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Members of the jury and Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis convene to discuss the adjudication process. They will share their personal approach to and experiences in music and look at how repertoire, programming, and artistic sensibilities inform their decisions.

The announcement of the 12 semifinalists in the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, held following the conclusion of the Quarterfinal Round.

Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, pianist Anastasia Markina started playing piano when she was 4 years old and, after winning her first competition, gave her debut public performance at the age of 10. Since then, she has received top prizes from many respected competitions in Europe, Russia, and the United States.

When he was a child, Ziyu Liu’s parents discovered that he could memorize melodies of songs and play them, without any instruction, on their electric keyboard. They bought him a piano, and he started learning on his own. At the age of 11, he decided that he wanted to become a professional pianist because of the joy he got from communicating with others through music.

2025 Cliburn Competitor Xuanxiang Wu

Pianist Igor Parshin graduated with the highest marks from the famous Gnessin State Musical College and Russian Academy of Music. In 2015, he received a scholarship to the TCU School of Music, where he completed his Artist Diploma. He also earned a Master of Music with Dr. Michael Bukhman, a fellow Cliburn in the Classroom artist.

Albert Cano Smit has “established himself as an artist to watch” (Montreal Gazette), having won first prizes at the 2019 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2017 Walter W. Naumburg Piano Competition, the latter of which earned him a Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall. He was also awarded the prestigious Arthur Rubinstein Piano Prize from The Juilliard School in 2020, and had strong finishes in the 2017 Montreal and 2016 Hilton Head competitions.

Performing in the Semifinal and Final Rounds, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Robert Spano is deeply committed to uniting its community through performance, education, and outreach, reaching an audience of more than 200,000 annually.

A collection of Classical-era piano performances from Cliburn Competitions.

Vote for your favorite competitor! The pianist with the most votes will receive the Carla and Kelly Thompson Audience Award and a cash prize of $2,500, presented at the Awards Ceremony on June 7, 2025.