Cliburn Announces 2025 Competition Docuseries, Exit Stage Right; Jeff Goldblum to narrate

Jeff Goldblum is to narrate Exit Stage Right, a five-part documentary series from the Cliburn and Framework Productions, directed by Steven Pierce, that follows pianists through the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Goldblum, one of Hollywood's most recognizable actors (Jurassic Park, Independence Day, Wicked), is also an accomplished jazz pianist who tours the world with his band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. In the series, he says: "The only thing standing between them and the career they all dream of is what they do on that stage."

Exit Stage Right has been completed and is seeking distribution. The series runs five episodes, from the opening draw through preliminaries, quarterfinals, and semifinals, to a final in which six pianists each play two concertos with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Marin Alsop. Featured competitors Aristo Sham, Vitaly Starikov, Carter Johnson, Angel Stanislav Wang, Chaeyoung Park, and Yanjun Chen. The series compares the rigors of the Cliburn Competition with the challenges of international touring careers of past winners including Beatrice Rana, Haochen Zhang, Yekwon Sunwoo, Olga Kern, Jon Nakamatsu, and Anna Geniushene. The whole experience is put into perspective with insights from some of classical music’s biggest names including: Marin Alsop, Sir Stephen Hough, Leonard Slatkin, Wu Han, Anne-Marie McDermott, Carnegie Hall’s Clive Gillinson, and Wigmore Hall’s John Gilhooly.

The series positions itself in the competition-docuseries lane of Drive to Survive, Cheer and Last Chance U - a format producers say has not yet been applied to classical music. While the Cliburn has produced 12 feature-length documentaries about the Competition since 1977, this is the first docuseries. The new format and extended run time allow for in-depth examination, more personal stories, and expanded musical highlights.

Jeff Goldblum said: “I’ve loved the piano since I was a boy, so being a part of this was a delight. The work these young musicians put in, the discipline, the devotion, is just staggering. And then to watch them walk out on that stage with the whole world listening and take their shot at a real career? Thrilling. Truly inspiring stuff.”

Jacques Marquis, President and CEO, the Cliburn, added: "Every four years, our goal is to launch and prepare exceptional pianists for the rigors of an international touring career while providing a global stage for them to share their art. This series tells their stories, their struggles, and their aspirations, giving audiences a first-hand look beyond the stage at their passion, commitment, and drive. We are overjoyed to have Jeff Goldblum, a world-renowned artist who shares our love for the piano, join us in telling these stories.”

Steven Pierce, director and co-creator of Exit Stage Right, added: "Jeff is a pianist, he has a life-long love for music, and he cares about young performers. He understood straight away what these artists put on the line, and his voice carries viewers into a world most people have never seen from the inside."

ABOUT FRAMEWORK PRODUCTIONS

Framework Productions is a US-based production company founded by director Steven Pierce, creating documentary, narrative, and live work for screen and brands. Its credits include the feature HERD (85% on Rotten Tomatoes) and content for Saturday Night Live, Warner Bros., CBS and Amazon among others. thefp.tv