340 Applications from 45 Countries and Regions Received for 2025 Cliburn Competition
Applications are in for the seventeenth edition of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition—taking place May 21–June 7, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas, USA—340 pianists, representing 45 countries and regions, submitted applications to the Competition, with the greatest numbers coming from China, the United States, South Korea, and Italy. From this pool, up to 84 pianists will be invited to participate in live Screening Auditions, taking place March 16–22, 2025, at PepsiCo Recital Hall at TCU in Fort Worth.
Auditions are free and open to the public to attend; pianists and schedule to be announced January 28, 2025.
The applications are in, and now the carefully orchestrated process begins to select the 30 pianists who will join the ranks of Cliburn competitors next May. We send our thanks and best wishes to each of the 340 applicants. The future of classical music is bright—and each of these artists is proof of that.
Applicant Facts
- 340 total applications received
- Ages 18 to 30, average age: 25 (ages as of May 21, 2025)
- 89 women, 251 men
- 45 countries and regions represented (including dual representation)
- Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong/China, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan/China, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
- Most represented: China (102), United States (44), South Korea (38), Italy (20)
Selection Process
October 16, 2024: The application submission deadline closed, which included performance videos, musician references, press reviews, concert history, and personal statements.
October 2024–January 2025: nine-member Video Screening Jury reviews all applications and selects approximately 150 pianists to advance to consideration for the Screening Auditions. From those, the five-member Screening Jury selects up to 84 pianists they would like to hear perform during the live Screening Auditions.
January 28, 2025: Screening Auditions pianists and schedule are announced.
March 16–22, 2025: Screening Auditions (PepsiCo Recital Hall at TCU)
Up to 84 applicants perform 25-minute recitals. Pianist travel and lodging are provided at no cost. Attendance is free and open to the public.
April 9, 2025: Announcement of 30 competitors selected to compete in the Competition.
May 18, 2025: Competitors return to Fort Worth for orientation and piano selection.
May 21–23, 2025: Preliminary Round—30 competitors (Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU)
30 competitors perform a 40-minute recital to include the commissioned work of 4-6 minutes in length, composed by Gabriela Montero.
May 24–25, 2025: Quarterfinal Round—18 competitors (Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU)
18 competitors perform a 40-minute recital.
May 28–June 1, 2025: Semifinal Round—12 competitors (Bass Performance Hall)
12 competitors in two phases:
1) Each competitor will perform a 60-minute recital.
2) Each competitor will perform a Mozart concerto with Carlos Miguel Prieto and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, selected from a list.
June 3–7, 2025: Final Round—6 competitors (Bass Performance Hall)
6 competitors perform two concertos with Marin Alsop and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra:
1) Each competitor will perform one concerto selected from a list.
2) Each competitor will perform one concerto of the competitor’s choosing.
June 7, 2025: Awards Ceremony (Bass Performance Hall)—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.
The 2025 Cliburn Competition
Hi-res photos from the 2022 Competition are available here.
The Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (May 21–June 7, 2025 at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, USA) 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. The Competition features acclaimed artistic collaborators and an international jury comprised of some of the finest performing conductors, musicians, and pianists of our time. 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 60 million views on Cliburn channels across 177 countries—and immeasurable viral reach beyond that.
Widely considered "one of the most prestigious contests in classical music" (The New York Times, 2022), 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.
To learn more, visit the 2025 Cliburn Competition.
Jury
Competition Jury
- Paul Lewis, jury chairman (Ireland/United Kingdom)
- Rico Gulda (Austria)
- Mari Kodama (Japan/United States)
- Anne-Marie McDermott (United States)
- Gabriela Montero (Venezuela/United States)
- Jon Nakamatsu (United States)
- Lise de la Salle (France)
- Yevgeny Sudbin (United Kingdom)
- Wu Han (China Taiwan/United States)
Screening Jury
- Philippe Bianconi (France)
- Gloria Chien (China Taiwan/United States)
- Alexander Kobrin (United States)
- Momo Kodama (Japan)
- Roberto Plano (Italy)
Video Screening Jury
- Lucille Chung (South Korea/Canada)
- Jane Coop (Canada)
- Alessandro Deljavan (Italy)
- Valery Kuleshov (United States/Russia)
- Anton Nel (United States)
- Orli Shaham (Israel/United States)
- Katia Skanavi (Greece/Russia)
- Erik T. Tawaststjerna (Finland)
- Amy Yang (China/United States)
For more information about each jury, visit the 2025 Competition Jury.
Artistic Collaborators
Conductors
Final Round: Marin Alsop
Semifinal Round: Carlos Miguel Prieto
Orchestra
Commissioned Work Composer
For more information, visit the 2025 Artistic Collaborators.
Tickets
There is nothing like hearing, seeing, and feeling live music in an energetic, packed concert hall. 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 62 years since the first notes of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition were played in Fort Worth, Texas. And the world will once again be attentively listening.
Premium and regular subscription packages, and all tickets for individual concerts, are on sale now.
For information on pricing, seating, and more, visit our tickets page.
Live Broadcast
As it has been since 2001, the entire Cliburn Competition will be broadcast live for an international audience. The Cliburn will announce details in the coming months—this online event promises to be one of the most-watched, highest-quality, and well-produced in classical music history.
For Media Inquiries:
Maggie Estes, Director of Communications and Digital Content
[email protected]817.738.6536
