The 16th edition of the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will be streamed live online June 2–18 from Fort Worth, Texas. The Cliburn has been a pioneer from the early days of webcasting, and it continues to innovate and expand this vital program.
Free streaming is available at Cliburn.org, along with cliburn.medici.tv, and youtube.com/thecliburn. Public participation on those sites is also available to vote for the Carla and Kelly Thompson Audience Award, whose winner will be awarded a cash prize of $2,500 at the awards ceremony on June 18. In China, the complete stream will be available at amadeus.tv. Viewership is expected to top 10 million. For premium services see below.
Out of 388 pianists who wanted to participate, 72 were accepted for the screening auditions held in March. For the preliminary round, June 2–4, 30 competitors will perform a 40-minute recital, including a brief commissioned work by Stephen Hough, beginning at 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time.
There will be 18 competitors in the June 5–6 quarterfinal round, each performing a 40-minute program, in the same time periods as the preliminary rounds.
Semifinals follow June 8–12, with 60-minute programs with 12 competitors, of a Mozart concerto, with the Fort Worth Symphony, conducted by Nicholas McGegan.
In the final round, six competitors perform two concertos with the Fort Worth Symphony, conducted by Marin Alsop, June 14 at 7:30 p.m., and June 17 at 3 p.m. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 18.
The jury consists of Marin Alsop, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Alessio Bax, Rico Gulda, Andreas Haefliger, Wu Han, Stephen Hough, and Anne-Marie McDermott.
Prominent among international music contests, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition began in 1962 in honor of Van Cliburn and his vision for using music to serve audiences and break down boundaries. Every four years, the Cliburn reaches out to top 18- to 30-year-old pianists to compete in front of a live audience in Fort Worth as well as a global online viewership. Beyond cash prizes, winning a Cliburn medal means comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the three years following.
Between contests, the Cliburn contributes to the cultural landscape with over 170 classical music performances for 150,000 attendees through competitions, free community concerts, and its signature Cliburn Concerts series.
It presents over a thousand “Cliburn in the Classroom” in-school, interactive music education programs for more than 200,000 North Texas elementary students. During the same time period, it garners the world’s attention with over eight million visits from 170 nations for live concert and competition webcasts; 300 concerts worldwide booked for competition winners; more than 5,000 news articles about the Cliburn and its winners; and regular national radio broadcasts to 245 public radio stations.
The Cliburn will become the first music competition in the world to broadcast in 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range, for a higher contrast or color range between the lightest and darkest tones in an image); an immersive program around the performances that gives viewers behind-the-scenes access and commentary; and the widest selection of ways to watch of any classical music competition.
For premium service, the competition will be available on the HFYI app on iOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, and Roku. Subscription packages are $90 for six months, and $125 for one year. The 2022 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition (Oct. 12–18, 2022) and 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival (June 8–17, 2023) will also be available live and on demand with active subscriptions.
Correction: The article as first published misidentified Bass Performance Hall in that photo’s caption.
