2018 Cliburn Festival: the music of Russia

2018 CLIBURN FESTIVAL: the music of Russia

February 22–25, 2018 • The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
a celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Van Cliburn’s historic International Tchaikovsky Competition victory

Sixty years ago, a 23-year-old Texan went to Moscow at the height of the Cold War and came back an American hero and an international icon. The impact of Van Cliburn’s victory at the First International Tchaikovsky Competition cannot be overstated; he disregarded boundaries and brought the world together through excellent music and his signature warmth.

But at the heart of this accomplishment was Van’s deep, abiding love of and connection to the music of Russia. On this 60th Anniversary occasion, we find it most fitting to celebrate Russian music through a series of concerts that will explore the different facets of its character. And we brought in three Cliburn laureates, each of whom hail from Russia—Alexander Kobrin (2005 gold medalist), Yury Favorin (2017 finalist), and Georgy Tchaidze (2017 finalist)—to serve as artists-in-residence and help us explore the masterpieces of their homeland. The Rolston String Quartet and singers Jennifer Lane (mezzo-soprano), Twyla Robinson (soprano), Randall Umstead (tenor), and Angela Turner Wilson (soprano) also joined us in this adventure.

The 2018 Cliburn Festival is sponsored by