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The world’s critics have called performances by this year’s Cliburn Concerts artists “deeply resonant,” “probing,” and “captivating”—filled with “kinetic, forward-looking music,” “inspired musicianship—and more than a few surprises.” Come hear for yourself this season, with six gorgeously intimate performances in the Piano Pavilion of the Kimbell Art Museum and four captivating casual Cliburn Sessions concerts at Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Andrew Li credits his time in the Harvard University/New England Conservatory of Music joint program with substantially aiding in his development as a musician and a human being. He is currently finishing a bachelor’s degree in human evolutionary biology and a master’s in piano performance, the latter under the guidance of Wha Kyung Byun, with whom he has studied since the age of 12.

Videos from the 2025 Cliburn Preliminary Round Day 1

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.

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.

Classical Music for Kids

The Screening Auditions for the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will take place March 16–22, 2025, at PepsiCo Recital Hall at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. These recitals are free and open to the public.

A multiday event examining different perspectives in music—such as the work of a singular composer, the music of a particular moment in history, or a significant stylistic movement.

Visitor Guide

2025 Cliburn Competitor Carter Johnson