concerto movement with piano accompaniment by Mikhail Berestnev and Anastasia Markina.

The Semifinalists:

Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea
Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia
The announcement comes after tonight’s Quarterfinal Round concert was paused due to a fire alarm in the venue. Our last quarterfinalist, Modan Oyama, completed his performance tonight for the jurors only, and the jury then voted to select the six semifinalists. Competitors were notified of the results in person by Jury Chairman Janina Fialkowska and President and CEO Jacques Marquis.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Phase I: 6 competitors perform 40-minute recital to include one work written by a living composer and a substantial work of at least 16-minutes
Semifinal Round Concert 1  I  2:30 PM

2:30 p.m. – Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia
3:12 p.m. – Zhonghua Wei 魏中华, 14, China
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
4:12 p.m. – Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea

Semifinal Round Concert 2  I  7:00 PM

7:00 p.m. – Yifan Wu 吴一凡, 14, China
7:42 p.m. – Zihan Jin 金子涵, 14, China
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
8:42 p.m. – Modan Oyama 大山桃暖, 17, Japan

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Phase II: 6 competitors perform one concerto movement with piano accompaniment
Semifinal Round Concert 3  I  7:00 PM (followed by the announcement of the Finalists)

Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia – SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22 (II)
Zhonghua Wei 魏中华, 14, China – LISZT Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, S. 124 (II, III, IV)
Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea – RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43 (vars. 18-24)
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
Yifan Wu 吴一凡, 14, China – CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11 (III)
Modan Oyama 大山桃暖, 17, Japan – SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22 (II)
Zihan Jin 金子涵, 14, China – LISZT Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, S. 124 (II, III, IV)

Official Statement Regarding Sunday’s Fire Alarm

Due to a fire alarm in the venue, we have paused tonight’s Quarterfinal Round concert of the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival. Our last quarterfinalist, Modan Oyama, will complete his performance tonight for the jurors only, and that piece will be recorded and shared online for on-demand viewing. The jury will then vote to select the six semifinalists and those results will be announced in writing on Cliburn.org and across social media later this evening. Thank you for your understanding.

QUARTERFINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2023 CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR PIANO COMPETITION

June 9, 2023

Janina Fialkowska, chairman of the Jury for the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival(taking place June 8–17, 2023, at Caruth Auditorium at SMU and Meyerson Symphony Center) tonight announced the 12 pianists advancing to the Quarterfinal Round.

The Quarterfinalists

Eddison Chen, 13, United States
Alyssa Gabrilovich, 17, United States
Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea
Zihan Jin 金子涵, 14, China
Tiankun Ma 马天坤, 16, China
Modan Oyama 大山桃暖, 17, Japan
Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia
Sizhe Wang 王思哲, 14, China
Taige Wang, 13, United States
Zhonghua Wei 魏中华, 14, China
Yifan Wu 吴一凡, 14, China
Yiran Zhou 周怡然, 15, China

 


Quarterfinal Round Schedule

Saturday, June 10, 2023
Quarterfinal Round Concert 1  I  2:30 PM
2:30 p.m. – Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia
3:02 p.m. – Yiran Zhou 周怡然, 15, China
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
3:52 p.m. – Eddison Chen, 13, United States

Quarterfinal Round Concert 2  I  7:00 PM
7:00 p.m. – Zhonghua Wei 魏中华, 14, China
7:32 p.m. – Taige Wang, 13, United States
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
8:22 p.m. – Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea

Sunday, June 11, 2023
Quarterfinal Round Concert 3  I  2:30 PM
2:30 p.m. – Yifan Wu 吴一凡, 14, China
3:02 p.m. – Tiankun Ma 马天坤, 16, China
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
3:52 p.m. – Alyssa Gabrilovich, 17, United States

Quarterfinal Round Concert 4  I  7:00 PM (followed by the announcement of the Semifinalists)
7:00 p.m. – Sizhe Wang 王思哲, 14, China
7:32 p.m. – Zihan Jin 金子涵, 14, China
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
8:22 p.m. – Modan Oyama 大山桃暖, 17, Japan

Order of Play for the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition Announced

June 7, 2023

The Cliburn celebrated the start of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival with the Opening Dinner & Draw Party,Wednesday evening, June 7, 2023, at the Bush Institute in Dallas.

The competitors and members of the Jury received warm welcomes from Cliburn staff and patrons. Speakers included Jeffrey B. King, Cliburn chairman of the board, Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO, and longtime Cliburn artistic consultant Buddy Bray.

After dinner, Jacques MarquisDr. Sam Holland, dean of the SMU Meadows School of the Arts, and Kim Noltemy, Ross Perot president and CEO of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, drew competitor names out of a chalice. Jacques Marquis read out the names, and each pianist came forward to choose their order of play.


Preliminary Round (order of play, though not times, will hold for Quarterfinal Round recitals)

Thursday, June 8, 2023
Preliminary Round Concert 1  I  2:30 PM

2:30 p.m. – Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia
2:52 p.m. – Saehyun Kim 김세현, 16, South Korea
3:14 p.m. – Seoeun Lee 이서은, 14, South Korea
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
3:54 p.m. – Yiran Zhou 周怡然, 15, China
4:16 p.m. – Eddison Chen, 13, United States
4:38 p.m. – Zhonghua Wei 魏中华, 14, China

Preliminary Round Concert 2  I  7:00 PM

7:00 p.m. – Chengcheng Yao 姚承承, 14, China
7:22 p.m. – Steven Ruochong Cui 崔若冲, 17, United States
7:44 p.m. – Jaeuk Lim 임재욱, 16, South Korea
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
8:24 p.m. – Taige Wang, 13, United States
8:46 p.m. – Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea
9:08 p.m. – Chihiro Sugawara 菅原千尋, 16, Japan

Friday, June 9, 2023
Preliminary Round Concert 3  I  2:30 PM

2:30 p.m. – Yifan Wu 吴一凡, 14, China
2:52 p.m. – Tiankun Ma 马天坤, 16, China
3:14 p.m. – Alyssa Gabrilovich, 17, United States
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
3:54 p.m. – Lukas Lee 李璐王子, 15, China
4:16 p.m. – Mi Hou 侯米, 15, China
4:38 p.m. – Sizhe Wang 王思哲, 14, China

Preliminary Round Concert 4  I  7:00 PM (followed by the announcement of the Quarterfinalists)

7:00 p.m. – Zihan Jin 金子涵, 14, China
7:22 p.m. – Modan Oyama 大山桃暖, 17, Japan
7:44 p.m. – Chenxi Chu 褚晨熙, 14, China
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
8:24 p.m. – Xuanyan Jessie Gong 龚暄妍, 16, China
8:46 p.m. – Andrew Gu, 16, United States

Yunchan Lim’s Gold Medal Recording Drops July 7 on Steinway & Sons Label

June 1, 2023

On July 7, 2023, the Steinway & Sons label will release the anticipated gold-medal album for 2022 Cliburn winner Yunchan Lim: the remastered live recording of his historic, complete performance of the Liszt Transcendental Etudes during the Competition’s Semifinal Round (performed June 10, 2022, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, USA).

The album (STNS 30217) will be available worldwide on CD and through all download and streaming services. It is also currently available for pre-order in the Cliburn Shop: shop.cliburn.org.

The original announcement that Lim—at age 18, the youngest competitor—would play the entire monumental work for his 2022 Cliburn third-round recital “created a buzz throughout the international piano community;” and he delivered, with a performance defined by “intelligent virtuosity and total immersion into Liszt’s idiom [that] truly defined transcendental” (Gramophone). In addition to the ecstatic audience in person that day and the 4 million people who have watched it online since, the critics were universally enraptured: “Lim displayed mind-boggling virtuosity and interpretive depth scarcely imaginable in one so young. In the semifinal round, he gave as brilliant a performance as you’ll ever hear of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes, containing some of the hardest music ever composed for piano” (Dallas Morning News). Now fans around the globe can enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime concert for many years to come.

2023 Cliburn Junior Competition Webcast: More Ways To Watch Free+ Premium Subscription With 4K HDR

May 9, 2023

The third edition of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, taking place June 8–17, 2023 in Dallas, Texas USA at Caruth Auditorium at SMU and the Meyerson Symphony Center, will be streamed live online from the first note to the announcement of the new 2023 winner.

The Cliburn was a pioneer in the early days of webcasting, and it continues to innovate and expand this vital program as a global leader in the field; the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was the first classical music competition in the world to broadcast in 4K HDR and has become one of the most-watched classical music events in history, with more than 40 million views.

The 2023 Cliburn Junior webcast promises the same high level of quality of sound and picture; a compelling, immersive program around the performances that gives viewers behind-the-scenes access and insightful commentary; and a wide selection of ways to watch. Viewership is expected to top 3 million.

Viewers around the world can watch the entire Competition live and on demand at Cliburn.org and youtube.com/thecliburn. On the Cliburn homepage, the public can also place their votes for the Audience Award, whose winner will be awarded a cash prize of $500 at the Awards Ceremony on June 17. Beginning June 8, 2023, audiences can vote once a day for their favorite candidate. Voting closes on June 17, 2023.

In China, the complete stream will be available on multiple channels by Amadeus.tv, including its website, WeChat (MusicToday), and Weibo.

The 2023 Cliburn Junior will be available in 4K HDR. Beginning today, viewers can subscribe at hyfi.live/vancliburn to experience the next best thing to being in the concert hall. Subscribers can watch via the HFYI app on iOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, and Roku. Subscription packages will be available at $90 for six months, and $125 for one year.

Premium subscribers on HYFI will also have access to the entire 2022 Cliburn Competition—including Gold Medalist Yunchan Lim’s 임윤찬 historic performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3—in 4K and surround sound, as well as remastered recital performances from past winners, including Vadym Kholodenko, Beatrice Rana, Haochen Zhang, Nobuyuki Tsujii, Yeol Eum Son, and more over the coming months.

Learn more here: https://cliburn.org/junior-webcast/

 

This May the Cliburn Presents Free Concerts in Lewisville, Plano, Dallas, and Southlake

April 25, 2023

Leading up to the third edition of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, taking place this June in Dallas, Texas, the Cliburn presents a series of free Cliburn in the Community concerts this May, featuring two phenomenal past Junior competitors. Full schedule is below.

Korean pianist Jiwon Yang, now 21, took home third prize at the most recent Cliburn Junior in 2019. Currently studying on a full scholarship at the Mannes School of Music, she has since performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Steinway Hall New York, the Mannes Sounds Festival, and the American Yacht Club. Amir Siraj—who competed in the first-ever Cliburn Junior in 2015—has performed at the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, Millennium Park, and Carnegie Hall, and for the heads of state of Korea, Canada, and Jordan; now 23, he also graduated from Harvard last year with his master’s in astrophysics, was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021, and made a scientific discovery that CNN called one of ten “extraordinary cosmic revelations” in 2022.

 

Anderson & Roe Piano Duo to Host “BACKSTAGE@CLIBURN 2022”

March 30, 2023

Beginning April 4, 2023, Anderson & Roe Piano Duo will host weekly livestream events entitled “Backstage@Cliburn 2022,” in five special installments of their popular #TwoPianoTuesdays series. The full schedule of episodes is below; viewers can watch live and on demand on the Duo’s Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as on the Cliburn’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Roe were onsite in Fort Worth throughout the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, waiting in the wings to meet competitors as they came off stage to cheer them on and capture their impressions and emotions just after each performance. The result was a host of endearing, funny, and insightful moments, which the Duo has edited together to premiere, along with new commentary and performance montages, on five Tuesdays in April and May 2023.


EPISODE SCHEDULE

Streaming Live Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. CDT / 8:00 p.m. EDT

April 4 – Competition Trends
April 11– Uladzislau Khandohi, Ilya Shmukler, & Clayton Stephenson: The Finalists
April 25 – Dmytro Choni: Bronze
May 2 – Anna Geniushene: Silver
May 9 – Yunchan Lim: Gold

 

Participants Announced for 2023 Cliburn Junior

March 28, 2023

The Cliburn announces today the 24 competitors and 14 additional festival participants invited to the third edition of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, for 13- to 17-year-olds. The global cultural event will take place June 8–17, 2023, in Dallas, Texas, with the first three rounds at Caruth Auditorium at SMU and the Final Round performance with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valentina Peleggi at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.

The 38 artists of the 2023 Cliburn Junior hail from all over the world, representing 13 countries: the United States (13), China (12), South Korea (4), Japan (2), Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Czechia, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, and Ukraine (includes two dual representations). They range in age from 13 to 17 with four 13-, ten 14-, seven 15-, fourteen 16-, and three 17-year-olds.

An impressive applicant pool of 248 young pianists from 44 countries submitted online applications that included 15- to 20-minute performance videos. The 24 competitors were selected through a two-step review process by screening jurors Greg Anderson, Lydia Artymiw, Kenny Broberg, Sean Chen, Alvin Chow, Lucille Chung, Alessandro Deljavan, Yakov Kasman, and Dominique Morel. From the same applicant pool, the Cliburn artistic staff chose the additional 14 participants based on their artistic promise, their expected benefit from taking part in the festival, and the contribution they would make to the diverse, collective group of extraordinary artists.

This year’s competitors display impressive determination in their craft, from one who, at 16, has already finished first place in 30 international piano competitions, to another who is so committed to his studies that he took 10-hour train rides to attend his piano lessons, and one who, when he was 12, recorded the piano performance of the main character in the popular anime series, Forest of Piano. They also exhibit great talent outside of piano performance: one has been commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to write a piano trio, another is a National MathCounts finalist, and yet another has been seriously studying and practicing Chinese calligraphy since he was 4. The Cliburn looks forward to welcoming these impressive young artists to Texas this June.

Cliburn Receives A Record 248 Applications for 2023 Junior Competition

January 12, 2023

A total of 248 pianists, age 13 to 17, and representing 44 countries, have submitted applications to compete in the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, taking place June 8–17, 2023, in Dallas, Texas, with the Preliminary, Quarterfinal, and Semifinal Rounds at the SMU Meadows School of the Arts and the Final Round performance with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valentina Peleggi at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The selected 24 competitors and 14 non-competing festival participants will be announced on March 28, 2023.

Applicant Pool

Countries represented by the 248 Junior Competition applicants include (in alphabetical order): Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, China Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.

The countries with the most applicants are: China (100); United States (93); South Korea (24); Canada (20); Japan (10).

A selection committee is now in the process of choosing 24 competitors and 14 non-competing festival participants from the impressive applicant pool, through online applications and video submissions, which are 15 to 20 minutes in length and include one virtuosic etude, one movement of a Classical sonata, and one lyrical work.

