The very first Van Cliburn International Piano Competition got underway exactly 50 years ago, on September 24, 1962, in Fort Worth, Texas. In today's show, we'll celebrate a half-century of spectacular music-making from deep in the heart of Texas. We'll hear from a number of past competitors, including Jeffrey Kahane, Olga Kern, Jon Nakamatsu, and the very first winner in 1962, Ralph Votapek.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Pablo de Sarasate: Romanza Andaluza
Gil Shaham, violin, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Agustin Barrios: Waltz, Op. 8, No. 4
Sharon Isbin, guitar
Aspen Music Festival, Aspen, Colorado
Christopher Tye: Quaesumus Omnipotens (We Beseech Thee)
Stile Antico
Schwetzingen Festival, Schwetzingen, Germany
Orlando Gibbons: Fantasy No. 8 for Three Viols
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper, violins, Meredith Crawford, viola
Salastina Music Society, Brentwood, California
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, D. 417 (Tragic)
The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Carnegie Hall, New York City
Hour 2
Peter Tchaikovsky: Barcarolle (June, from the Seasons)
Van Cliburn, piano
Felix Mendelssohn: String Symphony No. 10 in B Minor
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden, conductor
Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas
Johannes Brahms: Intermezzo No. 1, Op. 118
Ralph Votapek, piano
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Fort Worth, Texas
Franz Schubert: Impromptu No. 3 in G-flat, D. 899
Radu Lupu, piano
Friedrich Ebert Halle, Hamburg, Germany
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Third movement from Piano Concerto in C, K. 503
Jeffrey Kahane, piano and conductor, the New York Philharmonic
Avery Fisher Hall, New York City
William Bolcom: La Belle Rouquine and Circus Galop, from Nine Bagatelles
Jon Nakamatsu, piano
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Fort Worth, Texas
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Moments Musicaux, Op. 16, No. 4
Olga Kern, piano
Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth, Texas
Alexander Scriabin: Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op. 9, No. 2
Mariangela Vacatello, piano
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Fort Worth, Texas
Love the music?
Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.
Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.
YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.
Your Donation
About Performance Today®
To find a station near you on our Stations Listings page, click here.
American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.
Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.
How do I leave a comment?
Send us a comment here.
