The Cliburn

The Cliburn It is the mission of the Cliburn to advance classical piano music throughout the world. Tickets are on sale now to attend in person.

Widely considered one of the preeminent international music contests, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition exists to share excellent classical music with the largest international audience possible and to launch the careers of its winners every four years. Building on a rich tradition that began with its 1962 origins in honor of Van Cliburn and his vision for using music to serve audien

ces and break down boundaries, the Cliburn seeks, with each edition, to achieve the highest artistic standards while utilizing contemporary tools to advance its reach. The world’s top 18- to 30-year-old pianists compete for gold in front of a live audience in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as a global online viewership of over 10 million. Beyond cash prizes, winning a Cliburn medal means comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the three years following. The sixteenth edition of the Cliburn Competition will take place June 2–18, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas at the brand-new Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU (Preliminary and Quarterfinal Rounds) and Bass Performance Hall (Semifinal and Final Rounds). The Competition, postponed from 2021 (a first in the Cliburn’s 60-year history), saw a record-breaking number of applications—388 pianists from 51 countries. The Cliburn’s expert panels selected the 30 extraordinary artists who will compete. Watch the Competition streamed LIVE at cliburn.org.

Have you listened to 2009 Cliburn Gold Medalist Nobuyuki Tsujii's latest single on Deutsche Grammophon - DG ? This encha...
08/28/2026

Have you listened to 2009 Cliburn Gold Medalist Nobuyuki Tsujii's latest single on Deutsche Grammophon - DG ? This enchanting take on Joe Hisaishi's "The Wind Forest" from the classic animated film My Neighbor Totoro is the perfect way to start your weekend.

Listen on Apple Music Classical at the link in the comments.

08/27/2026

We wish a happy birthday to 2013 Cliburn Bronze Medalist Sean Chen with this glorious Courante from Bach's French Suite No. 5, BWV 816!

The great American maestro Leonard Bernstein  was born on this day in 1918. Lenny composed "Touches" for the Sixth Van C...
08/25/2026

The great American maestro Leonard Bernstein was born on this day in 1918. Lenny composed "Touches" for the Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1981. Here's a wonderful photo of Van Cliburn himself reviewing Bernstein's score. Bernstein dedicated the work to his first love, the keyboard.

As a new school year begins, make plans for family-friendly musical programs that inspire wonder, discovery, and explora...
08/25/2026

As a new school year begins, make plans for family-friendly musical programs that inspire wonder, discovery, and exploration!

Use Promo Code BTS at checkout to receive 25% off all Family Series Tickets. Offer available through September 15. Get your tickets for the whole family at the link in the comments.

This season's concerts bring all-new playful programs to some of Fort Worth's most engaging venues, featuring an interactive introduction to Beethoven at the Kimbell Art Museum, a musical celebration of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas at the Fort Worth Stockyards, and the legendary story of Annie Oakley at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame.

Don't hesitate! The Cliburn All-American Concerto Evening is one month away! Great seats are still available to see Ange...
08/22/2026

Don't hesitate! The Cliburn All-American Concerto Evening is one month away! Great seats are still available to see Angel Stanislav Wang perform Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Get your tickets today at the link in the comments.

Not to mention you'll also see the Barber Violin Concerto with 18-year-old sensation Amaryn Olmeda and the Bates Cello Concerto with virtuoso soloist Joshua Roman!

Have you listened to Cliburn Agency artist Aubree Oliverson's debut record yet? The album, Live from the Aspen Music Fes...
08/21/2026

Have you listened to Cliburn Agency artist Aubree Oliverson's debut record yet? The album, Live from the Aspen Music Festival, is featured on Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases alongside Joshua Bell and Anne-Sophie Mutter!

Listen today on Apple Music Classical. Link to the album and the article in the comments.

08/19/2026

Happy Birthday to 1997 Cliburn Gold Medalist Jon Nakamatsu, Pianist!

It was such a delight having Jon as a member of the jury for the 2025 Competition. Here's a great video from last year's Competition broadcast where Jon takes a closer look at how different pianists interpret Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3, featuring clips from Yekwon Sunwoo, Olga Kern, and Yunchan Lim.

Violinist Amaryn Olmeda is a prodigious talent at 18 years old, "her commanding stage presence, infallible technique, an...
08/18/2026

Violinist Amaryn Olmeda is a prodigious talent at 18 years old, "her commanding stage presence, infallible technique, and interpretive ability already rival that of international concert stage veterans." (Violinist.com). She made her Carnegie Hall debut at 14 and has performed with the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras.

On September 22, she takes the Bass Performance Hall stage to perform Barber's glorious Violin Concerto with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in the Cliburn's All-American Concerto Evening. Get your tickets now at the link in the comments.

📷: Roger Mastroianni

Happy 817 Day, Fort Worth! We love our hometown! (whose area code is 817 for all y'all further afield) What better way t...
08/17/2026

Happy 817 Day, Fort Worth! We love our hometown! (whose area code is 817 for all y'all further afield)

What better way to celebrate than with this fantastic memory from 1985 of Van Cliburn, a Steinway, and a longhorn in front of the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange at Fort Worth Stockyards Station.

08/14/2026

On September 22 we'll hear the Mason Bates Cello Concerto performed by Joshua Roman and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Bass Performance Hall. Did you know that Mason Bates composed an original work for the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition?

White Lies for Lomax was one of four pieces featured in 2009 Competition's American Composers Invitational. This piece pays tribute to Alan Lomax, the American ethnomusicologist who famously chronicled the sounds of the American South. Please enjoy this wonderful rendition by 2009 Cliburn Gold Medalist Haochen Zhang .

Get your tickets to hear the Mason Bates Cello Concerto at the link in the comments.

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201 Main Street, Ste 100
Fort Worth, TX
76102

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