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Exploring the ways music reflects the American experience over the last 250 years, the Cliburn brings together a group of artists in residence to present music written in, inspired by, or reflective of the United States.

Exploring the ways music reflects the American experience over the last 250 years, the Cliburn brings together a group of artists in residence to present music written in, inspired by, or reflective of the United States.

2019 Junior Competitors

2025 Cliburn Competitor Kotaro Shigemori

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.

2025 Cliburn Competitor Jiarui Cheng

When Arseniy Gusev was 5 years old, an upright piano was brought into his St. Petersburg home, and he immediately started playing and experimenting with it. He wrote his first piece—a romance on a Pushkin poem—shortly thereafter, and his grandmother asked him if he would like to go to music school. He went on to study both composition and piano performance at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Upon graduation in 2018, he moved to the United States, where he attends the Cleveland Institute of Music, under the tutelage of Sergei Babayan (piano) and Keith Fitch (composition).

Program host Caleb De La Torre recently graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a bachelor’s degree in acting. A native of South Texas, Caleb is currently based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and is active in the local theater scene. He can be seen on stage at the Shakespeare Dallas, Amphibian Stage, and Theatre Arlington, and is a resident actor in the film production company Fluidity Films. The Mexican-American actor is dedicated to education and community engagement, and teaches bilingual theater workshops for students at Dallas Theater Center.

Join us at Steinway Piano Gallery of Fort Worth across the street from Bass Performance Hall and enjoy a free recital from several 2025 Cliburn competitors. Bring your lunch or purchase onsite from Salsa Limón.

The Cliburn offers a distinctive work experience, with a fast-paced, collaborative environment where team members are encouraged to take responsibility and achieve excellence. Located in beautiful offices in downtown Fort Worth, the Cliburn staff enjoys being an integral part of this community while operating as a major international cultural institution. Interested in joining the Cliburn team? See open positions.