2023 Cliburn Junior Jury Announced

December 15, 2022

The Cliburn announces the jury for the third edition of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, for exceptional pianists age 13–17, taking place June 8–17, 2023, in Dallas, Texas, at Caruth Auditorium at SMU and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The 24 pianists invited to compete, as well as 14 additional non-competing festival participants, will be chosen through online applications (open now and due January 10, 2023), including a 15–20 minute video audition. Competitors will be announced March 28, 2023. Tickets and subscription packages will go on sale January 10, 2023.

Janina Fialkowska, renowned Canadian pianist, will serve as jury chairman.

2023 JUNIOR COMPETITION JURY

  • Janina Fialkowska, jury chairman (Canada)
  • Jane Coop (Canada)
  • Adam Golka (USA/Poland)
  • Carol Leone (USA)
  • Anton Nel (South Africa/USA)
  • Roberto Plano (Italy)
  • Katia Skanavi (Greece/Russia)
  • Jeffrey Swann (USA)
  • Orion Weiss (USA)

Italian conductor Valentina Peleggi will lead the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in the Final Round concert as the finalists each perform a full concerto.

2022 CLIBURN GOLD MEDALIST YUNCHAN LIM JOINS IMG ARTISTS FOR GENERAL MANAGEMENT

The Cliburn is proud to announce that Yunchan Lim, gold medalist of the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will join the IMG Artists roster for general management. He will be represented by Nicholas Mathias and Federico M. Benigni from the company’s London office, in conjunction with MOC Production for Asia.

My colleagues and I at IMG Artists are really delighted that Yunchan Lim is joining us for general management,” said Mathias. “Since becoming the winner of the Van Cliburn Competition a few months ago, Yunchan has attracted worldwide attention with his extraordinary performances. There is no doubt that Yunchan is an exceptional musical talent and someone who is clearly destined for a major international career of the highest level in the years ahead. We very much look forward to helping and guiding Yunchan on this journey.

In June 2022, Yunchan Lim became the youngest person ever to win gold at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; his performances throughout showcased a “magical ability” and a “natural, instinctive quality” (La Scena) that astounded listeners around the world. As Jury Chair Marin Alsop expressed: “Yunchan is that rare artist who brings profound musicality and prodigious technique organically together.” The depth of his artistry and connection to listeners also secured him the Audience Award and Best Performance of a New Work (for Sir Stephen Hough’s Fanfare Toccata).

Just 18 years old, Yunchan’s ascent to international stardom has been meteoric. His audacious Cliburn Semifinal Round performance of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes “created a buzz throughout the international piano community”—his “intelligent virtuosity and total immersion into Liszt’s idiom truly defined transcendental” (Gramophone). And his final Cliburn Competition appearance with Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 delivered the defining moment of the three-week event; as one critic noted: “The applause that followed was endless: a star had emerged before our eyes” (Seen and Heard International). The video of that performance trended globally on YouTube in the days after, reaching #24, and has now become the most-watched version of that piece on the platform, amassing more than 5.5 million views in just one month. Including the new remastered version, the performance has now been seen at least 10 million times.

Born in Siheung, Korea, Yunchan Lim began piano lessons at age 7, when it was time to choose an after-school activity; he entered the Music Academy of the Seoul Arts Center the next year and quickly became immersed in his musical studies. He auditioned for and was accepted into the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts at age 13, where he met his teacher and mentor, Minsoo Sohn. Yunchan entered the international music stage a year later, in 2018, winning second prize and the Chopin Special Award in his first-ever competition, the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists. Also that year, he stood out as the youngest participant in the Cooper International Competition, where he won both third prize and the audience prize, and was provided the opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Orchestra. The next year, 2019, brought more accolades, when, at the age of 15, he was the youngest to win Korea’s IsangYun International Competition, also taking home two special prizes.

Yunchan has since performed across South Korea—including with the Korean Orchestra Festival, Korea Symphony, Suwon Philharmonic, and Busan Philharmonic Orchestras, among others—as well as in Madrid, at the invitation of the Korea Cultural Center in Spain. He also participated in the recording of “2020 Young Musicians of Korea,” organized by the Korean Broadcasting System and released that November. His 2022–2023 inaugural tour as Cliburn winner will take him across three continents, with highlights including the Aspen Music Festival, La Jolla Music Society, and Performing Arts Houston in the United States; Seoul Arts Center, National Concert Hall in Taipei, and the KBS and Korean National Symphony Orchestras in Asia; and Wigmore Hall and Fondation Louis Vuitton in Europe.

Speaking at a press conference after the Competition, Yunchan said, “I made up my mind that I will live my life only for the sake of music, and I decided that I will give up everything for music… I wanted my music to become deeper, and if that desire reached the audience, I’m satisfied.”

He is currently in his second year at the Korea National University of Arts, where he continues to study with Mr. Sohn.

ABOUT IMG

IMG Artists is a global leader of performing arts management. For nearly forty years, the company has set the standard for excellence across the fields of artist management, touring, dance and attractions, film with orchestra, festival and event management, and cultural consulting. Our team across three continents provides expert career development and dedicated support to our roster of celebrated artists and projects.

In addition to our Roster, IMG Artists is passionate about collaboration and innovation within the performing arts. We foster distinctive relationships and partnerships to craft and develop initiatives that support audience, artistic and strategic advancement for our industry.

2022 Cliburn Amateur Winners Announced

October 18, 2022

After seven days of truly inspiring music making by 39 of the best amateur pianists from around the globe, Pamela Mia Paul, chairman of the Jury of the Eighth Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, for non-professional pianists age 35 and older (taking place October 12–18, 2022, at Van Cliburn Recital Hall and Bass Performance Hall), tonight announced the winners from the Bass Hall stage.

The Richard Rodzinski First Prize was awarded to
Jon Lee, Software Engineer, 41, United States
$2,000 cash prize
Funded by a generous gift to the Cliburn Endowment by Scott Cutler
+ Custom boots, donated by Justin Brands

Second Prize
Michael Slavin, Neuro-Ophthalmologist (retired), 71, United States
$1,500 cash prize

Third Prize
Xavier Aymonod, Marketing Director – Public Transportation, 46, France
$1,000 cash prize


 

Special Awards

Jury Discretionary Award
Deirbhile Brennan
, Accountant, 53, Ireland
$500 cash prize

Jury Discretionary Award
Sean Sutherland
, Product Manager, 45, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines/Canada
$500 cash prize

Jury Discretionary Award
Noah DeGarmo
, Physician, 44, United States
$500 cash prize

Audience Award
Name, profession, age, country
$500 cash prize
+ Cowboy hat, donated by Justin Brands

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2022 CLIBURN AMATEUR

October 16, 2022

Pamela Mia Paul, chairman of the Jury of the Eighth Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, for non-professional pianists age 35 and older (taking place October 12–18, 2022, at Van Cliburn Recital Hall and Bass Performance Hall), tonight announced the six pianists advancing to the Final Round.

The artists—who are also who are also a marketing director, a software engineer, a clinical project manager, a CEO, a retired neuro-opthalmologist, and a business development manager—will live out their dreams on Tuesday, October 18 beginning at 7:00 p.m. when they take the Bass Performance Hall stage and perform one movement of a concerto each with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and beloved conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya. Orchestra-level tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at cliburn.org/2022-amateur-tickets.

The 2022 Cliburn Amateur Finalists

Xavier Aymonod, Marketing Director – Public Transportation, 46, France
Jon Lee, Software Engineer, 41, United States
Masanori Murakami, Clinical Project Manager, 38, Japan
Dominique Salloum, CEO – Artificial Intelligence Industry, 53, France/Lebanon
Michael Slavin, Neuro-Ophthalmologist (retired), 71, United States
Dmytro Vynogradov, Business Development Manager, 52, Ukraine


Final Round Schedule

Tuesday, October 18, 2022
7:00 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall
with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya

Jon Lee, Software Engineer, 41, United States
PROKOFIEV Concerto No. 3 in C Major, op. 26 (III)

Michael Slavin, Neuro-Ophthalmologist (retired), 71, United States
BEETHOVEN Concerto No. 1 in C Major, op. 15 (I)

Xavier Aymonod, Marketing Director – Public Transportation, 46, France
PROKOFIEV Concerto No. 3 in C Major, op. 26 (III)

intermission

Masanori Murakami, Clinical Project Manager, 38, Japan
PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, op. 26 (III)

Dmytro Vynogradov, Business Development Manager, 52, Ukraine
TCHAIKOVSKY Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, op. 23 (III)

Dominique Salloum, CEO – Artificial Intelligence Industry, 53, France/Lebanon
PROKOFIEV Concerto No. 3 in C Major, op. 26 (III)

SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2022 CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR PIANO COMPETITION

October 14, 2022

Pamela Mia Paul, chairman of the Jury of the Eighth Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, for non-professional pianists age 35 and older (taking place October 12–18, 2022, at Van Cliburn Recital Hall and Bass Performance Hall), tonight announced the 20 pianists advancing to the Semifinal Round.

Preliminary Round videos can be watched on demand at cliburn.org/watchtheamateur.


2022 CLIBURN AMATEUR SEMIFINALISTS

Xavier Aymonod, Marketing Director – Public Transportation, 46, France
Deirbhile Brennan, Accountant, 53, Ireland
Noah DeGarmo, Physician, 44, United States
Robert Finley, Electronics Engineer, 72, United States
Thierry Goldwaser, Software Developer, 46, France
Ken Iisaka, Software Engineer, 53, Japan/Canada
Yeon Wook Jeong, Entrepreneur/Attorney, 53, South Korea
Suzanna Laramee, Financial Advisor (retired), 66, United States
Jon Lee, Software Engineer, 41, United States
Seung-Yeop Lee, Mathematics Professor, 47, South Korea
Aaron Miller, Academic Administrator, 42, United States
Masanori Murakami, Clinical Project Manager, 38, Japan
Dominique Salloum, CEO – Artificial Intelligence Industry, 53, France/Lebanon
Michael Slavin, Neuro-Ophthalmologist (retired), 71, United States
Michael Stefanakis, Tax Attorney, 40, Greece
Sean Sutherland, Product Manager, 45, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines/Canada
Ferdy Talan, Realtor, 38, Indonesia
Dmytro Vynogradov, Business Development Manager, 52, Ukraine
Eiji Yoshimura, Business Planning Director, 50, Japan
Jorge Zamora, Business Development Director, 49, Mexico


SEMIFINAL ROUND SCHEDULE

The following is the complete schedule of performances of the Semifinal Round of the 2022 Amateur Competition, to be held in Van Cliburn Recital Hall (330 E. 4th Street). Each pianist will perform a 28-minute recital.
Visit cliburn.org/2022-amateur-tickets for this round, and the Final Round on October 18 when six finalists will perform one movement of a concerto each with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Miguel Harth-Bedoya at Bass Performance Hall.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

2:30 p.m. Sean Sutherland, Product Manager, 45, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines/Canada

3:00 p.m. Ferdy Talan, Realtor, 38, Indonesia

3:30 p.m. Ken Iisaka, Software Engineer, 53, Japan/Canada

7:00 p.m. Seung-Yeop Lee, Mathematics Professor, 47, South Korea

7:30 p.m. Michael Slavin, Neuro-Ophthalmologist (retired), 71, United States

8:00 p.m. Thierry Goldwaser, Software Developer, 46, France

intermission

8:48 p.m. Michael Stefanakis, Tax Attorney, 40, Greece

9:18 p.m. Suzanna Laramee, Financial Advisor (retired), 66, United States

9:48 p.m. Robert Finley, Electronics Engineer, 72, United States

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16

2:30 p.m. Jon Lee, Software Engineer, 41, United States

3:00 p.m. Xavier Aymonod, Marketing Director – Public Transportation, 46, France

3:30 p.m. Masanori Murakami, Clinical Project Manager, 38, Japan

intermission

4:18 p.m. Jorge Zamora, Business Development Director, 49, Mexico

4:48 p.m. Deirbhile Brennan, Accountant, 53, Ireland

5:18 p.m. Noah DeGarmo, Physician, 44, United States

 

 

7:00 p.m. Dominique Salloum, CEO – Artificial Intelligence Industry, 53, France/Lebanon

7:30 p.m. Aaron Miller, Academic Administrator, 42, United States

8:00 p.m. Dmytro Vynogradov, Business Development Manager, 52, Ukraine

intermission

8:48 p.m. Eiji Yoshimura, Business Planning Director, 50, Japan

9:18 p.m. Yeon Wook Jeong, Entrepreneur/Attorney, 53, South Korea

2022 CLIBURN AMATEUR COMPETITION BEGINS IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS; DETAILED SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

September 29, 2022

The eighth edition of the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, for non-professional pianists age 35 and older, begins two weeks from yesterday and will run from October 12 to 18, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas at Van Cliburn Recital Hall (300 E. 4th Street) and Bass Performance Hall (4th & Calhoun Streets).

Announced today are the order of play for the Preliminary Round and the full roster of free festival events that are open to the public. Full details are below.

“We are so pleased to finally be able to welcome these outstanding pianists—who have been preparing for this moment for many years now—to Fort Worth,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO. “The week will be memorable as this extraordinary community comes together to be inspired by each other and to compete to be one of six finalists who will have the unique Cliburn experience of performing on the Bass Hall stage with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Miguel Harth-Bedoya on October 18!”

From three exhilarating rounds of Competition to a host of free festival events and concerts, patrons are invited to experience each uplifting note in person. For Competition round concerts, tickets and subscriptions can be purchased at cliburn.org/2022-amateur-tickets. Festival events listed below (Cliburn Amateur in the Community, Festival Concerts, Jury Symposium, and Open Piano Night) are free to attend; no tickets are required. Note: With complications caused by pandemic-related date and venue changes, the Competition will not be webcast or available for on-demand viewing.

