The Cliburn's roots in the Fort Worth community run deep. The Cliburn was founded in 1962 by a dedicated corps of Fort Worth citizens who volunteered their time and resources to raise funds, type labels, lick envelopes and enlist the support of an astonishing range of politicians, internationally-renowned composers, conductors, musicians, business leaders, and professional educators in pursuit of what must have seemed an impossible goal: to create a world-class international piano competition in a city still affectionately known as “Cowtown.”
It is with spirit that the Cliburn continues to carry out its mission and give back to the community who made the Cliburn what it is today.
