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Denis Linnik began his musical education in his hometown of Maryina Horka, Belarus, when he was 6. Just two years later, he moved to Minsk to study piano and live with other talented young musicians—he says being constantly surrounded by music made it a truly inseparable part of his life. His musical development advanced quickly over the next years, leading him to success in youth competitions and successful stints at the State Gymnasium-College of Arts “I.O. Akhremchik” and the Belarusian State Academy of Music.

He’s chairing the jury for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2025, then will make his Cliburn Concerts debut at the Kimbell Art Museum.

Andreas Haefliger was born into a distinguished Swiss musical family and grew up in Germany, going on to study at The Juilliard School in New York. He was quickly recognized as a pianist of the first rank, and engagements with major U.S. orchestras followed swiftly—the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, and Chicago Symphony orchestras among them. In his native Europe, as well, Mr. Haefliger has appeared with the great orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw, Rotterdam and Munich Philharmonic, Budapest Festival, Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, London Symphony, and Vienna Symphony. Recognized as a superb recitalist, he has ongoing relationships with the Lucerne and Edinburgh Festivals, Vienna Konzerthaus, and other major halls across North America and Asia.

Tokyo-born Yuki Yoshimi did not decide to pursue music professionally; he first “met the piano” at a friend’s house when he was 5 years old and has “loved the piano since then.” A graduate of the Toho Gakuen School of Music, where he worked with Hisako Ueno and Kei Itoh, his studies eventually brought him to the United States; he has attended the New England Conservatory of Music under Alexander Korsantia since 2020.

Lucille Chung, jury member for the 2027 Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists

Yangrui Cai began his piano studies at age 4, though none of his family had any music- or art-related background. When he was 15, a first-place finish in the national auditions earned him a spot in China’s Xinghai Conservatory of Music Middle School. Upon his graduation with distinction in July 2019, the Hunan native was admitted to several prestigious conservatories in the United States with full scholarships. He is currently a third-year undergraduate student at Oberlin Conservatory, under the tutelage of 2001 Cliburn Gold Medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch.

Violinist Tessa Lark is one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, consistently praised by critics and audiences for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility, and musical elegance.

Equal parts passion, grit, and musical ecstasy, Sybarite5 is an intoxicating cocktail of genre-breaking artistry expressed through virtuosity. See them at Cliburn Sessions at Tannahill's Music Hall.

Noriko Ogawa, jury member for the 2027 Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists

2025 Cliburn Competitor Carter Johnson