Competition Schedule: https://cliburn.org/2022-amateur-competition-schedule/

Free Festival Event Schedule: https://cliburn.org/2022-amateur-festival-schedule/

2022 CLIBURN AMATEUR SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE

Below is a snapshot of the complete public schedule for the 2022 Amateur Competition.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12

2:30–4:45 p.m.   PRELIMINARY ROUND CONCERT 1 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

6:00–7:00 p.m.   CLIBURN AMATEUR IN THE COMMUNITY (FW Public Library – Ridglea)

7:00–9:00 p.m.   PRELIMINARY ROUND CONCERT 2 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

2:30–4:45 p.m.   PRELIMINARY ROUND CONCERT 3 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

6:00–7:00 p.m.   CLIBURN AMATEUR IN THE COMMUNITY (FW Public Library – East Regional)

7:00–9:00 p.m.   PRELIMINARY ROUND CONCERT 4 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

2:30–4:45 p.m.   PRELIMINARY ROUND CONCERT 5 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

7:00–9:00 p.m.   PRELIMINARY ROUND CONCERT 6 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

ANNOUNCEMENT OF SEMIFINALISTS (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

10:00 a.m.–12:20 p.m.   FESTIVAL CONCERT 1 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

2:30–5:20 p.m.  SEMIFINAL ROUND CONCERT 1 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

7:00–9:50 p.m.  SEMIFINAL ROUND CONCERT 2 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16

10:00 a.m.–12:20 p.m.  FESTIVAL CONCERT 2 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

2:00–3:00 p.m.   CLIBURN AMATEUR IN THE COMMUNITY (FW Public Library – SW Regional)

2:30–5:20 p.m.   SEMIFINAL ROUND CONCERT 3 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

7:00–9:50 p.m.   SEMIFINAL ROUND CONCERT 4 (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINALISTS (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

12:00–1:00 p.m.   CLIBURN AMATEUR IN THE COMMUNITY (203 Café)

4:00–5:00 p.m.   JURY SYMPOSIUM (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

6:00–7:00 p.m.   CLIBURN AMATEUR IN THE COMMUNITY FW (FW Public Library – Summerglen)

6:30–10:00 p.m.   OPEN PIANO NIGHT (The Post at River East)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18

7:00–9:00 p.m.   FINAL ROUND CONCERT (Bass Performance Hall)

AWARDS CEREMONY (Bass Performance Hall)

 

2022 CLIBURN COMPETITION REACHED RECORD-BREAKING 25 MILLION WEBCAST VIEWS ACROSS 177 COUNTRIES

September 15, 2022

The Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (held June 2–18, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas, USA) reached a record-breaking number of people around the globe, exponentially surpassing viewership and online engagement from its past editions.

QUICK NUMBERS (June–August 2022):

  • WEBCAST
    • 25 million views
      • 5x increase from 2017
      • 50x increase from 2013
    • 177 countries
    • 3 million hours watched
  • SOCIAL MEDIA
    • 300 million impressions
    • 80,000 new followers across platforms (a 141% increase)
    • 4 million engagements

Read a complete Competition summary in the latest issue of Cliburn News.

The webcast—a vital component of the Cliburn since 2001, when it was the first classical music contest broadcast online—was planned to be bigger and better than ever: free for all to view on more platforms than any prior competition in its field; a new premium option that offered 4K HDR picture and surround sound (a first); and a newscast-style format hosted by the incomparable Buddy Bray, designed to engage viewers at a higher level.

“Intense planning and a great deal of hard work from our experienced and innovative team set the stage for a different, elevated online experience; but what truly captured the world’s attention was the pure talent and artistry that emerged and delighted us all throughout the three weeks,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO. “Each and every artist that took the stage showed us their heart, their vision, and their dedication—from the 30 pianists through to their artistic collaborators: Marin Alsop, Nicolas McGegan, and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. They touched us all.”

2022 CLIBURN AMATEUR COMPETITION: DETAILS, CHANGES ANNOUNCED; TICKETS ON SALE

August 11, 2022

The Cliburn announces today the new details of the eighth edition of the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, for non-professional pianists age 35 and older. Originally scheduled for May 2020 and postponed due to the pandemic, the Amateur Competition will now take place October 12–18, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas. Below are the key elements, many altered due to the rescheduling.

“We are so pleased to finally be able to welcome these outstanding pianists—who have been preparing for this moment for many years now—to Fort Worth,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO. “The week will be memorable as this extraordinary community comes together to be inspired by each other and to compete to be one of six finalists who will have the unique Cliburn experience of performing on the Bass Hall stage with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.”

With complications caused by date and venue changes, the Competition will not be webcast or available for on-demand viewing. However: tickets to attend performances in person are on sale now at cliburn.org or by calling 817.212.4280.

  • THE COMPETITORS
    42 competitors and 17 non-competing festival participants representing 17 countries will come to Fort Worth. Learn more about them here.
  • THE VENUE
    The Competition will now take place entirely in the Bass Performance Hall complex: Van Cliburn Recital Hall (330 E. 4th Street) for the first two rounds and Bass Performance Hall (4th & Calhoun Streets) for the Final Round.

  • THE JURY
    Pamela Mia Paul
    will now serve as jury chairman, replacing Ralph Votapek due to scheduling conflicts. Spencer Myer will join the jury as the seventh member.
  • FINAL ROUND COLLABORATORS
    Finalists will once again perform in the Final Round with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, this time with FWSO Music Director Laureate Miguel Harth-Bedoya on the podium. Miguel replaces conductor Damon Gupton, who has a scheduling conflict.

CONCERT TOURS ANNOUNCED FOR YUNCHAN LIM, ANNA GENIUSHENE, AND DMYTRO CHONI

July 28, 2022

The Cliburn proudly announces the 2022–2023 concert tours of the medalists of the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition: Yunchan Lim(gold, 18, South Korea), Anna Geniushene (silver, 31, Russia), and Dmytro Choni (bronze, 28, Ukraine). The Competition took place June 2–18, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas USA.

As part of their prize packages, the three medalists receive a comprehensive and personalized career management package, including three years of concert bookings, artistic planning mentorship, traditional and social media training, logistics support, and tax and financial planning guidance, as well as a complete promotional package. For the laureates of the Cliburn, competing in—and winning—one of the world’s major classical music events marks only the beginning of their professional lives in music. The Competition is foremost a launch pad for establishing meaningful careers.

Over 17 days of intense competition and incredible music-making, more than 8.5 million people in 170 countries watched online and millions more watched on-demand in the days following (with Yunchan Lim’s performance of Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 reaching #24 in globally trending videos on YouTube, amassing 1.2 million views in less than 24 hours. It’s currently at 6 million.) Competition videos have now garnered 25 million views. The world fell in love with these young pianists through more than 2,000 news stories published over the course of the Competition.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR SIXTEENTH VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

June 18, 2022

After two and half weeks of high-level competition and exceptional music-making, the winners of the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition were announced tonight by Jury Chair Marin Alsop at the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas USA.

“Sixty years ago, inspired by Van Cliburn’s legacy, the first Cliburn Competition was held,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO. “It had two main objectives: to discover and support young, exceptional artists, and to bring this beautiful music to the world. Today, we’re proud to say that these have both held true with this sixteenth edition. It brought us all together for a glorious 17 days that knew no boundaries, for a moving celebration of great music. These pianists have been truly inspirational.”

Commenting on his win Jury Chair Marin Alsop said, “It has been inspiring to witness a talent of Yunchan’s magnitude. All finalists showed exceptional musicality and artistry, yet Yunchan stood out among them. Throughout these last three weeks, but particularly his spectacular performance of Rachmaninov’s third piano concerto showed that even at the age of 18 he already exhibits exceptional depth and dazzling technique. I look forward to seeing him develop in the years to come and our future collaborations.”

The winner of the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal and the Van Cliburn Winner’s Cup is Yunchan Lim, South Korea, 18

Yunchan Lim, the gold medalist, will receive a cash award of $100,000; three years individualized career management, including U.S. and international concert tours; Steinway Recording Prize Studio Album; promotional package including press kits, videos; website; performance attire provided by Neiman Marcus
Award made possible by a gift from Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bassd*

The silver medalist is Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31, who will receive a cash award of $50,000; three years individualized career management and U.S. concert tours; promotional package including press kits, videos, website; and performance attire
Awarded by Mr. and Mrs. Fuller French and Family in honor of Adelaide Polk Fuller

The bronze medalist is Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28, who will receive a cash award of $25,000; three years individualized career management and U.S. concert tours; promotional package including press kits, videos, website; performance attire.
Awarded by the Mollie and Garland Lasater Charitable Fund at the North Texas Community Foundation

The remaining three finalists will receive cash awards of $10,000 each. They are Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20; Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27; Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23
Awards made possible by a gift from Mr. and Mrs. John B. Kleinheinz*, Janny and Warren Strickland Schwab Charitable, and Juana-Rosa and Rond Daniell

The Cliburn 2022 webcast broke previous Cliburn streaming records with a global online audience of over 9 million following the Competition in more than 170 countries.

As part of the Cliburn’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian National Anthem was performed in the Awards Ceremony by Kyiv-born 2013 Cliburn Gold Medalist Vadym Kholodenko.

OTHER AWARDS

Award for the Best Performance of a Mozart Concerto, with a cash prize of $5,000, was awarded to Ilya Shmukler.
Awarded by Anton Nel

The Beverley Taylor Smith Award for the Best Performance of a New Work, with a cash prize of $5,000, was awarded to Yunchan Lim.
Award made possible by a gift from the Estate of Gordon William Smith*

The winner of the John Giordano Jury Chairman Discretionary Award, with a cash prize of $4,000, is Marcel Tadokoro, France/Japan, age 28.
Award made possible by a gift from Mary D. and F. Howard Walshd*

The winner of the Raymond E. Buck Jury Discretionary Award, with a cash prize of $4,000, is Andrew Li, United States, age 22.
Award made possible by a gift from the Raymond E. Buck Foundation*

The winner of the Patricia and Neal Steffen Family Jury Discretionary Award, with a cash prize of $4,000, is Changyong Shin, South Korea, age 28.
Award made possible by a gift from Patricia A. Steffen*

The Carla and Kelly Thompson Audience Award presented by medici.tv was determined by more than 13,400 votes from 84 countries to cliburn.medici.tv. The Audience Award winner, Yunchan Lim will receive a cash award of $2,500.
Award made possible by a gift from Carla and Kelly Thompson*

The semifinalists will receive cash awards of $5,000 each.

The quarterfinalists will receive cash awards of $2,500 each.

Preliminary Round competitors will receive cash awards of $1,000 each.

*Funded by a generous donation to the Cliburn Endowment
Deceased

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR SIXTEENTH VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

June 12, 2022

Marin Alsop, chairman of the Jury for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (taking place June 2–18, 2022, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall) tonight announced the six pianists advancing to the Final Round.

2022 CLIBURN FINALISTS

Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28
Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31
Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20
Yunchan LimSouth Korea, 18
Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27
Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23


FINAL ROUND
6 competitors perform two concertos, to be selected from two separate lists, with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Marin Alsop.
Tuesday, June 14 – Wednesday, June 15, 2022 I 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 17, 2022 I 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 18, 2022 I 3:00 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2022

Final Round Concert 1

7:30 p.m.
Yunchan LimSouth Korea, 18 – BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, op. 37
Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27 – RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, op. 30
20-minute intermission
Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23– GERSHWIN Piano Concerto in F Major

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

Final Round Concert 2

7:30 p.m.
Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20 – RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, op. 18
Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31 – BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, op. 15
20-minute intermission
Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28 – PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, op. 26

FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2022

Final Round Concert 3

7:30 p.m.
Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23 – RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, op. 30
Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27 – GRIEG Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 16
20-minute intermission
Yunchan LimSouth Korea, 18 – RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, op. 30

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2022

Final Round Concert 4

3:00 p.m.
Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28 – BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, op. 37
Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20 – CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11
20-minute intermission
Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31 – TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, op. 23

AWARDS CEREMONY
Saturday, June 18, 2022 I 7:00 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR SIXTEENTH VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

June 6, 2022

Marin Alsop, chairman of the Jury for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (taking place June 2–18, 2022, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall) tonight announced the 12 pianists advancing to the Semifinal Round.

2022 CLIBURN SEMIFINALISTS

Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28
Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31
Masaya Kamei, Japan, 20
Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20
Honggi Kim, South Korea, 30
Yunchan Lim, South Korea, 18
Jinhyung Park, South Korea, 26
Changyong Shin, South Korea, 28
Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27
Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23
Yutong Sun, China, 26
Marcel Tadokoro, France/Japan, 28


SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2022

Semifinal Recital 1

7:30 p.m. Yutong Sun, China, 26
20-minute intermission
8:50 p.m. Masaya Kamei, Japan, 20

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

Semifinal Recital 2

2:30 p.m. Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23
20-minute intermission
3:50 p.m. Changyong Shin, South Korea, 28

Semifinal Mozart Concerto 1

7:30 p.m.
Honggi Kim, South Korea, 30
Marcel Tadokoro, France/Japan, 28
20-minute intermission
Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20
Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022

Semifinal Recital 3

2:30 p.m. Yunchan Lim, South Korea, 18
20-minute intermission
3:50 p.m. Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27

Semifinal Mozart Concerto 2

7:30 p.m.
Yutong Sun, China, 26
Masaya Kamei, Japan, 20
20-minute intermission
Jinhyung Park, South Korea, 26
Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2022

Semifinal Recital 4

2:30 p.m. Honggi Kim, South Korea, 30
20-minute intermission
3:50 p.m. Marcel Tadokoro, France/Japan, 28

Semifinal Mozart Concerto 3

7:30 p.m.
Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23
Changyong Shin, South Korea, 28
20-minute intermission
Yunchan Lim, South Korea, 18
Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27

SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2022

Semifinal Recital 5

2:30 p.m. Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20
20-minute intermission
3:50 p.m. Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28

Semifinal Recital 6

7:30 p.m. Jinhyung Park, South Korea, 26
20-minute intermission
8:50 p.m. Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31

QUARTERFINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR SIXTEENTH VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

June 4, 2022

The Jury of the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (taking place June 2–18, 2022, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall) tonight announced the 18 pianists advancing to the Quarterfinal Round.

2022 CLIBURN QUARTERFINALISTS

Albert Cano Smit, Spain/Netherlands, 25
Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28
Federico Gad Crema, Italy, 23
Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31
Masaya Kamei, Japan, 20
Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20
Honggi Kim, South Korea, 30
Andrew Li, United States, 22
Yunchan Lim, South Korea, 18
Denis Linnik, Belarus, 26
Kate Liu, United States, 28
Jinhyung Park, South Korea, 26
Changyong Shin, South Korea, 28
Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27
Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23
Yutong Sun, China, 26
Marcel Tadokoro, France/Japan, 28
Yuki Yoshimi, Japan, 22


QUARTERFINAL ROUND SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022

Quarterfinal Recital 1

10:00 a.m. Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31
10:45 a.m. Andrew Li, United States, 22
20-minute intermission
11:45 a.m. Denis LinnikBelarus, 26

Quarterfinal Recital 2

2:30 p.m. Masaya Kamei, Japan, 20
3:15 p.m. Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23
20-minute intermission
4:15 p.m. Albert Cano Smit, Spain/Netherlands, 25

Quarterfinal Recital 3

7:30 p.m. Yuki Yoshimi, Japan, 22
8:15 p.m. Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20
20-minute intermission
9:15 p.m. Yutong Sun, China, 26


MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2022

Quarterfinal Recital 4

10:00 a.m. Marcel Tadokoro, France/Japan, 28
10:45 a.m. Federico Gad Crema, Italy, 23
20-minute intermission
11:45 a.m. Honggi Kim, South Korea, 30

Quarterfinal Recital 5

2:30 p.m. Kate Liu, United States, 28
3:15 p.m. Jinhyung Park, South Korea, 26
20-minute intermission
4:15 p.m. Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28

Quarterfinal Recital 6

7:30 p.m. Changyong Shin, South Korea, 28
8:15 p.m. Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27
20-minute intermission
9:15 p.m. Yunchan Lim, South Korea, 18

Over the past three days (June 2–4), 30 competitors each performed a 40-minute recital—which included the commissioned work, Fanfare Toccata, by Sir Stephen Hough—during the Preliminary Round at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU. Hundreds of patrons watched in person, along with the jury, as a large audience joined from around the globe via the Competition’s live, fully produced webcast. Full details of the webcast and schedule can be found at cliburn.org/2022-webcast.

