Van Cliburn Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Van Cliburn Foundation is host to the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
, the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™, Musical Awakenings® education programs, and Cliburn Concerts.
The Foundation promotes excellence in classical music worldwide by exposing people to live performance; by encouraging music making as part of daily life; by connecting with audiences through all available media; and by educating new generations of listeners and helping them discover and explore the wonder of classical music.
's victory at the inaugural Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow in 1958 as a means of perpetuating his unique legacy of effecting cultural diplomacy through classical music. Instituted by a group of Fort Worth music teachers and countless other individuals, the establishment of the organization prompted an invaluable tradition of volunteerism that is still maintained today. The first competition was held in 1962, the Cliburn received its tax-exempt status in 1967, and the name was changed to the Van Cliburn Foundation in 1976 to acknowledge its expanded mission and programming.
in the Final round. Competitors are judged by an international jury made up of composers, pianists, teachers, and music critics. The quadrennial competition has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions
since 1977. For more information about the competition, please see Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
.
In 1976, the Van Cliburn Foundation expanded its programming with the introduction of Cliburn Concerts, an annual classical music series in Fort Worth, Texas
.
To promote music-making as a part of everyday life, the Van Cliburn Foundation established the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™ in 1999. Now a quadrennial forum for non-professional musicians, the competition is open to pianists age 35 and older who do not derive their principal source of income through piano performance or instruction. The competition consists of three separate rounds of recitals. The Preliminary Round requires a recital performance of 10 to 12 minutes in length, the Semifinal Round 16 to 20 minutes in length, and the Final Round 25 to 30 minutes in length.
First Prize winner receives the Richard Rodzinski First Prize Award and a cash prize of $2,000. The second and third prize winners receive a cash prize of $1,500 and $1,000, respectively. Additional prizes included the Press Jury Award; Audience Award; awards for the Best Performance of a Work from the Baroque Era
, the Classical Era
, and the Romantic Era
; Best Performance of a Post-Romantic Work; Best Performance of a Modern Work; Most Creative Programming Award; the Fort Worth Piano Teachers Forum Award; and Jury Discretionary Awards.
Music education has been a key component of the Van Cliburn Foundation since its inception. In 2001, the foundation created its signature music education program Musical Awakenings® which is presented in public elementary schools with diverse student bodies where it serves to bridge cultural gaps and give children access to professionally presented classical music programs. The foundation's vision for Musical Awakenings is to: provide free in-school music education to culturally and economically under served children in the second, third, and fourth grades; gain an understanding of current music education needs for all school districts served and develop programs as appropriate; provide teachers with curriculum related study guides; use the most artistically excellent musicians and exceptional instruments in the programs; and explore collaborative associations with existing organizations.
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was first held in 1962 in Fort Worth, Texas and is hosted by Van Cliburn Foundation. It was created by Fort Worth area teachers in honor of Van Cliburn, who had won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition four years prior with Tchaikovsky's...
, the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™, Musical Awakenings® education programs, and Cliburn Concerts.
Mission
It is the mission of the Van Cliburn Foundation to showcase extraordinary talent and promote excellence in classical music worldwide through piano competitions, concerts, and educational programs.The Foundation promotes excellence in classical music worldwide by exposing people to live performance; by encouraging music making as part of daily life; by connecting with audiences through all available media; and by educating new generations of listeners and helping them discover and explore the wonder of classical music.
History
Originally named the Van Cliburn International Quadrennial Piano Competition, the organization was created shortly after Van CliburnVan Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. is an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at age 23, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War....
's victory at the inaugural Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow in 1958 as a means of perpetuating his unique legacy of effecting cultural diplomacy through classical music. Instituted by a group of Fort Worth music teachers and countless other individuals, the establishment of the organization prompted an invaluable tradition of volunteerism that is still maintained today. The first competition was held in 1962, the Cliburn received its tax-exempt status in 1967, and the name was changed to the Van Cliburn Foundation in 1976 to acknowledge its expanded mission and programming.
Core Programs
The Van Cliburn Foundation's flagship program, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was established in 1962. The competition consists of three separate rounds: Preliminary, Semifinal, and Final. In addition to performing recitals, competitors are also required to perform a piano quintet during the Semifinal round, accompanied by a string quartet, and two concerti, one scored for a chamber orchestra and one scored for a full symphony orchestra, accompanied by the Fort Worth Symphony OrchestraFort Worth Symphony Orchestra
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Fort Worth, Texas. The orchestra performs at the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in downtown Fort Worth...
in the Final round. Competitors are judged by an international jury made up of composers, pianists, teachers, and music critics. The quadrennial competition has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions
World Federation of International Music Competitions
The World Federation of International Music Competitions is an organization based in Geneva, Switzerland that maintains a network of the internationally recognized organisations that aim to discover the most promising young talents in classical music through public competition...
since 1977. For more information about the competition, please see Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was first held in 1962 in Fort Worth, Texas and is hosted by Van Cliburn Foundation. It was created by Fort Worth area teachers in honor of Van Cliburn, who had won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition four years prior with Tchaikovsky's...
.
In 1976, the Van Cliburn Foundation expanded its programming with the introduction of Cliburn Concerts, an annual classical music series in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
.
To promote music-making as a part of everyday life, the Van Cliburn Foundation established the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™ in 1999. Now a quadrennial forum for non-professional musicians, the competition is open to pianists age 35 and older who do not derive their principal source of income through piano performance or instruction. The competition consists of three separate rounds of recitals. The Preliminary Round requires a recital performance of 10 to 12 minutes in length, the Semifinal Round 16 to 20 minutes in length, and the Final Round 25 to 30 minutes in length.
First Prize winner receives the Richard Rodzinski First Prize Award and a cash prize of $2,000. The second and third prize winners receive a cash prize of $1,500 and $1,000, respectively. Additional prizes included the Press Jury Award; Audience Award; awards for the Best Performance of a Work from the Baroque Era
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
, the Classical Era
Classical period (music)
The dates of the Classical Period in Western music are generally accepted as being between about 1750 and 1830. However, the term classical music is used colloquially to describe a variety of Western musical styles from the ninth century to the present, and especially from the sixteenth or...
, and the Romantic Era
Romantic music
Romantic music or music in the Romantic Period is a musicological and artistic term referring to a particular period, theory, compositional practice, and canon in Western music history, from 1810 to 1900....
; Best Performance of a Post-Romantic Work; Best Performance of a Modern Work; Most Creative Programming Award; the Fort Worth Piano Teachers Forum Award; and Jury Discretionary Awards.
Music education has been a key component of the Van Cliburn Foundation since its inception. In 2001, the foundation created its signature music education program Musical Awakenings® which is presented in public elementary schools with diverse student bodies where it serves to bridge cultural gaps and give children access to professionally presented classical music programs. The foundation's vision for Musical Awakenings is to: provide free in-school music education to culturally and economically under served children in the second, third, and fourth grades; gain an understanding of current music education needs for all school districts served and develop programs as appropriate; provide teachers with curriculum related study guides; use the most artistically excellent musicians and exceptional instruments in the programs; and explore collaborative associations with existing organizations.
See also
- Van CliburnVan CliburnHarvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. is an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at age 23, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War....
- Van Cliburn International Piano CompetitionVan Cliburn International Piano CompetitionThe Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was first held in 1962 in Fort Worth, Texas and is hosted by Van Cliburn Foundation. It was created by Fort Worth area teachers in honor of Van Cliburn, who had won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition four years prior with Tchaikovsky's...
- Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition