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In this concert, 2 of 28 competitors will each perform a 40-minute recital, including the worldwide debut of the 2025 Cliburn commissioned work composed by Competition juror Gabriela Montero.

Benjamin Loeb is an accomplished conductor, pianist, arranger, educator, arts administrator, and entrepreneur. As a conductor, Mr. Loeb has led orchestras across the United States and around the world. His varied projects range across all genres, from concerts of Beethoven symphonies and recordings with Yo-Yo Ma, tours with popular rock musicians, and world premieres of the most cutting-edge contemporary music. At the invitation of the U.S. Department of State, Mr. Loeb toured Argentina and Uruguay as an Artistic Ambassador, performing recitals of the music of American composer Scott Joplin and giving masterclasses and workshops with youth orchestras and young musicians. A graduate of Harvard, Juilliard, Curtis, and Peabody, Mr. Loeb brings his passion for high-level performance into the education sphere through leadership and direction of several youth orchestras and international conducting workshops.

When he was 3 years old, Moscow native Ilya Shmukler’s mother found him jumping on the bed and beautifully singing Robertino Loreti’s “Jamaica;” she immediately recognized his musical talent and started him in lessons. It was important to his non-musician parents that he be raised as a well-rounded person, so his early years were also spent with school, table tennis, and ballroom dancing. But at 10, he says his life changed after applying for and winning his first music competition and attending the subsequent international summer academy: “There I discovered a true musical life, and I fell in love with it, inspiring me to commit my life to music.”

One of the more distinctive artists of his generation, Sir Stephen Hough combines a distinguished career as a pianist with those of a composer and writer.

Counterpoint is a collaboration between pianist and composer Conrad Tao and choreographer and dancer Caleb Teicher. The duo explores the dichotomy of their different perspectives and artistic practices, expanding their individual expressive capacity through a collective experience. Witness this amazing collaboration at Tannahill's Music Hall.

Cliburn in the Community presents two unique concerts for special needs students and their families

The official artwork of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition features “Chromesthesia” by internationally renowned, Texas-based muralist DAAS; the piece was originally commissioned for the Cliburn’s first-ever mural, painted in May 2022 at 113 South Main Street in Fort Worth’s vibrant Near Southside. The mural was a lasting gift to the city of Fort Worth and a celebration of the Cliburn’s 60th Anniversary.

One of the foremost conductors of our time, Marin Alsop represents a powerful and inspiring voice. The first woman to serve as the head of a major orchestra in the United States, South America, Austria, and Britain, she is internationally recognized for her innovative approach to programming and audience development, her deep commitment to education, and her advocacy for music’s importance in the world.

The Cliburn advances classical piano music throughout the world. Its international competitions, education programs, and concert series embody an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and the discovery of new artists. Established in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1962, the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition remains the most visible expression of that mission and is, as always, committed to its original ideals of supporting and launching the careers of emerging artists, age 18–30. It shares the transformative powers of music with a wide global audience, through fully produced webcasts and by providing comprehensive career management and concert bookings to its winners.

Clarinetist Rodolfo "Rudy" Mireles-Manzano, a South Texas native, is an active performer and educator in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. He holds a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of North Texas and a master’s in clarinet performance from Boston University. His principal teachers include Dr. Phillip Paglialonga, Greg Raden, Rob Patterson, and Calvin Falwell.