Using a simple yes/no/maybe voting system, the jury narrowed the field of 30 to 18. Each juror submitted a list of 18 competitors that he or she selected to advance, along with a list of “maybes” (used in the event of tied scores). The “yes” votes were tabulated, and the top 18 vote-getters advanced.

In the Quarterfinal Round, each of the 18 quarterfinalists will play a recital not to exceed 40 minutes in length, with a program made up of works chosen by the competitor. A competitor’s program may not repeat any pieces from his or her Preliminary Round recital.

At the end of the Quarterfinal Round performances, 12 competitors will be chosen to advance to the Semifinal Round, which will run June 8–12 at Bass Performance Hall. The semifinalists will be announced late in the evening on June 6.

Blog Post: A Luminous Start to the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

A Luminous Start to the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition: Toasting the 60th Anniversary with a New Concert Hall and Viewership Expected to Top 10 Million

The Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition opened yesterday, marking 60 years since the inaugural competition in 1962. This year’s Competition once again brings together the world’s most promising young pianists in Fort Worth, Texas, fostering the talents of the next generation of pianists while reaching an international audience with viewership expected to top 10 million. 

“60 years later, the Cliburn stays true to its original mission,” shares Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis, “and it’s a dual mandate: to support young artists and to share music with as many people as possible.”

This year’s Cliburn Competition is especially noteworthy as the Preliminary and Quarterfinal Rounds will be held in the Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU, which opened on April 7, 2022. The concert hall has an acoustical volume similar to venues double or triple the seating capacity, and seats 717 people around the entire perimeter of the hall. Designed by nationally acclaimed BORA Architects, the exterior of TCU Music Center boasts impressive floor-to-ceiling windows and rough stone work, while the interior of the Van Cliburn Concert Hall is outfitted with light wood walls.

“It’s so fitting the Cliburn returns to TCU, its original home, this year, and especially in this gorgeous new hall honoring Van and his legacy,” continues Marquis. “Van was always working to make classical music as beautiful and accessible as possible, and we can honor that by welcoming music lovers worldwide to join us in this beautiful space and to listen from wherever they are. This is also so exciting to welcome live audiences back to any venue – but especially to the Van Cliburn Concert Hall – after the pandemic.”

Van Cliburn: A Global Piano Phenom

Van Cliburn (1934-2013) achieved worldwide recognition at the age of 23, and during the height of the Cold War, won the inaugural International Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958. 

Cliburn’s popularity as a pianist won legions to appreciate classical music in the 20th century, and he became an ambassador for American culture. He performed across the world and to audiences composed of royalty and many heads of state, including all presidents from Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama, and even playing for President Reagan and Soviet President Gorbachev at an invited performance at the White House in 1987. His many lifetime achievements include receiving the Kennedy Center Honors, Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Yet, for all his worldwide travels and fame, Cliburn always remained a Texan at heart. He moved with his family to Texas as a young boy, and it was in Fort Worth that the first Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was held in 1962, and has continued every four years since (excluding the pandemic delay). 

“Just as Cliburn sought to build bridges through music, we seek to reach more audiences each year, and to advance the pinnacle of musical achievement by supporting the next generation of artists,” states Marquis. “We expect over 10 million viewers to be enjoying the skillful playing of these young artists over the next two weeks.”

A Musical Olympiad 

Like the Olympics, the Cliburn Competition takes place every four years, and like the world’s most famous quadrennial sporting event, the Cliburn also invites the world’s most elite practitioners to the Competition. 

Thirty international artists representing 15 countries have been selected to compete in Texas. From a record-breaking field of 388 applicants, 72 pianists were chosen to perform a 25-minute recital before the Screening Jury and a live audience at TCU in March. The Jury, consisting of Angela Cheng (Canada), Arnaldo Cohen (Brazil), Christopher Elton (United Kingdom), Alexander Kobrin (United States), and Anton Nel (South Africa/United States) selected the 30 musicians competing in this year’s event. 

Continuing in the legacy of Van Cliburn himself, the artists were selected solely due to their talent and virtuosity, and in the spirit of celebrating how music can help heal during times of international conflict and distress. There are artists from Australia, Belarus, Canada, China, France, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Ukraine, and the United States. 

Over the next few days, the competitors will each perform a 40-minute recital during the Preliminary Round. The artists select pieces that best represent their individual voices, and all will also perform the piece Fanfare Toccata, a commissioned piece by distinguished British pianist and composer Stephen Hough, who is also on the Competition Jury. The 18 individuals who advance to the Quarterfinal Round will take the stage again beginning June 5. 

 

June 8 through12, the Semifinal Round will see 12 competitors perform in two phases; first, a 60-minute solo recital, and secondly, a Mozart concerto led by celebrated conductor Nicholas McGegan and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. In the Finals, world-renowned conductor (and Jury Chairman) Marin Alsop (United States) will lead the six finalists and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra through two concertos between June 14-18. 

In addition to Alsop and Hough, the Competition Jury consists of some of the world’s best performance pianists: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (France), Alessio Bax (Italy), Rico Gulda (Austria), Andreas Haefliger (Switzerland), Wu Han (China Taiwan/United States), Anne-Marie McDermott  (United States), Orli Shaham (Israel/United States), and ​​Lilya Zilberstein (Germany). 

The top prizes will be handed out at the Awards Ceremony on June 18. The pianists compete to become one of the three medalists, which includes a generous cash prize, in addition to a comprehensive and personalized career management package, including three years of concert bookings, commercial recording releases, and a full promotional package. The 2022 cash prizes for medalists have increased this year to $100,000 for gold, $50,000 for silver, and $25,000 for bronze. In addition, the gold medalist will receive international management and booking services to launch a global career. There are also over a dozen additional cash prizes for artists totaling more than $70,000. 

“We know the caliber of musician that has already been selected as one of the 30 competitors,” states Marquis. “They are so splendid, and we look forward to hearing each of them perform for the warm and welcoming Fort Worth audience. Then, we are proud to help our new winners as they grow into meaningful careers as professional pianists.”

ORDER OF PERFORMANCE ANNOUNCED FOR THE SIXTEENTH VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 31, 2022

The Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition welcomed 30 young pianists from around the world to the Opening Dinner & Draw Party Tuesday evening, May 31, 2022, at the Historic Hilton Hotel in downtown Fort Worth.

The competitors, members of the Jury, and host families received warm welcomes from Cliburn staff and patrons, and past Cliburn Board Chairman Susan Bagby Tilley was honored with a tribute delivered by Jury Chairman Emeritus John Giordano. Other speakers included Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis, Chairman of the Board Jeffrey B. King, and 2017 Gold Medalist Yekwon Sunwoo.

After dinner, Yekwon Sunwoo drew competitor names out of a chalice, Jacques Marquis read out the names, and each pianist came forward to choose his or her order of play.

THE PERFORMANCE ORDER WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:
Click for biographies. Click for hi-res competitor portraits.

1.  Georgijs Osokins, Latvia, age 27
2. Elizaveta Kliuchereva, Russia, 23
3.  Ziyu Liu, China, 24
4.  Jonathan Mak, Canada, 25
5. Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31
6. Andrew Li, United States, 22
7.  Denis Linnik, Belarus, 26
8.  Tianxu An, China, 23
9.  Arseniy Gusev, Russia, 23
10.  Masaya Kamei, Japan, 20
11.  Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23
12.  Yangrui Cai, China, 21
13.  Sergey Tanin, Russia, 26
14.  Albert Cano Smit, Spain/Netherlands, 25
15.  Yuki Yoshimi, Japan, 22
16.  Vitaly Starikov, Russia, 27
17.  Xiaolu Zang, China, 22
18.  Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20
19.  Francesco Granata, Italy, 23
20.  Yutong Sun, China, 26
21.  Shuan Hern Lee, Australia, 19
22.  Marcel Tadokoro, France/Japan, 28
23.  Federico Gad Crema, Italy, 23
24.  Honggi Kim, South Korea, 30
25.  Kate Liu, United States, 28
26.  Jinhyung Park, South Korea, 26
27.  Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28
28.  Changyong Shin, South Korea, 28
29.  Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27
30. Yunchan Lim, South Korea, 18

 


Preliminary Round (order of play, though not times, will hold for Quarterfinal Round recitals)

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Preliminary Recital 1

10:00 a.m. Georgijs Osokins, Latvia, age 27
10:45 a.m. Elizaveta Kliuchereva, Russia, 23
20-minute intermission
11:45 a.m. Ziyu Liu, China, 24

Preliminary Recital 2

2:30 p.m. Jonathan Mak, Canada, 25
3:15 p.m. Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31
20-minute intermission
4:15 p.m. Andrew Li, United States, 22
5:00 p.m. Denis Linnik, Belarus, 26

Preliminary Recital 3

7:30 p.m. Tianxu An, China, 23
8:15 p.m. Arseniy Gusev, Russia, 23
20-minute intermission
9:15 p.m. Masaya Kamei, Japan, 20

Friday, June 3, 2022

Preliminary Recital 4

10:00 a.m. Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23
10:45 a.m. Yangrui Cai, China, 21
20-minute intermission
11:45 a.m. Sergey Tanin, Russia, 26

Preliminary Recital 5

2:30 p.m. Albert Cano Smit, Spain/Netherlands, 25
3:15 p.m. Yuki Yoshimi, Japan, 22
20-minute intermission
4:15 p.m. Vitaly Starikov, Russia, 27
5:00 p.m. Xiaolu Zang, China, 22

Preliminary Recital 6

7:30 p.m. Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20
8:15 p.m. Francesco Granata, Italy, 23
20-minute intermission
9:15 p.m. Yutong Sun, China, 26

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Preliminary Recital 7

10:00 a.m. Shuan Hern Lee, Australia, 19
10:45 a.m. Marcel Tadokoro, France/Japan, 28
20-minute intermission
11:45 a.m. Federico Gad Crema, Italy, 23

Preliminary Recital 8

2:30 p.m. Honggi Kim, South Korea, 30
3:15 p.m. Kate Liu, United States, 28
20-minute intermission
4:15 p.m. Jinhyung Park, South Korea, 26
5:00 p.m. Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28

Preliminary Recital 9

7:30 p.m. Changyong Shin, South Korea, 28
8:15 p.m. Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27
20-minute intermission
9:15 p.m. Yunchan Lim, South Korea, 18

2022 CLIBURN COMPETITION WEBCAST: MORE WAYS TO WATCH FREE THAN EVER BEFORE + PREMIUM 4K/SURROUND SOUND SUBSCRIPTION

May 30, 2022

As it has been since 2001, the entire sixteenth edition of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (June 2–18, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas USA) will be streamed live online from the first note to the announcement of the new 2022 gold medalist. The Cliburn was a pioneer in the early days of webcasting, and it continues to innovate and expand this vital program as a global leader in the field; this year becoming the first classical music competition in the world to broadcast in 4K. The 2022 Competition webcast promises an even higher level of quality of sound and picture; a compelling, immersive program around the performances that gives viewers behind-the-scenes access and insightful commentary; and the widest selection of ways to watch of any classical music competition in history. Viewership is expected to top 10 million.

WAYS TO WATCH FREE & VOTE FOR THE AUDIENCE AWARD

Viewers around the world can watch the entire Competition live and on demand at Cliburn.org, cliburn.medici.tv, and youtube.com/thecliburn. On those sites, the public can also place their votes for the Carla and Kelly Thompson Audience Award, whose winner will be awarded a cash prize of $2,500 at the Awards Ceremony on June 18. Audiences can vote once a day for their favorite candidate. Voting closes on June 18, 2022 at 6:10 PM CT.

In China, the complete stream will be available at Amadeus.tv.

HYFI – PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION WITH 4K PICTURE & SURROUND SOUND

New this year: the Cliburn will be available in 4K HDR and surround sound. Beginning today, viewers can subscribe at hyfi.live/vancliburn to experience the next best thing to being in the concert hall. Prior to the Competition start on June 2, the Cliburn Competition will be available via the HFYI app on iOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, and Roku. Subscription packages will be available at $90 for six months, and $125 for one year. The 2022 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition (October 12–18, 2022) and 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival (June 8–17, 2023) will also be available live and on demand with active subscriptions.

Premium subscribers on HYFI will also have access to remastered recital performances from past winners, including Vadym Kholodenko, Beatrice Rana, Haochen Zhang, Nobuyuki Tsujii, Yeol Eum Son, and more over the coming months. The 2013 remastered competition is available now.

THE SHOW & HOSTS

The full Competition concert schedule can be found HERE. The webcast will go live 30 minutes prior to each concert and will stay live, with a newscast-style broadcast that will feature expert commentary; insightful features; live interviews with competitors, jurors, other artists, and Competition officials; and exclusive behind-the-scenes access.

Buddy Bray—Cliburn artistic consultant and host of the Cliburn Kids and Cliburn Masterpiece series—will serve as the primary face and voice of the webcast from the new broadcast booth, where he will be joined by rotating co-hosts. Principal keyboardist for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since 1986, Buddy has been part of the fabric of the Cliburn for more than 35 years, developing education programs, curating and hosting the Cliburn at the Modern concert series, and providing invaluable artistic counsel. He’s also attended every Cliburn Competition since 1981, and studied with 1977 Cliburn Gold Medalist Steven De Groote.

Joining Buddy to provide colorful commentary are pianists: Peter Dugan, Angela Cheng, Jon Nakamatsu, Elizabeth Joy Roe, Greg Anderson, and Daniel Hsu.

THE TEAM

Overseen by New York-based Framework Productions, the webcast team is a collection of experts from across the United States, many of whom have worked on Cliburn competitions since 2013. As a creative agency, FP specializes in the creation of documentary, commercial, and visually stunning live performances for clients like Amazon, CBS, T-Mobile, Tide, Arri, Canon, Nikon, Capital One, American Family Insurance, and Saturday Night Live. They bring a technical prowess, artistic vision, and invigorating passion to each project—driving to make each broadcast bigger and better.

HYFI, our premium subscription service, is the first 4K HDR streaming service for music in the world. Driven by a culture of innovation and design, they are a live streaming agency that delivers a broad portfolio of entertainment, helping content creators, big and small, navigate live and on-demand distribution in the highest quality possible.

