Documentaries

2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

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. Featuring never-before-seen footage of our extraordinary competitors, including Gold Medalist and international sensation Yunchan Lim.

Featured Artists: Yunchan Lim, Anna Geniushene, Dmytro Choni, Marin Alsop, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

Runtime: 111 minutes
Executive Producers: Red Sanders, Jacques Marquis, Maggie Estes
Directed and Produced by Heather Wilk
Edited by Jonathan Broughton and Sam Parnell

2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Virtuosity searches for the musical souls of the most gifted young pianists on the planet as they try to make a name for themselves at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The pressure on these kids is overwhelming, because the stakes are so high: prize money, concert bookings, a recording contract, a career. At the heart of this story is the courage it takes for a 20-year-old to go onstage alone before 2,000 people, and hundreds of thousands more online, and play a unique interpretation of one of the most difficult pieces ever written for the piano. The Competition requires not only a transcendent musical ability, but a mental toughness that must sustain the soloist through three straight weeks of performance. The Cliburn becomes as much a test of character as a musical proving ground.

Featured Artists: Vadym Kholodenko, Beatrice Rana, Sean Chen, Leonard Slatkin, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Brentano String Quartet

Duration: 86 minutes
Director: Christopher Wilkinson
Producers: 88 Films, LLC; Van Cliburn Foundation
Release: 2014

Every four years, a group of the finest young pianists take the stage at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. In the midst of the drama, the beauty, the nerves and the excitement, they know one thing is true — what happens there can change their lives. They strive to feel the joy of victory and achieve their utmost goal: to become a performer on the world stage.

As seen through the eyes and memories of 15 gold medalists, The Cliburn: 50 Years of Gold follows the half-century long history of one of the world’s most prestigious music competitions, set against the backdrop of beautiful music. The most important moment in the life of a young pianist is when he or she walks out onto the stage of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Gut-wrenching drama, strung-out nerves and the joy of victory are the elements that make up this extraordinary film retrospective.

Featured Artists: Van Cliburn, Steven De Groote, José Feghali, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Olga Kern, Alexander Kobrin, Radu Lupu, Jon Nakamatsu, Cristina Ortiz, Simone Pedroni, André-Michel Schub, Alexei Sultanov, Nobuyuki Tsujii, Vladimir Viardo, Ralph Votapek, Haochen Zhang

Director: Peter Rosen
Executive Producer: Alann Sampson
Producer: Peter Rosen
Release: 2012

2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

This exciting film literally brings the viewer backstage during a rigorous three-week competition schedule in May and June 2009, and offers insight into the daily lives of the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition finalists while they were in Fort Worth, Texas. Hailing from 14 countries, competitors were welcomed with Texas-sized hospitality by their host families and immersed in a city best characterized by the Fort Worth Convention and Visitor’s Bureau’s advertising slogan, “Cowboys and Culture.”

With the performances of Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff and other piano masterpieces setting the impassioned tone, this film is an inspiration to all people who overcome disabilities, hurdles, or obstacles in life.

Featured Artists: Haochen Zhang, Nobuyuki Tsujii, Yeol Eum Son, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Takács Quartet

Duration: 92 minutes
Director: Peter Rosen
Producers: Peter Rosen; Van Cliburn Foundation
Release: 2010

2007 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition

They Came To Play is an uplifting feature-length documentary chronicling the passion, pressure and potential surrounding the Fifth Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, uniting seventy-five of the world’s best amateur pianists with their dreams of performance on a global stage. The film also features commentary from noted American pianist Van Cliburn and gold medalists from previous Cliburn Competitions.

Featured Artists: Drew Mays, Mark Fuller, Clark Griffith, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

Duration: 91 minutes
Director: Alex Rotaru
Producer: Lori Miller
Release: 2008

2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Two-hour DVD offers a 90-minute intimate look at the experiences of young pianists brought together to compete in the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Directed by Andy Sommer and co-produced by KERA and the Van Cliburn Foundation. Features the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Takacs Quartet, and Maestro James Conlon. Bonus features included.

Featured Artists: Alexander Kobrin, Joyce Yang, Sa Chen, James Conlon, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Takács Quartet

Duration: 120 minutes
Director: Andy Sommer
Producers: KERA; Van Cliburn Foundation
Release: 2005

2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Set against a backdrop of intense recitals, piano quintets, and concertos, this 90-minute Peabody Award-winning documentary by director/producer Peter Rosen takes the viewer behind the scenes at the Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. One side of this DVD includes the documentary, while the other side contains complete performances of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 and the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 performed by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and renowned conductor James Conlon. The Tchaikovsky features 2001 gold medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch and the Rachmaninoff features 2001 gold medalist Olga Kern.

Featured Artists: Stanislav Ioudenitch, Olga Kern, Maxim Philippov, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, James Conlon, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

Duration: 90 minutes
Director: Peter Rosen
Producers: Peter Rosen; Van Cliburn Foundation
Release: 2001

1993 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

In the midst of this exciting drama about the Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, celebrated author and poet Reynolds Price and director Peter Rosen explore why these young virtuosi have chosen to submit themselves to the degree of pressure, grueling labor, and potential personal rejection posed by this event.

Featured Artists: Simone Pedroni, Valery Kuleshov, Christopher Taylor, Jerzy Semkow, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra, American String Quartet

Duration: 120 minutes
Director: Peter Rosen
Producers: Peter Rosen; Van Cliburn Foundation
Release: 1993

1989 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

The Emmy Award®-winning documentary about the Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1989 features interviews with competitors and jurors, as well as footage from rehearsals and performances. DVD extras include a retrospective of the Van Cliburn Competition and audio-only performances by competition winner, Alexei Sultanov.

Featured Artists: Alexei Sultanov, José Carlos Cocarelli, Benedetto Lupo, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo String Quartet

Duration: 105 minutes
Director: Peter Rosen
Producers: Peter Rosen; Van Cliburn Foundation
Release: 1989

1985 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Directed by Bill Fertik, this 87-minute documentary of the Seventh Competition features Philippe Bianconi, Barry Douglas, Jose Feghali, the Tokyo String Quartet, and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stanisław Skrowaczewski.

Featured Artists: José Feghali, Philippe Bianconi, Barry Douglas, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo String Quartet

Duration: 87 minutes
Director: Bill Fertik
Producer: Van Cliburn Foundation
Release: 1985

1981 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

This 90-minute documentary of the Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition features finalists Jeffrey Kahane, Panayis Lyras, Christopher O’Riley, Santiago Rodriguez, Andre-Michel Schub, and Da Ming Zhu; Master of Ceremonies Andre Watts; the Tokyo String Quartet; and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leon Fleisher.

Featured Artists: André-Michel Schub, Panayis Lyras, Santiago Rodriguez, Jeffrey Kahane, Christopher O’Riley, Leon Fleisher, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Little Symphony, Tokyo String Quartet

Duration: 90 minutes
Director: Robert Elfstrom
Producer: Van Cliburn Foundation
Release: 1981

1977 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

This documentary, the first produced by the Van Cliburn Foundation, chronicles the 1977 competition from the Opening Dinner through the final Awards Ceremony, and then accompanies the gold medalist to a Carnegie Hall debut. The film features interviews with Van Cliburn and Maestro John Giordano, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of competitors and rehearsals with the Tokyo String Quartet and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.

Featured Artists: Steven De Groote, Alexander Toradze, Jeffrey Swann, John Giordano, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Little Symphony, Tokyo String Quartet

Duration: 59 minutes
Director: Mitchell Johnson
Producer: Van Cliburn Foundation
Release: 1977