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America’s greatest musical export

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.

Sa Chen Jury Chair for the 2027 Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists

2025 Cliburn Competitor Xuanxiang Wu

Sergey Tanin started piano lessons when he was 5 years old, and—though his parents were not musicians and never pushed him to practice—his commitment to the instrument grew quickly. By age 9, he had decided to be a pianist. Growing up in Yakutia in far Eastern Russia, a long way from major cities and the concerts they might offer, he drew inspiration from recordings by great artists, such as Argerich, Pletnev, Michelangeli, and Rubinstein. He was “taken by the power of music.”

Iconic classical works

Marie-Josèphe Jude, jury member for the 2027 Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists

2025 Cliburn Competitor Kotaro Shigemori

2025 Cliburn Competitor Ryota Yamazaki

2025 Cliburn Competitor Jiarui Cheng