Medici.tv—the global leader in classical music video streaming—will also be broadcasting the entire Competition webcast. For over 10 years, it has captured performances of leading classical artists, ensembles, and orchestras the world over. Medici.tv offers over 150 live events throughout the year and an extensive video-on-demand catalog of more than 3,500 classical and jazz programs, streaming on all your screens. The platform will also feature exclusive editorial content, as well as voting for the Audience Award.

2022 CLIBURN COMPETITORS TO PERFORM AT NINE FORT WORTH LIBRARY BRANCHES MAY 27–31 WITH ADOPT-A-COMPETITOR

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 17, 2022

Nine branches of the Fort Worth Public Library will adopt competitors of the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, with free public performances May 27–31, and additional family programming throughout the Competition, which takes place June 2–18 in Fort Worth.

The Cliburn initiated Adopt-a-Competitor in 1997, in collaboration with the Fort Worth ISD, to give children a direct link to the Cliburn Competition. Competitors volunteered to present concerts to local elementary school students, answer questions, and take pictures. Students then tracked their competitor’s progress throughout the Competition. Since the program’s inception, North Texas kids have met and learned about 57 Cliburn competitors, including four medalists.

This year—due to the Competition’s historic pandemic-related one-year postponement—the Cliburn partners with the Fort Worth Public Library, giving families throughout the community the unique opportunity to get a preview of the Competition. Participating branches are creating their own displays and activities to learn about, celebrate, and welcome each performer, and will be following them throughout the Competition with watch parties planned.

 

SCHEDULE

DATE/TIME                              PERFORMER                             BRANCH

Friday, May 27, 5:00 p.m.          Elizaveta Kliuchereva                 Meadowbrook Library*

Friday, May 27, 5:00 p.m.          Jonathan Mak                           Golden Triangle Library*

Saturday, May 28, 12:00 p.m.    Anna Geniushene                      Reby Cary Youth Library

Saturday, May 28, 2:00 p.m.      Federico Gad Crema                  Summerglen Library

Saturday, May 28, 4:00 p.m.      Denis Linnik                              Northwest Library

Sunday, May 29, 2:00 p.m.        Ilya Shmukler                            East Regional Library

Sunday, May 29, 2:00 p.m.        Xiaolu Zang                               Southwest Regional Library

Sunday, May 29, 4:00 p.m.        Arseniy Gusev                           Central Library (Downtown)

Tuesday, May 31, 2:00 p.m.       Sergey Tanin                             Ridglea Library

   *outdoor events

 

CLIBURN’S FIRST-EVER MURAL COMMISSIONED: INTERNATIONAL MURALIST DAAS WITH PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FORT WORTH’S NEAR SOUTHSIDE ARTS

May 11, 2022

The Cliburn is thrilled to announce the commission of its first-ever mural. Through partnership with the SoMa Development and Near Southside Arts, the organization has selected Texas-based, internationally renowned artist DAAS to create a new work, “Chromesthesia,” at 113 S. Main St. The mural is a lasting gift to the city of Fort Worth and a celebration of both the Cliburn’s 60th Anniversary and the sixteenth edition of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place June 2–18, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas USA.

 

MURAL UNVEILING & SUNDAY FUNDAY

Sunday, May 22, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.

The public is invited to celebrate the new mural in this free event, the surprise conclusion of the organization’s Countdown to the Cliburn series of community concerts around North Texas.

DAAS and Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis will make remarks and be available for comment afterwards. 2017 Cliburn Bronze Medalist Daniel Hsu will perform a short program. Guests are invited to stay for Sunday Funday, featuring a cash bar with margaritas, wine, and beer for sale from Tinies in the neighboring micropark.

 

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Cliburn has a longstanding tradition of collaboration with outstanding visual artists. For the 2022 Competition, it commissioned this large-scale mural—a first in its 60-year history—in Fort Worth’s vibrant Near Southside, as a lasting gift to the supportive citizens of its hometown. Located at the corner of S. Main St. and Vickery Blvd. in the historic SoMa District that includes an active micropark, “Chromesthesia” will serve as a backdrop for concerts and other events in the years to come.

 

ABOUT DAAS

DAAS is a contemporary artist, internationally recognized for his vibrant, engaging paintings and murals. Based in Austin, Texas, DAAS’ mural work utilizes a combination of abstract and representational imagery, driven by a distinct color palette and design aesthetic which incorporates bold shapes and organic forms saturated in vivid colors, to create larger-than-life artworks focused on bringing a sense of beauty and inspiration into the surrounding space.

His artwork and murals can be seen around the world in countries such as: Japan, China, Portugal, Italy, Jordan, USA, Nepal, and the Dominican Republic. This is his first project in Fort Worth.

“I believe the purpose of public art is for the enjoyment of everyone and consider it to be an inherent responsibility of myself as a public artist to make a sincere effort in understanding the community and environment in which the artwork will reside; in order to reflect the values of the people who live there and will view the work on a daily basis. Through my artwork, I hope to inspire, encourage and most importantly, create something that will be beneficial to the wellbeing of the community.” – DAAS

 

ABOUT SOMA

SoMa Development is a collection of historic and industrial buildings that have been adapted to meet modern uses. Today they are home to a collection of the Near Southside’s most recognizable retailers and storefronts, including Morgan Mercantile, Tarantula Tiki Lounge, Panther City Tattoo, Southside Cellar, WED Bridal Boutique, Brix BBQ, Big Kat Burgers, and South Barbershop. Tinies Mexican Cuisine is located in the historic two-story restaurant that abuts the SoMa Development’s most recognizable feature, the South Main Micropark, a small privately owned community space offering picnic tables, a raised sandbox, artistic climbing structures, the iconic Art Tooth shipping container with its rotating art installations, and the Crunchy Girl Granola Airstream trailer. Owner Lori Powers Henderson is the great-great-granddaughter of W.A. Powers, who purchased the buildings in 1939, beginning the W.A. Powers Company and Package Conveyor Company. The properties have been in the Powers family for four generations.

 

ABOUT NEAR SOUTHSIDE, INC. + NEAR SOUTHSIDE ARTS

Near Southside Arts (NSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing community and cultural initiatives benefiting Fort Worth’s 1,400 acre Near Southside district since 1987. NSA is aligned in mission and governance with Near Southside, Inc. (NSI), a 501(c)(4) membership organization leading economic and community development initiatives since 1996. Both organizations share a 53-member board of directors, officers, and staff.

Near Southside, Inc.’s membership roster includes 400 dues-paying businesses and individuals, representing a cross-section of district stakeholders and community-minded leaders. The majority of member businesses are headquartered within the Near Southside district boundary, and the remaining members regularly work in the district, either on development projects or in partnership with district businesses. This membership roster has grown and diversified significantly in recent years, with major growth in the creative sector. All of the district’s economic anchor institutions and businesses are long-standing top-level members, including the six major healthcare campuses and other major corporations located within the district.

www.nearsouthsidefw.org

30 COMPETITORS ANNOUNCED FOR SIXTEENTH VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

March 30, 2022

The Cliburn announces today the 30 competitors selected to participate in the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place June 2–18, 2022, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

From Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO:

“The 30 competitors we announce today were selected solely on their artistry. We know that their extraordinary ability to communicate through music will touch the world when they take the Cliburn stage this June.

The Cliburn must and will remain true to its mission as an artist-supporting cultural institution, and we are dedicated to the power of this artform to transcend boundaries. We make no distinction between non-political artists based on their nationality, gender, or ethnicity. We stand firmly with the music community around the globe in its commitment to these ideals.

The hearts of the people of the Cliburn are with the valiant Ukrainians as they courageously defend their homeland from the Russian regime. What is happening goes against everything that humankind should stand for.”

 

2022 CLIBURN COMPETITORS
Ages listed as of Competition.

Tianxu An, China, age 23

Yangrui Cai, China, 21

Albert Cano Smit, Spain/Netherlands, 25

Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28

Federico Gad Crema, Italy, 23

Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31

Francesco Granata, Italy, 23

Arseniy Gusev, Russia, 23

Masaya Kamei, Japan, 20

Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20

Honggi Kim, South Korea, 30

Elizaveta Kliuchereva, Russia, 23

Shuan Hern Lee, Australia, 19

Andrew Li, United States, 22

Yunchan Lim, South Korea, 18

Denis Linnik, Belarus, 26

Kate Liu, United States, 28

Ziyu Liu, China, 24

Jonathan Mak, Canada, 25

Georgijs Osokins, Latvia, 27

Jinhyung Park, South Korea, 26

Changyong Shin, South Korea, 28

Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27

Vitaly Starikov, Russia, 27

Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23

Yutong Sun, China, 26

Marcel Tadokoro, France/Japan, 28

Sergey Tanin, Russia, 26

Yuki Yoshimi, Japan, 22

Xiaolu Zang, China, 22

SELECTION PROCESS

An initial screening panel—comprising pianists Roberto Plano (Italy), Michel Beroff (France), Jamie Parker (Canada), Lydia Artymiw (United States), and Dominique Morel (Canada)—reviewed the record-breaking 388 applications, recommending 142 pianists to move forward. From those, the Screening Jury—Angela Cheng (Canada), Arnaldo Cohen (Brazil), Christopher Elton (United Kingdom), Alexander Kobrin (United States), and Anton Nel (South Africa/United States)—selected 72 to be invited to Fort Worth for the live Screening Auditions, March 6–12, 2022. That five-member Screening Jury then chose the 30 competitors, following the live auditions.

OFFICIAL CLIBURN STATEMENT REGARDING RUSSIAN PIANISTS PARTICIPATING IN SCREENING AUDITIONS, MARCH 6 – 12

March 3, 2022

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is reprehensible and heartbreaking. The Cliburn stands firmly against and condemns this tyranny. The Russian-born pianists who have applied for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition are not officials of their government, nor is their participation in the Cliburn state-sponsored. Therefore, in the vision of our namesake and inspiration, Van Cliburn, and our mandate to support young artists—which is the very core of our mission—the Russian-born pianists will be allowed to audition for the Cliburn Competition.

The story of Van Cliburn and his Cold War victory at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow inspired the world as a testament to the transcendence of art, even at the most tense of times between two superpowers. As he himself said: “Since we know that classical music is timeless and everlasting, it is precisely the eternal verities inherent in classical music that remain a spiritual beacon for people all over the world.”

Of the 72 pianists invited to take part in next week’s Screening Auditions for the 2022 Cliburn Competition, 15 are Russian-born; eight of those currently reside in Moscow. These young, brilliant artists have worked their way through an intense and complicated situation to ensure they would be able to come to Fort Worth for their chance to compete on one of classical music’s biggest stages—for their chance to live their dreams.

They have spent the better part of their lives preparing for this opportunity. The stakes are high. One of our current applicants sent us this note this week: “I hope that the great positive impact Maestro Van Cliburn had on the course of the Cold War should be an excellent example for all the artists.” And another: “I pray we give music a chance to be the ambassador of peace and love it has always been.” We look forward to hearing each of our participants do just that.

72 PIANISTS CHOSEN FOR SCREENING AUDITIONS OF 2022 VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

February 3, 2022

The Cliburn announces today the 72 exceptional pianists representing 22 countries selected to come to Fort Worth next month to participate in the live Screening Auditions (March 612, 2022) of the sixteenth edition of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (June 2–18, 2022). The Auditions are open to the public and are free to attend. 

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR 2023 CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR PIANO COMPETITION AND FESTIVAL

January 26, 2022

Applications are now open for the Third Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, taking place June 8–17, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. Talented pianists age 13 to 17 are encouraged to apply by January 10, 2023; 24 will be accepted as competitors in the internationally renowned event, and another 14 will be selected as non-competing festival participants. All applicants must have been born on or after June 17, 2005, and before June 8, 2010. Complete details and the application can be found at cliburn.org/2023-junior-competition/application.

The first three Competition rounds, as well as all festival events, will be hosted on the campus of SMU, where participants will also reside throughout their time in Dallas. For the Final Round, three young pianists will perform full concertos with the renowned Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.

Janina Fialkowska, Canadian virtuoso pianist, educator, and artistic director, will serve as jury chairman. For over 40 years, she has enchanted audiences and critics around the world. She has been praised for her musical integrity, her refreshing natural approach, and her unique piano sound, thus becoming “one of the Grandes Dames of piano playing” (Frankfurter Allgemeine). Janina previously served on the Screening Jury for the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. For more information and hi-res photos, visit fialkowska.com.

ABOUT THE CLIBURN JUNIOR

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 Second Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival was held in Dallas, Texas, 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 620,000 for over 3.8 million minutes watched by viewers in 120 countries.

2023 CLIBURN JUNIOR SCHEDULE

  • Preliminary Round: 24 pianists each perform a 20-minute recital, to include a Bach Prelude and Fugue and one fast, virtuosic etude
  • Quarterfinal Round: 14 pianists each perform a 30-minute recital, to include one movement of a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven
  • Semifinal Round: 6 pianists each perform in two phases:
    • A 40-minute recital, to include one work by a living composer and a substantial work of at least 16 minutes and one slow, lyrical work
    • One movement of their selected concerto (chosen from a provided list) with piano accompaniment
  • Final Round: 3 pianists perform a full concerto with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

For full competition rules and repertoire requirements and lists, visit cliburn.org/2023-junior-competition/application.

CLIBURN RECEIVES RECORD-BREAKING 388 APPLICATIONS FOR 2022 VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

November 1, 2021

Applications are in for the sixteenth edition of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition—taking place June 2–18, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas USA—and the pool represents the largest and most diverse in the organization’s 60-year history. The Cliburn received 388 applications, a 34% increase over the last edition in 2017, from pianists hailing from 51 countries.

 

“Following the vision of Van Cliburn, the Cliburn Competition serves two mandates: to constantly grow the international fanbase for classical music, and to discover and support the best-of-the-best young pianists,” said Jacques Marquis, president and CEO. “This excellent application response is a testament to the artform’s vibrancy; it is our job now to manage the selection process carefully, as our experts determine the 30 who will be invited to Fort Worth in June. With this level of geographic representation and, particularly, after the global challenges of the past two years, the Competition will be a truly extraordinary celebration of the resiliency of the human spirit, and of the power of music.”

 

APPLICANT FACTS

  • Ages 18 to 31 (as of Competition dates) *
  • 277 men, 110 women, 1 non-binary
  • 51 nations comprising 6 continents represented
    • Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czechia, France, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vietnam
    • Most represented: China (77), South Korea (60), United States (51), Russia (43)

*An extra year of eligibility was added to the Cliburn’s normal age range of 18–30 due to the pandemic-related one-year postponement.

