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

[Lara]

RIP Van Cliburn.

Thanks UMBS for the thread - looking forward to this year's competition!

[dinakt]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Oh what a pity.
Apart from his achievements as a pianist, he truly symbolized a breath of freedom for so many Russians, my family included.
RIP.
What's more, the way he heard music was very "Russian", and that could not help but endear him to millions.
So now I am wondering all over youtube...
Posting only the last part, but there is the whole Final Round Rachmaninov Third by the same poster. Really something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV9bmcE7d5Y

[taf2002]

We in Fort Worth have always been proud of the fact that Van Cliburn, even though he wasn't originally from here, settled here & established his competition here. He was really a local hero. RIP Mr Cliburn.

[Buzz]

R.I.P. A fantastic talent and a wonderful human being.

[LilJen]

I heard about this yesterday. Ticker tape parades for classical musicians ought to be done regularly!

[skatesindreams]

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?

Some suggestions:
http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Co...ds=van+cliburn
http://www.amazon.com/Rachmaninoff-P...ds=van+cliburn
http://www.amazon.com/My-Favorite-Ch...avorite+chopin

I have this compilation:
http://www.amazon.com/Van-Cliburn-Pe...ds=van+cliburn

DVD''s:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...burn+in+Moscow

[merrywidow]

So sorry to hear of his demise. He was such an icon & an inspiration to many. RIP

[skatesindreams]

Here is an good feature/appreciation about the lasting impression he made; and why:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptiveca...-cold-war-idol

[skatesindreams]

Details of the memorial service:
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/03/02/f...day-afternoon/

[Wyliefan]

Ran across this sweet story the other day:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifest...65a_story.html

[skatesindreams]

How beautiful!
That says more about what kind of man he was than all the fame/awards in the world.

[aftershocks]

Re the NYC ticker tape parade for Van Cliburn after he won the first Tchiakovsky Piano Competition in Russia, Van Cliburn said in the below interview that he didn’t think the adulation was really for him. He felt that it was just "a great moment for classical music..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4Z1e6HWV3Y


Van Cliburn on the famous headline that he was the 'Texan who conquered Russia':

It’s not possible, not in great art. If they appreciate what you did, then that’s what means something to me. I didn’t conquer anything. In fact, it was [the Russian people] who conquered my heart.

I didn’t feel part of history. The history was that this was the very first competition that they had in Russia. It was very exciting, particularly for me to see the [great artists who were on the] jury. The jury was more frightening than the audience. But after time passed and I got to have the privilege of being with them, they were so real and such nice people.

Van Cliburn on performing:

It’s a great responsibility. When you’re dealing with great minds such as [those of] the great composers, it inspires you so deeply. You want to be able to convey that to someone else.

Classical music is supposed to seem simple. Within simplicity is great enormous complexity… You must make it look simple or easy, but it is complex ... It’s architecture. You have a time span that your mind must comprehend. When you walk out to play a piece, you must see the last note as you start the first note.

You practice over and over … When you go to a [performance] hall, you must then and there gauge the distance you feel to be aware between yourself and the last person in the balcony ... I spend hours practicing with the lid down. There’s no reason why to put the lid up, because when you get to the [concert] stage that is the moment of truth. That’s when it has to come out ... I’m very hypercritical, yes. You want so for it to be, not perfect, more than perfect!

Van Cliburn on the lasting joy of music:

When I hear the young people [today] who are so talented, I want to go and practice, I’m so inspired.

Rachmaninoff once said: "Great music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for great music."

The ... joy of music will be there long after you and I and everyone we know today are dead. That music will still be alive.

Thanks for starting this thread, UMBS Go Blue! RIP Van Cliburn.

[UMBS Go Blue]

The 30 competitors for this year's competition have been announced.

http://cliburn.org/cliburn-competiti...t-competitors/

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/03...der-story.html

Interactive feature on all 30 competitors:
http://www.star-telegram.com/static/...urn/index.html

I get first dibs on Alex McDonald.

[UMBS Go Blue]

Interactive feature on all 30 competitors:
http://www.star-telegram.com/static/...urn/index.html

Just my opinion from the sound clips provided in this link only:

Clear standout
Nikolay Khozyainov, Russia

Totally rocked the Liszt Spanish Rhapsody; brought a lot of life and character to it. Edited to add: the sound clip in the interactive feature likely came from this YouTube vid.

Honorable mentions
Sarah Daneshpour, USA
Feifei Dong, China
Giuseppe Greco, Italy
Ruoyu Huang, China
Claire Huangci, China
Vadym Kholodenko, Ukraine
Alessandro Taverna, Italy
Jie Yuan, China

Also worth a look, although the clips were only in ensemble
Lindsay Garritson , USA
Nikita Mndoyants, Russia

[UMBS Go Blue]

Quoting from a Cliburn Foundation email earlier today. Jade is BACK!

New Webcast Team to Stream the Entire Competition Live

The Cliburn will host a dynamic multi-camera live webcast of the Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Available at Cliburn.org, the webcast will bring the Competition to life around the world in real time with over 110 hours of live broadcasts of performances, interview segments, and awards ceremonies over the 17-day period. It will also include hours of other compelling material, including symposia, competitor profiles, special tributes to Van Cliburn, taped interviews, featurettes on the many aspects of the Competition (including its 1,200 volunteer force), and other behind-the-scenes glimpses.

Other online features will allow viewers to make comments and submit questions to the Cliburn team and webcast host; vote for their favorite competitors, which will result in an Audience Award to be given during the Final Awards ceremony; view all footage and segments on demand; and easily find news coverage of the Competition.

The full production team will be led by Christopher Wilkinson (director) and Lori Miller (producer), and pianist Jade Simmons will again serve as webcast host.

[skatesindreams]

Wonderful!

[UMBS Go Blue]

The starting order draw was held last night, and the competition starts tomorrow!

Starting order

Official bios

Details on the live webcast, or check the Cliburn home page for the live link when it goes up

Fort Worth Star-Telegram coverage

Dallas Morning News compilation of links

Dallas Morning News article

[skatesindreams]

I'll be reading and watching, avidly!