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2022 Competition Schedule

The Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists was established in 2015 as another means for the Cliburn to use its standing and expertise to encourage tomorrow’s great artists, to provide a valuable forum for them to express themselves, and to give them an entrance to the next step of their journeys. Key ingredients are top international jurors, the media and webcast, Final Round performances with orchestra, and the festival atmosphere, which included performance experience and artistic workshops.

Anna Geniushene’s fresh, layered, and powerful interpretations defined her participation at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition—and won her the coveted silver medal and the adoration of fans around the globe. And the critics couldn’t get enough: “powerhouse sound, forceful musical personality, and sheer virtuosity…had this critic on the edge of his seat” (Musical America); “a performance of rare devotion and insight” (Onstage NTX); “a fresh version…that had this listener hanging on every bar” (La Scena).

Van Cliburn's Legacy

Your guide to Fort Worth during the 2025 Cliburn Competition

In June 2022, Yunchan Lim 임윤찬 became the youngest person ever to win gold at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; his performances throughout showcased a “magical ability” and a “natural, instinctive quality” (La Scena) that astounded listeners around the world. As Jury Chair Marin Alsop expressed: “Yunchan is that rare artist who brings profound musicality and prodigious technique organically together.” The depth of his artistry and connection to listeners also secured him the Audience Award and Best Performance of a New Work.

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The Cliburn proudly announces the 2025–2026 concert tours of the medalists of the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition: Aristo Sham (gold, 29, Hong Kong, China), Vitaly Starikov (silver, 30, Israel/Russia), and Evren Ozel (bronze, 26, United States).

Application & Rules for the 2025 Cliburn Competition

The Cliburn International Competition for Conductors in June 2028 will be the first major international conducting competition in North America. The new event represents another major expansion for the Cliburn’s almost 65-year-old history: the creation of a new top-level contest as well as the production of its first large-scale project in Houston, Texas.