 

SELECTION PROCESSWhat’s Next

  1. Applications were due October 14, 2021, and included performance videos, musician references, press reviews, concert history, and personal statements.
  2. Now through January: a pre-screening jury reviews all applications and selects approximately 135 pianists to move on. From those, the members of the Screening Auditions Jury (listed below) select 72 pianists they would like to hear perform during the live Screening Auditions. (Schedule to be announced January 27, 2022.)
  3. March 6–12, 2022: Screening Auditions
    1. 72 pianists perform 25-minute recitals
    2. PepsiCo Recital Hall at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas USA
    3. Five-member Screening Auditions Jury: Angela Cheng(Canada), Arnaldo Cohen (Brazil), Christopher Elton (United Kingdom), Alexander Kobrin (Russia/United States), and Anton Nel (South Africa/United States). 
    4. Pianist travel and lodging are arranged for and covered by the Cliburn.
    5. Screening Auditions are open to the public and are free to attend.
  4. March 30, 2022: Announcement of 30 competitors selected to compete in the Competition
  5. May 29, 2022: Competitors return to Fort Worth
  6. June 2–6, 2022: Preliminary (30 competitors) & Quarterfinal (18 competitors) Rounds at the new Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU
  7. June 8–18, 2022: Semifinal (12 competitors) & Final (6 competitors) Rounds at Bass Performance Hall
  8. June 18, 2022: Awards Ceremony, announcement of gold, silver, bronze medalists + special awards; cash prizes total $265,000; medalists also win career management packages worth a total of over $1 million.

SPRING 2022 CLIBURN CONCERTS INDIVIDUAL TICKETS & SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW

October 20, 2021

The Cliburn announces the Spring 2022 season of its signature concert series, Cliburn Concerts, offering more variety of options than ever before, both in the kinds of concerts offered and the places they can be heard. In addition to the traditional venues of the Kimbell Art Museum and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, concerts will be presented at The Post at River East and Tulips Fort Worth. Full schedule below.

Subscriptions go on sale tomorrow, September 30, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. CT. Patrons can choose three or more concerts to receive a scale of discounts on single ticket prices. (15% off three; 20% off four; 25% off five or more). Single tickets will go on sale on October 20, 2021. Information and tickets at cliburn.org/concerts or by calling 817.212.4280.

 

“One of our best learnings from the pandemic is how much people love alternative venues, where they can have a drink and listen to a more casual, but still excellent concert,” said Jacques Marquis, president and CEO. “They’re also clamoring for the return of traditional recitals in Fort Worth’s gorgeous museums. So we’ve created a season full of options and choices, bringing a fresh energy to the concert-going experience and allowing our patrons to curate their own season.”

Alessio Bax joins 2022 Cliburn Jury

October 4, 2021

Applications for the sixteenth edition of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place June 2–18, 2022, at Bass Performance Hall and Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU, in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, are due on Thursday, October 14, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. CT. Applicants, age 18 to 31, must be born after June 12, 1990, and on or before June 2, 2004. An extra year of eligibility has been added, due to the pandemic-related postponement from 2021. Visit https://cliburn.org/2022-competition-application-rules/ for more information.

Announced today, renowned pianist Alessio Bax will join the esteemed jury, chaired by conductor Marin Alsop. Complete jury information is below. Bax replaces Paul Lewis due to a scheduling conflict with the rescheduled Competition dates.

“In just eight months, we will hear the first notes of the Sixteenth Cliburn Competition—a moment that will take on even greater significance next year than ever before,” said Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis. “What more meaningful way to emerge from the global pandemic than to elevate art and the exceptional people who devote their lives to it? We will celebrate how music and the connection that it fosters between us are universally vital to the human experience. We call the top young pianists of the world to submit their applications, and we invite our friends to make plans now to join us in Fort Worth to experience this distinctive event firsthand. There’s nothing like it.”

CLIBURN POP-UP CONCERTS RETURN THIS FALL

September 16, 2021

The Cliburn’s popular Pop-Up Concert series returns this fall with 2013 Cliburn finalist Fei-Fei on Saturday, October 2, 2021, and violin/piano duo Charles Yang and Peter Dugan on Saturday, November 6, 2021, in the outdoor courtyard at The Post at River East (2925 Race Street), both at 5:00 & 7:30 p.m. Individual tickets are on sale now for $35 at Cliburn.org/pop-up-concerts and are also available as part of the Cliburn Essentials hybrid subscription package.

“This series launched last fall as a fresh way to bring our community together for live music,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO. “People have loved the atmosphere so much that we’ve sold out every concert. It’s been another step to bringing classical music to new audiences: Texas skies, exceptional artists, and a nice drink—what could be better!”

On September 30, 2021, the Cliburn will announce a spring return to the Cliburn Concerts format, though with marked changes—including a mix of traditional venues like the Kimbell Art Museum and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth with more casual outdoor venues, due to the overwhelmingly positive response.

Cliburn Pop-Up Concerts are sponsored by Sewell Automotive Companies.

2022 Cliburn Competition Tickets on Sale Now

August 31, 2021

The Cliburn is pleased to announce that individual tickets will go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. CT, September 1, for the sixteenth edition of its flagship Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, to be held entirely in person on June 2–18, 2022, at Bass Performance Hall and Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU, in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

All individual tickets will be available online at Cliburn.org or by telephone at 817.212.4280 starting at 10:00 a.m. Subscription packages remain on sale including premium, complete, and individual round subscriptions at Cliburn.org/2022-ticketsPatrons must be 10 years or older to attend.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS

Earlier than ever before, individual tickets are available for every performance. Patrons can choose from all Preliminary ($10-$30), Quarterfinal ($15-$35), Semifinal ($30-$125), and Final Round ($55-$225) concerts. These tickets go on saleat Cliburn.org/2022-tickets tomorrow, September 1 at 10:00 a.m.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

PREMIUM

Get the ultimate Competition experience with a Platinum or Golden Circle Complete or Semifinal and Final Round Only Subscription. Receive exclusive access to the Opening Dinner & Draw Party, the premium Lounge, and the Closing Reception, in addition to securing the best seats in the house. Premium subscriptions are available in Platinum Circle Box Tier, Platinum Circle Orchestra, and Golden Circle Orchestra levels. Click here to see all Platinum and Golden Circle benefits.

COMPLETE

Witness the entire Competition, from the first notes to the last, with this subscription that includes all four competition rounds. Enjoy both solo recitals and concertos with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Available at the Mezzanine and Gallery levels.

INDIVIDUAL ROUNDS

Make plans to attend the Preliminary or Quarterfinal Round concerts at the Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU. Or, select the Semifinal Round at Bass Performance Hall to hear each semifinalist perform a recital, as well as a Mozart concerto with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and famed conductor Nicholas McGegan. Available in the Preferred Orchestra, Orchestra I and II, Mezzanine, and Gallery levels.

Complete ticket information can be found at Cliburn.org/2022-tickets.

For the 2022 Cliburn Competition ticket policy, visit cliburn.org/2022ticketpolicy.

2022 Cliburn Amateur Competitors & Details Announced

July 28, 2021

The Cliburn announces today the details of the 2022 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, taking place October 12–18, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas, with the first two rounds at PepsiCo Recital Hall at TCU and the Final Round concert with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Damon Gupton at Bass Performance Hall. This eighth edition of the Cliburn Amateur was previously scheduled for May 2020.

The 2022 Cliburn Amateur competitors hail from all over the world, representing 19 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States. They range in age from 38 to 72, with a median age of 51.

An additional 20 pianists (also listed below) have been selected as non-competing festival participants, bringing the total number of pianists to 68 and countries represented to 23 with the addition of China, Egypt, Honduras, and Russia.

The 2022 Cliburn Amateur Competitors represent a wide range of professional industries including: IT/Software (13), Management/Business (11), Medicine (8), Finance/Accounting (5), Law (4), and Academia (4), a playwright, a realtor, and a freelance translator.

Applications closed January 16, 2020, and a selection committee chose the 48 competitors and 24 festival participants from an impressive pool of 205 applicants representing 32 countries, through online applications and video submissions of 15 to 20 minutes in length. Competitors were originally announced in March 2020, prior to the Competition’s postponement. Four competitors previously announced were unable to participate during the rescheduled dates; as those positions were filled by alternates, applications will not re-open.

The Amateur Competition highlights the importance of music-making in everyday life, bringing together the world’s best non-professional pianists age 35 and older for seven days of performances, symposia, and social events. All rounds are open to the public, as are many of the festival events. We hope you’ll join us for this truly inspiring, international event, where everyday people become stars of the stage. Tickets will go on sale in Spring 2022.

2022 CLIBURN AMATEUR COMPETITORS – See full Competitor Grid

Format: Name, Occupation, Age at time of Competition, Current City of Residence

UNITED STATES

California
Gorden Cheng, Information Security Architect, 41 (San Diego)
John Gutheil, CEO–Medical Oncologist, 66 (La Jolla); also representing United Kingdom
Hyongsoon Kim, Attorney, 43 (La Habra)
Jon Lee, Software Manager, 41 (San Francisco)
Aaron Miller, Academic Administrator, 42 (Los Angeles)

District of Columbia
Simon Finlow, IT Project Manager (Retired), 66; also representing United Kingdom

Illinois
Allen Racho, Software Architect, 49 (Bolingbrook)

Maryland 
Eladio Santiago, President & CEO–Advisory Investment Management, 58 (West Friendship)

Massachusetts
Robert Finley, Electronics Engineer (Retired), 72 (Northborough)
James Rosenblum, Attorney, 41 (Harwich)

Minnesota  
Adrienne Johnson, Playwright, 68 (Minneapolis)

New York
Henri-Robert Delbeau, Physician, 59 (Williston Park)
Michael Slavin, Neuro-Ophthalmologist (retired), 71 (Manhasset)

North Carolina
Matthew Barnhill, Accountant, 38 (Charlotte)
Gregory Knight, Software Engineer, 60 (Morganton)
Richard Reid, Software Engineer, 71 (Cary)

Rhode Island 
Suzanna Laramee, Financial Advisor (Retired), 66 (Newport)

Texas   
Noah DeGarmo, Physician, 44 (Dallas)
Marisa Naomi Haines, Business Strategist, 66 (Murphy); also representing Brazil
Irene Longacre-Whiteside, Executive Assistant, 67 (Arlington)

INTERNATIONAL

Argentina
Miriam Berro, Software Engineer, 65 (lives in Montréal, Canada); also representing Canada

France
Xavier Aymonod, Marketing Director, 46 (Paris)
Julien Bedon, System Simulation Engineer, 40 (lives in Yokohama, Japan)
Thierry Goldwaser, Software Developer, 46 (Ploeren)
Vincent Letourmy, Chief Operating Officer, 51 (lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Dominique Salloum, CEO–Artificial Intelligence Industry, 53 (Cormontreuil); also representing Lebanon

Germany
Uta Hielscher, Executive Assistant, 52 (Deggendorf)

Greece
Michael Stefanakis, Tax Attorney, 40 (Athens)

Indonesia
Ferdy Talan, Realtor, 38 (lives in West New York, New Jersey)

Ireland
Deirbhile Brennan, Accountant, 53 (Dublin)

Italy
Filippo Tresca, International Tax Consultant, 41 (Barletta)

Japan
Ken Iisaka, Software Engineer, 53 (lives in Foster City, California); also representing Canada
Keiko Kircher, College Physics Instructor, 41 (lives in Champaign, Illinois); also representing United States
Yasuo Kurimoto, Ophthalmologist, 61 (Kobe)
Rie Moore, Translator, 47 (lives in Lexington Park, Maryland)
Masanori Murakami, Clinical Research Associate, 38 (Tokyo)
Kesuke Ota, Research Scientist, 41 (Yokohama)
Yuka Otohata, Marketing Operations Professional, 51 (Tokyo)
Hiroko Toya, Attorney, 65 (Tokyo)
Eiji Yoshimura, Business Planning Director, 50 (Tokyo)

Mexico  
Jorge Zamora, Business Development Director–Wireless Technology, 49 (Huixquilucan)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Sean Sutherland, Production Manager, 45 (lives in Montréal, Canada); also representing Canada

South Korea
Youjin Hong, Psychiatrist, 41 (Gangneung)
Yeon Wook Jeong, Entrepreneur/Attorney, 53 (Seoul)
Seung-Yeop Lee, Mathematics Professor, 47 (lives in Tampa, Florida)

Taiwan
Felicia Cheng, Neuroscience Researcher, 39 (lives in Göttingen, Germany); also representing Germany

Turkey
Ipek Bozkurt, Professor, 42 (lives in Seabrook, Texas); also representing United States

Ukraine
Dmytro Vynogradov, Business Development Manager, 52 (Kyiv)

 

2022 CLIBURN AMATEUR NON-COMPETING FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS

Kathy Hodge Abrahamson, Nurse Practitioner, 61, United States (Arlington, Texas)
Anna Antimiichuk, Communications Executive, 39, Russia/United Kingdom (London)
Diane Austin, Researcher (retired), 68, United States (Fort Worth, Texas)
Luis Alberto Bernhard, Retinal Angiographer, 72, Honduras (Miami, Florida)
Luke Berryman, Director of Faculty Recruitment, 38, United Kingdom (New York, New York)
Stephen Bertges, Sales and Marketing Executive (Retired), 70, United States (El Dorado Hills, California)
Xiao Chen, Management Professor, 43, China/Canada (Charlottetown, Canada)
Ruth Dillon, Project Manager, 61, Egypt/United States (Troy, Virginia)
Vivienne Fleischer, Ergonomics Consultant/Entrepreneur, 58, United States (Brooklyn, New York)
Catherine Grimball, Military Spouse, 42, United States (Camp Lejeune, North Carolina)
Eugene Lee, CEO, 60, United States (Palo Alto, California)
Olivia Lee, Scientific Writer, 41, United States (Seattle, Washington)
Barbara Roeser, Physician – Dermatology, 66, Germany (Bad Arolsen)
Heesun Joyce Rogers, Physician, 59, United States (North Royalton, Ohio)
Esfir Ross, Dental Assistant (retired), 75, United States (Oakland, California)
John William Schleifer, Physician, 40, United States (Omaha, Nebraska)
Hideko Tazawa, Supply Chain Professional, 66, Japan (Tokyo)
Wei Ling Wang, Computer Network Engineer, 58, United States (Plano, Texas)
Elizabeth Yin, Stay-at-Home Mom, 55, United States (Los Altos, California)
Victor You, Attorney, 58, United States (New York, New York)

ANNOUNCING CLIBURN SUMMER SERIES AT TX WHISKEY RANCH

July 8, 2021

The Cliburn announces the all-new 2021 Cliburn Summer Series at TX Whiskey Ranch, featuring two concerts: 2005 Cliburn Silver Medalist and Fort Worth favorite Joyce Yang on July 29, and violinist with a bluegrass flair, Tessa Lark, in her Cliburn concert debut on August 12.

Each of these casual, intimate concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. and will take place on the gorgeous lawn at TX Whiskey Ranch (4250 Mitchell Blvd, 76119). Tickets are limited and are on sale now for $35 each or $50 for a 2-concert package. Patrons must be 21 or older to attend.

