14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, May 22 - June 9, 2013

[UMBS Go Blue]

Starting a thread for this year's Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which happens every 4 years and, besides being known as the Olympics of piano, is the biggest U.S. piano competition and rivals only the Tchaikovsky and Chopin competitions in world standing.

http://cliburn.org

This year's edition happens in late May and early June at the beautiful Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. Last time (2009), there was an free live webcast with excellent subtitled commentary/program notes and a fashionable live host (Jade, if I remember correctly).

Auditions are currently being conducted worldwide, and they're happening in New York through Saturday. NYC folks, you can check out the auditions live, in person, for free, at Rockefeller University on 66th & York:

http://cliburn.org/cliburn-competiti...ions/new-york/

The auditions then conclude in Fort Worth next week.

Enjoy!

[Garden Kitty]

Thanks UMBS.

[Vash01]

Winning this competition is considered very prestigious. I had the pleasure of listening to one of the winners years ago. I did not know that it's held once every 4 years.

[skatesindreams]

Thanks for starting this thread.
I'll be following the news.

[skateboy]

Thank you for posting this! The Cliburn Competition is always amazing.

Coincidentally, I started another thread a couple of days ago, featuring 1997 Cliburn Gold Medalist Jon Nakamatsu's great speech, "Loser's Club."

http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...well-everyone)

[UMBS Go Blue]

Links to blogs
http://www.fwweekly.com/tag/van-clib...o-competition/
http://www.theaterjones.com/features...pe-They-Get-It
http://keranews.org/post/two-tcu-stu...mpetition-slot

Ongoing Fort Worth Star-Telegram coverage
http://www.dfw.com/210/index.rss

Van Cliburn's recent appearance at a concert marking the 50th anniversary of the Cliburn competition
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local...ll-concert.ece

[skatesindreams]

I'm so sorry about what he is enduring; however, he is facing the challenge of illness with great courage, and grace.

[UMBS Go Blue]

Oh, and here's the Van Cliburn Foundation YouTube channel, with grainy excerpts of the recitals from the 2009 competition and highlights from the documentaries for other previous competitions.

Also highlights from the 2011 amateur competition.

http://www.youtube.com/user/vancliburnfoundation/

Edited to add: clips of Olga Kern, the rock star and co-gold medalist of the 2001 competition. She is currently enjoying a career as a B-level performer internationally. I've enjoyed both her subsequent Carnegie Hall debuts (Zankel Hall, then Stern Auditorium) way back when, one of her Midwestern performances, and her recent Bay Area recital.

Documentary of 2001 competition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA0g0Bbrj9s

Full final round performance of Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto, with everything but footwork leading into an "effervescent" triple flip at the end
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AapjpeqmviM

[LadyNit]

THANK YOU for this thread! I lurrrrved watching the live streams of the last Van Cliburn competition. The coverage and commentary was so good. And above all, the music was sublime. I'm looking forward to watching again. xoxoxo

[IoanaC]

Edited to add: clips of Olga Kern, the rock star and co-gold medalist of the 2001 competition. She is currently enjoying a career as a B-level performer internationally. I've enjoyed both her subsequent Carnegie Hall debuts (Zankel Hall, then Stern Auditorium) way back when, one of her Midwestern performances, and her recent Bay Area recital.

Documentary of 2001 competition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA0g0Bbrj9s

Full final round performance of Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto, with everything but footwork leading into an "effervescent" triple flip at the end
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AapjpeqmviM

Thank you for the Olga Kern clips! I didn't know her, but I'm happy to discover her now.

[Vash01]

Also highlights from the 2011 amateur competition.

http://www.youtube.com/user/vancliburnfoundation/

Edited to add: clips of Olga Kern, the rock star and co-gold medalist of the 2001 competition. She is currently enjoying a career as a B-level performer internationally. I've enjoyed both her subsequent Carnegie Hall debuts (Zankel Hall, then Stern Auditorium) way back when, one of her Midwestern performances, and her recent Bay Area recital.

Documentary of 2001 competition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA0g0Bbrj9s

Full final round performance of Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto, with everything but footwork leading into an "effervescent" triple flip at the end
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AapjpeqmviM

I had the pleasure of attending a Van Cliburn concert many years ago. He performed two encores (one of them was 'Revolutionary Etude').

Last year I had the pleasure of attending Olga Kern's performance here. She played Rachmaninoff's 3rd piano concerto- the one she played to win the VC competition. It was a very strong performance. She is going to perform here very soon this year.

[centerstage01]

RIP to Mr. Cliburn who passed away today after a battle with bone cancer.

[UMBS Go Blue]

Just saw the headline too.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/02...burn-dies.html

[skatesindreams]

What a legacy.
The world will mourn his passing, on so many levels.

Thank you, to a great artist and amazing human being.
RIP

[Vash01]

So sorry to hear this. RIP Mr. Cliburn.

[UMBS Go Blue]

I'm sure there are lots of clips of his Tchaikovsky win, ticker tape parade, recordings, and White House performances for many presidents and Soviet/Russian dignitaries on YouTube, but here's video footage from last year of him describing the items he auctioned off at Christie's.

He's to piano and classical music like what Dick Button is to skating: the preeminent statesman and always a blast to hear from and be around.

[skatesindreams]

That's a wonderful interview!

[Vash01]

"In 1958, he proved to the world that music is a transcendental force that goes beyond political boundaries and cultural boundaries and unifies mankind. He was a very concrete example of that," said Veda Kaplinsky, head of the piano department at the Juilliard School in New York. "Beyond that, his legacy is that of a person who personified grace, humility, talent, kindness and sincerity. He was a human being first and foremost. He never lost that."

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/02...#storylink=cpy

[skateboy]

RIP, Van Cliburn. You will be sorely missed.

[LadyNit]

I felt so sad today when I heard that he died. The competition will be especially poignant this year.

I want to buy a CD of a Van Cliburn performance. What do you recommend?