Welcome to YourClassical’s Cliburn Blog for the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition! Every four years, the classical music world turns its eyes to Fort Worth, Texas, to see which pianists from a pool of 30 can manage two-and-a-half weeks of rigorous recitals and concertos to emerge as a medal winner. Medal winners receive a cash prize in addition to a professional management contract, concert tours, and a commercial recording.
Tuesday, May 20
The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition: The Basics
by Joe Goetz
Before the competition begins, we thought we’d provide this FAQ to help set the stage for what’s to come.
Who was Van Cliburn?
Van Cliburn (1934 – 2013) was an American concert pianist who burst onto the world stage in 1958 by winning the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. The judges in the competition reportedly had to ask Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev for his blessing before awarding him the prize. “Is he the best?” Khrushchev asked. When the judges confirmed that he was, Khrushchev responded, “Then give him the prize.”
Cliburn returned home as a Cold War hero to a ticker-tape parade in New York City. To this day, he remains the only American pianist to win the International Tchaikovsky Competition’s top prize.
When did the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition begin?
Following Cliburn’s triumph in Russia, the National Guild of Piano Teachers capitalized on his newfound celebrity to secure funding for a brand-new piano competition named in his honor. The first-ever Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was held in 1962, and it has been held, generally, every four years since. The 2021 competition was delayed one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hence this year’s competition coming only three years following the 2022 competition.
Who has won the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition?
Many great pianists have entered the competition, yet did not win a prize. Conversely, there are many Cliburn prizewinners who have, despite their initial burst of fame, not become household names. Some notable medalists include Radu Lupu (gold medal, 1966), Christian Zacharias (silver medal, 1973), Barry Douglas (bronze medal, 1985), Jon Nakamatsu (gold medal, 1997), Olga Kern (gold medal, 2001), and Haochen Zhang (gold medal, 2009).
More recent winners have found great success, but it’s still too soon to say for sure whether their careers will have the staying power of their predecessors.
What is the format of the competition?
The competition begins with online video submissions, of which this year the committee received 340, representing 45 nations. Of those submissions, 30 were invited to perform in the “main event,” so to speak, which begins this week. That number has since shrunk by one following the late withdrawal of Russian entrant Anatasia Vorotnaya due to health reasons.
The competitors must come prepared for four rounds of recitals and concertos, with each round becoming progressively more complex. The first two rounds are solo recitals, and competitors may choose their own programs. In the first round, however, each competitor MUST include a newly commissioned work written especially for the competition. This year, that work is called “Rachtime,” written by pianist, composer, and jury member Gabriela Montero.
After the first two rounds, the field is whittled down by roughly a third each time, leaving a dozen or so contestants for the semifinals. In the semifinals, each pianist must perform a 60-minute solo recital plus a Mozart piano concerto of their choosing, accompanied by the Fort Worth Symphony.
The final round usually features six remaining pianists, each of whom must perform TWO concertos: one of their choosing (usually a virtuosic warhorse by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, or Prokofiev), plus another from a list provided by the competition. You can find that list of concertos at the bottom of the Van Cliburn competition’s schedule page.
Who are the favorites to win this year’s competition?
It’s nearly impossible to say! Handicapping a group of 28 pianists who are not widely known is an exercise in futility, but that’s what makes watching the Cliburn so much fun!
In the preliminary rounds, you might encounter a pianist whose playing and/or program choices you find to be extraordinary, but perhaps the judges prefer another. Usually, though, by the semifinal round, favorites begin to emerge. In the 2022 competition, eventual gold medalist Yunchan Lim wowed audiences in Fort Worth and across the world with his stunning performance of Franz Liszt’s complete Transcendental Etudes.
I remember thinking there wasn’t much of a question, at that point, who would go on to win! We’ll see if any pianist rises to the top this year in the early rounds, or if there is lots of parity. Either way, it’s bound to be exciting.
Be sure to check back to this page throughout the competition. I’ll be watching as much as I can, recapping daily programs as much as possible, and offering my opinions on who I think has the best chance of winning. The competition’s media folks will also be sending YourClassical audio of each round, so expect some highlights on the radio as well.
Happy Cliburn Season to all who celebrate!
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