Attendees should bring their blankets and chairs for relaxed lawn seating. They can enjoy delicious TX Whiskey cocktails and dinner from local food trucks. The venue will open at 6:00 p.m., and patrons are encouraged to arrive early to allow time for refreshments and shopping in the Ranch store, which will feature special-edition Cliburn TX Whiskey bottles. No outside food or drink is allowed.

PURCHASE SUMMER SERIES TICKETS HERE

2022 CLIBURN COMPETITION ADDITIONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW

June 28, 2021

The Cliburn is pleased to announce that multiple subscription packages are now available for the sixteenth edition of its flagship Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, to be held entirely in person on June 2–18, 2022, at Bass Performance Hall and Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU, in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

“There is nothing like hearing, seeing, and feeling live music in an energetic, packed concert hall,” said Jacques Marquis, president and CEO of the Cliburn. “Add to that the unmatched exhilaration of being there to cheer on 30 of the world’s top emerging pianists as they strive to perform their best on an enormous world stage, in hopes of launching international careers. It’s been 60 years since the first notes of the Cliburn Competition were played in Fort Worth, Texas. And the world will yet again be attentively listening.”

The only way to ensure that patrons will have preferred seating for Cliburn 2022—including the Final Round—is to subscribe now to the Complete Competition. It will also save patrons up to 20% off of single ticket prices—or, with the Platinum or Golden Circles, give access to exclusive amenities and events.

PURCHASE 2022 COMPETITION SUBSCRIPTIONS

ONE YEAR FROM TODAY: VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

June 2, 2021

The Cliburn is pleased to affirm that the sixteenth edition of its flagship Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will be held entirely in person on June 2–18, 2022, at Bass Performance Hall and Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU, in Fort Worth, Texas, USAThe Competition was previously slated for May 27–June 12, 2021.

“One year from today, we will hear the first notes of the Sixteenth Cliburn Competition—a moment that will take on even greater significance next year than ever before,” said Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis. “What more meaningful way to emerge from the global pandemic than to elevate art and the exceptional people who devote their lives to it? We will celebrate how music and the connection that it fosters between us are universally vital to the human experience. We call the top young pianists of the world to submit their applications, and we invite our friends to make plans now to join us in Fort Worth to experience this distinctive event firsthand. There’s nothing like it.”

APPLICATIONS

Applications are open at cliburn.org and are due October 14, 2021. The Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities. Applicants must have been born after June 12, 1990, and on or before June 2, 2004.

TICKET INFORMATION

Our premium subscription packages are on sale now. Additional subscription options will be available at the end of June 2021. Single ticket purchases will be available in September 2021.

Please visit cliburn.org/2022-tickets for complete information.

QUESTIONS ABOUT SUBSCRIPTIONS?
Email Kim Blouin, director of marketing, at [email protected]

2022 CLIBURN IMPORTANT DATES

October 14, 2021           Application submission deadline

March 6–12, 2022         Screening Auditions*

March 30, 2022             Announcement of competitors to the public

June 2, 2022                 Competition begins

 June 18, 2022               Awards ceremony

2022 CLIBURN COMPETITION SCHEDULE

OPENING DINNER & DRAW PARTY
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 I 7:00 p.m.
Hilton Fort Worth Grand Crystal Ballroom

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Thursday, June 2 – Saturday, June 4, 2022
10:00 a.m. I 2:30 p.m. I 7:30 p.m. daily
Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU

QUARTERFINAL ROUND
Sunday, June 5 – Monday, June 6, 2022
10:00 a.m. I 2:30 p.m. I 7:30 p.m. daily
Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU

SEMIFINAL ROUND
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 I 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 9 – Sunday, June 12, 2022
2:30 p.m. I 7:30 p.m. daily
Bass Performance Hall

FINAL ROUND
Tuesday, June 14 – Wednesday, June 15, 2022 I 7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 17, 2022 I 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 18, 2022 I 3:00 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

AWARDS CEREMONY
Saturday, June 18, 2022 I 7:00 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

CLOSING RECEPTION

Saturday, June 18, 2022 I 8:00 p.m.


ANNOUNCING THE CLIBURN CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT

CLIBURN CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT

September 13, 2021  I  1:00 PM
River Crest Country Club
Rebecca and Reese Hillard, Chairmen
Cornelia Blake, Honorary Chairman

Join us for the Cliburn’s first-ever golf tournament hosted at the beautiful River Crest Country Club, and benefitting the sixteenth edition of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. This best ball tournament will have a 1:00 p.m. shotgun start and will feature prizes and contests, such as longest drive, closest to hole, and a “Hole-in-One” car, provided by Sewell Automotive Companies.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

2022 CLIBURN AMATEUR COMPETITION DATES ANNOUNCED

February 4, 2021

The Cliburn announces today the eighth edition of the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, for non-professional pianists age 35 and older, will take place October 12–18, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas, at Bass Performance Hall and PepsiCo Recital Hall at TCU. This edition had previously been scheduled for May 2020.

Competitors selected to compete in 2020—who represent 18 countries and range in age from 35 to 69—will be offered their places to participate in the 2022 Amateur Competition. Should any competitors decline, preselected alternates from the 2020 applicant pool will  be invited as competitors. In the event that there are still positions open, applications will be reopened in July 2021. A confirmed competitor list will be announced in July 2022.

2022 AMATEUR COMPETITION FACTS

  • Ralph Votapek, gold medalist of the First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1962, will serve as jury chairman. The jury comprises: Alessandro Deljavan (Italy), Carol Leone (United States), Alex McDonald (United States), Valery Kuleshov (Russia); and Pamela Mia Paul (United States). An additional juror will be announced at a later date.
  • Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will perform with each of six finalists under the baton of acclaimed conductor Damon Gupton.
  • Semifinal and Final Round performances will be webcast live at Cliburn.org. 
  • Tickets to attend the Amateur Competition will go on sale in spring 2022.

ABOUT THE CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR PIANO COMPETITION

Inaugurated in 1999, the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition was the first event of its kind in the United States. Hailed by the Boston Globe as “a celebration of music, and the people who have to make music no matter what,” it was established at the behest of the late Nela Rubinstein, wife of legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein. The contest highlights the importance of music-making in everyday life and provides a forum for musicians age 35 and older who do not perform, teach, or compose piano music for their primary professional pursuit or financial benefit. The quadrennial competition brings together the best amateur pianists from around the world for seven days of performances, symposia, and social events.


ROUNDS & REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS

PRELIMINARY ROUND (PepsiCo Recital Hall, TCU)
October 12–14, 2022

48 competitors will each present a solo recital not to exceed 15 minutes in length, of repertoire of their choosing.

SEMIFINAL ROUND (PepsiCo Recital Hall, TCU)
October 15–16, 2022

20 competitors will each present a solo recital not to exceed 28 minutes in length, of repertoire of their choosing.

FINAL ROUND (Bass Performance Hall)
October 18, 2022

6 competitors will each perform one concerto movement, selected from a list, with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Damon Gupton.

NON-COMPETING PARTICIPANTS (NEW THIS EDITION)

An additional 24 pianists have been selected as non-competing participants. They will play up to 15 minutes for comments from jurors (recitals will be free and open to the public) and participate in other activities and festival events.

2022-2023 CLIBURN COMPETITION SCHEDULE

JUNE 2-18, 2022 – Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
OCTOBER 12-18, 2022 – Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
JUNE 2023 – Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition

For Amateur Competition participant questions, please contact us by email at [email protected]

AMATEUR COMPETITION LINKS
JURY  I  ROUNDS & REPERTOIRE  I  ARTISTIC COLLABORATORS

NEW VIDEO SERIES: CLIBURN MASTERPIECE

October 15, 2020

NEW EPISODES EVERY OTHER SUNDAY AT 2:00 PM CT ON FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE

Cliburn Masterpiece is a new series that examines the who, what, when, where, and how of the greatest piano works. Cliburn laureates and other esteemed specialists, in and outside the field of music, join host Buddy Bray to lead us through the story of each piece—the composer, the background, the narrative, the characters, the technical difficulties, and more. Each episode ends with a standout, full performance of the piece from a past Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

CLIBURN COMPETITION POSTPONED TO JUNE 2022

FORT WORTH, Texas, September 22, 2020—The Cliburn announces today that the sixteenth edition of its flagship Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will now be held June 2–18, 2022, at Bass Performance Hall and Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU, in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The Competition was previously slated for May 27–June 12, 2021.

The Cliburn Competition is a once-every-four-years opportunity for us to showcase exceptional artists to the world, to bring the international classical music community together in Fort Worth, to create a singular event for our hometown, and, in the end, to launch careers.  It’s become clear in recent months that the continuing effects of the pandemic will prevent us from producing an event at the level and with the impact that our patrons, our supporters, and—most importantly—our competitors deserve. Now, with a clear path forward, we can plan a Competition that will achieve new heights and be a fitting celebration of international strength and unity after such challenging times. –Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO

REVISED SCHEDULE

The Cliburn’s competition cycle will change, for this period only, to:

  • June 2–18, 2022          Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
  • Fall 2022                       Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
  • June 2023                     Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival

Details for the Amateur and Junior Competitions to be announced as venue and other confirmations are made.

 

POSTPONEMENT

The Cliburn decided to postpone the Competition, a first since the organization’s inception in 1962, citing the following:

  • Social distancing and safety protocols for in-person events – the vibrancy of the Cliburn Competition is built around the energy of the audience. Though the Cliburn is a leader in classical music webcasting, the in-person atmosphere is an element that also sets it apart; the competitors remember the warmth of patrons in Fort Worth for many years after. The health of the patrons is of utmost importance, and postponing will offer the opportunity to safely gather.
  • International travel – the international nature of the Competition is foundational, and it is uncertain if people from all around the globe (competitors, attendees, press) will be able to or feel comfortable with traveling to Texas in 2021.
  • Planning uncertainty – the planning of the Competition is a complex, multiyear process, which is obviously hindered by the unpredictability of the pandemic globally.
  • Winners’ touring – The primary goal of the Competition is the launch of careers. Doing so at a time when concert tours have been suspended is not in the best interest of the new winners.

 

2022 CLIBURN COMPETITION IMPORTANT DATES

 

  • October 14, 2021            Application submission deadline
  • March 6–12, 2022         Screening Auditions*
  • March 30, 2022             Announcement of competitors to the public
  • June 2, 2022                  Competition begins
  • June 18, 2022                Awards ceremony

*For the first time, the Screening Auditions will be held in the Cliburn’s hometown, Fort Worth, Texas. Seventy-two applicants will be chosen to perform a 25-minute recital in front of a live audience and the Screening Jury. From those, 30 will be selected to return to Fort Worth in May to compete.

FOR APPLICANTS

Please read our FAQ.

FOR TICKETHOLDERS

No action is necessary for patrons who have already purchased tickets for the 2021 Cliburn Competition; their purchase will automatically transfer to the postponed dates. Premium subscriptions remain on sale and are available HERE. Other subscription packages and individual tickets will go on sale in 2021.

ABOUT THE VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

Widely considered one of the preeminent international music contests, 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. The world’s top pianists compete for gold in front of a live audience in Fort Worth, as well as a global online viewership of over 5 million. Beyond cash prizes, winning a Cliburn medal means comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the three years following.

In the postponement to one year later, the venues, format, jury, and other key elements are expected to remain unchanged. Importantly, an additional year of eligibility will be added for competitors. For this edition only, applicants may be 18 to 31 years of age (born after June 12, 1990, and on or before June 2, 2004). For more information on the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, click here.

CLIBURN LAUNCHES ROBUST ONLINE MUSIC EDUCATION INITIATIVE

September 15, 2020

The Cliburn launches its expanded, robust online music education program for elementary-school students: Cliburn Kids. Created as a resource for school districts, teachers, and parents, the initiative includes 27 lesson plans to date, each with a 7- to 10-minute video, and corresponding individual and class activities that meet objectives of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The Cliburn will release new episodes and lesson plans every Tuesday of the 2020–2021 school year, beginning today, for a total of more than 50 by May 2021.

All lesson plans and videos are housed at the Cliburn Kids website at Cliburn.org/kids, where parents, teachers, and students can easily find resources by musical learning category and activity subject areas.

Last spring, we created our Cliburn Kids series as a response to the global pandemic, when children around the world had to adjust quickly to being at home,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn President and CEO. “Music education is integral to the Cliburn’s mission. Normally, we would be producing 300 in-school Cliburn in the Classroom programs in the North Texas area this year, which is not possible right now. With Cliburn Kids, we’re able to provide an extensive resource to educators and students everywhere, regardless of their current learning environment. We think this initiative has great growth potential and are excited to continue to add to its depth and reach this school year.

ABOUT CLIBURN KIDS

For our youngest Cliburn friends! Cliburn Kids is a (growing!) collection of wonderfully entertaining videos designed to introduce children to the fun of classical music. How does music paint pictures, tell stories, express feelings? How can music help teach about other school subjects? Host Buddy Bray and guest artists use individual pieces to explore topics that delve into the way music is organized and structured, counting and rhythm, expressive elements, and sometimes just lighthearted enjoyment!

Programs are geared towards elementary-aged children, and activities are provided for each episode that are perfect for in-classroom or at-home studies. Twenty-seven episodes are currently available, and a new episode will be added weekly on Tuesdays. Each episode page has links to the supplemental activities, as well as TEKS objectives for each.

Cliburn Kids programs are based on Cliburn in the Classroom curriculum, written by Dr. John Feierabend and Buddy Bray.

ABOUT BUDDY BRAY

Shields-Collins “Buddy” Bray is co-author of the Cliburn in the Classroom programs and has been hosting the presentations in schools for over 15 years, and he says it is the most enjoyable work he does. He is the host of the Cliburn Kids series and plays an integral part in its development.

When he is not in the schools talking about music, Mr. Bray serves as artistic director of the Cliburn at the Modern series and is the principal keyboardist for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Bray also hosts the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s pre-concert discussion series, where he does much the same thing as in the schools—he tries to make his audience comfortable with the music they will hear, and he does it with a spirit of discovery and fun.

Mr. Bray comes from a family of teachers, and he is glad to be carrying on the family tradition.

CLIBURN IMMEDIATE PLANS: SUMMER/FALL 2020

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.

2021 COMPETITION PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTIONS

PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES FOR THE
2021 CLIBURN COMPETITION ARE ON SALE NOW

May 1, 2020—We are sending our thoughts to you during this time, and we are planning to be with you next year to celebrate the talent of extraordinary pianists, as a community. Today, we announce that premium Platinum and Golden Circle subscriptions are on sale now. We invite you to reserve your seats, as we all look forward to brighter days.

You are invited to reserver the best seats in the house today!
Additional subscription options, as well as single ticket purchases, will be available in September 2020.

CLICK HERE for full information or to purchase your package now.

CLIBURN AT HOME DIGITAL INITIATIVE LAUNCHES

Music is providing an invaluable respite to a world in quarantine. On March 30, we join our classical music community worldwide in providing new opportunities to connect through the artform we love, in a safe and joyful space for us all, no matter age, culture, or physical location.

We’re announcing three new online initiatives to bring our international family together virtually. You can reconnect with great Cliburn Competition performances, learn with your children by listening to Cliburn Kids, and be inspired by the passion of our Cliburn Amateur pianists.

We hope to get to be with you all in person again soon. In the meantime, we relish this chance for fellowship online.

The daily schedule begins  Monday, March 30. Weekly schedules will be announced each Sunday.

COMPLETE INFORMATION AT CLIBURN.ORG/CLIBURN-AT-HOME

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

In light of the continued spread of COVID-19 around the United States, and in consideration of current guidance from health officials, the Cliburn has made the decision to cancel or postpone all events scheduled through May 30, 2020. As such, we will be working to reschedule the 2020 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition and the Classically Cliburn Gala; this season’s remaining Cliburn Concerts, Cliburn in the Classroom programs, and Cliburn in the Community events are canceled. We are saddened by this development and understand the disappointment it causes for our Cliburn Family around the globe, from our loyal patrons to the outstanding participants of the Amateur Competition. Details for each event are outlined below, and the Cliburn staff will be available at 817.738.6536 and [email protected].

Exclusive Interview with 2013 Silver Medalist Beatrice Rana

Beatrice Rana was just 20 when she took home silver at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, on the heels of her first-prize victory at the Montreal Competition two years prior. Since then, Bea (now 26) has taken the international music world by storm, winning admiration and praise from conductors, concert presenters, audiences, and critics alike. She’s played a good portion of the world’s major concert halls (such as Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Vienna’s Konzerthaus, Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center); she’s been featured on the cover of more than 10 magazines; and she’s received rave reviews and a slew of awards, including The New York Times’ “Best Classical Music of 2019” list, Gramophone’s 2017 “Young Artist of the Year,” and BBC 2015 “New Generation Artist.” And she signed an exclusive recording deal with Warner Classics, having now released four critically acclaimed albums in four years, including a new Ravel Stravinsky disc that dropped October 25. We caught up with her this December.

 

CLIBURN: You’ve had such a meteoric rise in the six years since your Cliburn appearance—major concerts, loads of press, and a nice recording contract. What is your secret for balancing the demands of this busy life, while still developing artistically and enjoying it all?

BEATRICE: There is no secret, unfortunately! My strength is the love for what I do: sharing music with people and sharing life with my loved ones. Balancing the two things is not always easy, but I try always my best because they are equally important to me. In this sense, I like to have a busy and challenging schedule, with good combination of old and new repertoire, solo and concertos, and at the same time I save some weeks to be off stage and spend time with family and friends.

 

CLIBURN: You have had some great mentors along the way. Tell us about those relationships and how they’ve shaped you.

BEATRICE: I owe everything I know to Benedetto Lupo and Arie Vardi. Benedetto Lupo has been my mentor since I was a child, and he taught me the art of music, but also the profession of being pianist: thanks to him, I got a real fascination for colors and sounds, and a real necessity of using a certain sound for a certain result. At 18, I got in the studio of Arie Vardi, and he opened me another world, very wide in a sense, where music, art, literature, and philosophy were all part of one great thing. I feel very lucky to have been mentored by such musicians.

 

CLIBURN: With all the traveling, concertizing, and amazing collaborators, you must have some great stories from the road. Share one or two with us?

BEATRICE: Last September I played in Paris in the beautiful Theatre des Champs-Elysees with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Yuri Temirkanov. The orchestra and conductor were in the middle of a tour, so they were supposed to arrive in the early afternoon and rehearse with me couple of hours before the concert. As soon as I get on stage for my rehearsal, I see less than half of the orchestra and Maestro Temirkanov on the podium. I ask where the rest of the orchestra was, since the rehearsal was about to start: they told me that the other musicians were on a much delayed plane and didn’t know if they would make it on time. So we rehearsed the Schumann Concerto for a…chamber orchestra size! 🙂 The rest of the orchestra finally arrived 10 minutes before the start of the orchestra, so I got to meet the full orchestra during the concert. Despite everything, it was one of the most beautiful concerts I have ever played.

 

CLIBURN: Your newest CD just released on October 25. Tell us a little about how that project came together, and what’s up next.

BEATRICE: The last CD is dedicated to two composers that are very dear to my heart: Ravel and Stravinsky. It’s always challenging to decide the repertoire of an album, mainly because the album is like a photographof a precise artistic moment. I have been touring quite a lot in the previous season with Ravel Miroirs and Stravinsky Firebird, so it felt very natural to record them, alongside with La Valse and Petrushka. It’s a portrait of a period of great changes, both on the artistic and on the social level, which brought to the complete collapse caused by the first world war. In a sense, I feel that that kind of feeling of crisis is very present.

 

CLIBURN: Take us back to 2013. Why did you decide to come to the Cliburn and what was your experience like in Fort Worth?

BEATRICE: My experience at the Cliburn has been completely life changing. I was already very excited to be in Fort Worth and play in such a giant hall for such a venerable jury and audience. But what I understood during the last days of the competition is that that adrenaline that was driving me so much during those days wouldn’t end with the competition: being a laureate of the Cliburn was going to open the doors of so many concert halls for me! At first I was a bit overwhelmed, but step by step I got to find a balance with this new life and started to really enjoy the crazy touring life!

NPR’s From the Top at the 2019 Cliburn Junior Competition

Airing nationally this week, NPR’s From the Top goes behind-the-scenes at the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival. Hosted by pianist Peter Dugan, this documentary-style episode of From the Top features six of the 23 young pianists (age 13 to 17) chosen to participate in two weeks of high-level competition and intense artistic development at the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival in Dallas, Texas. From the Top’s special episode reveals the personal journeys and backstories of these young artists in the midst of this incredible experience, as well as some of their groundbreaking performances.

Cliburn in the Classroom goes back to school

The Cliburn’s signature education program, Cliburn in the Classroom, goes back to school on Monday, September 16. The program presents the excitement of live piano performances to second-, third-, and fourth-grade students and reinforces the basic elements of music through fun, interactive activities within the context of classical piano repertoire. Cliburn in the Classroom reaches more than 57,000 students through 300 programs in 185 North Texas elementary schools—all Fort Worth ISD elementary schools, plus ten other districts.

2019 Junior Quarterfinalists Announced

Alessio Bax, jury chairman of the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, announced the 14 pianists advancing to the Quarterfinal Round. In the Quarterfinal Round, each of the 14 quarterfinalists will play a recital not to exceed 30 minutes in length, to include the first or last movement of a Classical sonata and a lyrical work, the remainder of the program may be chosen by the pianist. A competitor’s program must not repeat any pieces from their Preliminary Round recital.

2019 Cliburn Junior Competition Festival Events Announced

The Competition’s Festival events comprise a variety of FREE public programs aimed at sharing this great music and prodigious talent with the community while advancing the artistic knowledge of competitors, festival attendees, and other pianists.

Highlights include big-screen simulcasts in Klyde Warren Park in Dallas and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth of theFinal Round concert with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and conductor Ruth Reinhardt on June 8; Community Concerts at Dallas Museum of Art, Klyde Warren Park, Main Street Garden Park, and NorthPark Center; and Masterclasses with Alessio Bax, Anne-Marie McDermott, Gilbert Kalish, Alexander Kobrin, Ruth Reinhardt, and Orion Weiss.

Marin Alsop named 2021 jury chairman

We are thrilled to announce that Marin Alsop will serve as the jury chairman for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place May 28–June 12, 2021, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. The American luminary will also conduct the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra with the six finalists in the Competition’s Final Round.

2019 Cliburn Junior Competitors Announced

The Cliburn is thrilled to announce the 24 competitors invited to participate in the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, taking place May 31–June 8, 2019, in Dallas, Texas, with the first three rounds at Caruth Auditorium at SMU and the Final Round performance with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ruth Reinhardt at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.

Applications now open for the Eighth Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition

The Cliburn invites all outstanding, non-professional pianists age 35 and older to apply for the 2020 Cliburn Amateur Competition.   Applications will be due January 16, 2020. 48 competitors and 24 non-competing participants will be announced March 24, 2020. Ralph Votapek, 1962 Cliburn gold medalist, will serve as jury chairman. 6 Finalists will once again perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Damon Gupton.

2019 Cliburn Festival: Iconic Paris

February 14–17, a stellar group of artists-in-residence leads a 5-concert musical journey through the Golden Age of Paris. Don’t miss featured pianists Joyce Yang, Dasol Kim, and Louis Schwizgebel; and the Rolston String Quartet perform works by Saint-Saëns, Poulenc, Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Frank, & More!

INTRODUCING CLIBURN SOCIAL

The Cliburn’s newest program, Cliburn Social creates a space where concert meets party. This specially curated classical experience provides members a chance to attend cool performances paired with opportunities to hang out, meet the artists, and make new friends.  Members receive tickets to three Cliburn Concerts events and invitations to four exclusive parties throughout the Cliburn Concerts season.

FIRST TWO CLIBURN SESSIONS CONCERTS SOLD OUT

Tickets for both the Aaron Diehl Trio on October 25, 2018 and Ava Pine + Jonathan Beyer on January 24, 2019 are sold out. You can get on the waiting list for these concerts by emailing [email protected] with your contact info and the number of tickets you are requesting. Tickets are still available for the last Sessions concert of the season on April 18, 2019 featuring cellist Joshua Roman. Cliburn Sessions creates a space where excellent classical artists perform in a very relaxed environment, where they are free to be casual, to blend genres, and to interact with the audience.

Laura Bush to be Junior Competition Honorary Chairman

The Cliburn is proud to announce that Former First Lady Laura Bush will serve as honorary chairman of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, for 13- to 17-year old pianists, taking place May 31–June 8, 2019, in Dallas, Texas. “Laura Bush’s lifetime commitment to education on the highest level continues in this association with the Cliburn Junior Competition, which is designed to encourage the artistic development of the greatest pianistic talent of tomorrow from around the globe,” said Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis. “As the Cliburn hosts a major program in Dallas for the first time ever—the majority of which will be held on the campus of SMU—we are thrilled to have Mrs. Bush, a resident of the city and proud alumna of the University, lend her name. She also held a longtime friendship with our inspiration and namesake, Van Cliburn, making this connection particularly special.”

2019 Junior Applications Open Now

The Cliburn invites talented pianists to apply for the Second Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, for pianists age 13 to 17, taking place May 31–June 8, 2019, in Dallas, Texas. Twenty-four pianists, age 13 to 17, will be invited to compete, and, new for the second edition, 14 additional pianists will be accepted as non-competing festival participants and will have the opportunity to take part in master classes, private lessons, workshops, and other elective activities.

2018 Classically Cliburn Gala to honor Van Cliburn

Join us April 6 at Ridglea Country Club as we pay tribute to the 60th Anniversary of Van Cliburn’s historic International Tchaikovsky Competition victory in Moscow at the height of the Cold War. A Russian Romance continues the Cliburn gala reputation of bringing together fabulous music and good friends to support the growth of all things Cliburn. It is these outstanding programs, and the tremendous reach of our competitions, that so richly enhance the lives of those in our local community and across the globe. We will also honor immediate past chairman Carla Kemp Thompson, and her husband Kelly, for years of tremendous service and dedication.

2019 Junior Competition Announced

The second edition of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival will take place May 31–June 8, 2019, on the campus of SMU Meadows School of the Arts, culminating with three finalists performing full concertos with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center! Alessio Bax will join us as jury chairman. Applications will open March 1, 2018.

Cliburn Gold 2017 Digital Album Released

Just 13 days after Yekwon Sunwoo was named the gold medalist of the Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Decca Gold, Universal Music’s U.S. classical label, has released Cliburn Gold 2017! The digital album features a selection of Yekwon’s live solo performances from the Competition, including Ravel’s La Valse and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 2.

DOWNLOAD YOURS TODAY or PRE-ORDER THE CD, which drops August 18.

Read more about Yekwon Sunwoo HERE.

Order of Play Is Set for #cliburn2017

The Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition welcomed 30 young pianists from around the world to the Opening Dinner and Draw Party Tuesday evening at the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel in downtown Fort Worth.

The competitors, members of the Jury, and host families received warm welcomes from Cliburn staff and patrons, and longtime Cliburn patron Martha Hyder was honored with a tribute delivered by Jury Chairman Emeritus John Giordano. Other speakers included Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis, Chairman of the Board Carla Kemp Thompson, and 2013 Gold Medalist Vadym Kholodenko.

After dinner, Vadym Kholodenko drew competitor names out of a chalice, Jacques Marquis read out the names, and each pianist came forward to choose his or her position in the order of play.

PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE 

Thursday, May 25

2:30 p.m. Julia Kociuban, Poland, 25

3:20 p.m. Madoka Fukami, Japan, 28

4:25 p.m. Su Yeon Kim, South Korea, 23

7:30 p.m.  Leonardo Pierdomenico, Italy, 24

8:20 p.m. Alina Bercu, Romania, 27

9:25 p.m. Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 22

Friday, May 26

10:00 a.m. Dasol Kim, South Korea, 28

10:50 a.m.Tristan Teo, Canada, 20

11:55 a.m. Caterina Grewe, Germany, 29

2:30 p.m. Philipp Scheucher, Austria, 24

3:20 p.m. Martin James Bartlett, United Kingdom, 20

4:25 p.m. Ilya Maximov, Russia, 30

7:30 p.m. Daniel Hsu, United States, 19

8:20 p.m. Yury Favorin, Russia, 30

9:25 p.m. Yutong Sun, China, 21

Saturday, May 27

10:00 a.m. Luigi Carroccia, Italy, 25

10:50 a.m. Nikolay Khozyainov, Russia, 24

11:55 a.m. Nikita Abrosimov, Russia, 28

2:30 p.m. Georgy Tchaidze, Russia, 29

3:20 p.m.Kenneth Broberg, United States, 23

4:25 p.m. Sun-A Park, United States, 29

7:30 p.m. Rachel Cheung, Hong Kong, 25

8:20 p.m. EunAe Lee, South Korea, 29

9:25 p.m. Sergey Belyavskiy, Russia, 23

Sunday, May 28

10:00 a.m. Tony Yike Yang, Canada, 18

10:50 a.m. Yekwon Sunwoo, South Korea, 28

11:55 a.m. Han Chen, Taiwan, 25

2:30 p.m. Honggi Kim, South Korea, 25

3:20 p.m. Rachel Kudo, United States, 30

4:25 p.m. Alyosha Jurinic, Croatia, 28