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Van Cliburn

Van Cliburn

Actor, Music Department

Born July 12, 1934 in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Died February 27, 2013

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Biography

Van Cliburn was born Harvey Lavan Cliburn, Jr. on July 12, 1934, in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. His mother, named Rildia Bee O'Bryan, had been taught piano by Arthur Friedheim, a pupil of Franz Liszt. Cliburn began taking piano lessons at the age of three from his mother, who was strict and demanded perfection. At the age of twelve Cliburn won a piano competition in Texas and made his debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. At the age of twenty he made his debut at Carnegie Hall.

In 1958 Cliburn won the First International Tshaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow. There he played the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and the Piano Concerto No. 3 by Sergei Rachmaninoff in his triumphal competition finale performances. Cliburn's mastery of piano was so convincing that even Nikita Khrushchev agreed, when the Soviet judges asked him for permission to give the first prize to an American. Cliburn was on the cover of TIME as "The Texan Who Conquered Russia." He made a fine recording of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, which became the best-selling classical album, eventually going triple platinum. Cliburn also recorded the music of Edvard Grieg, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Ludwig van Beethoven among other composers.

Since 1962 Van Cliburn has been the artistic advisor for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. Its international prestige now rivals that of the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition. Cliburn made appearances at such important political events, as the 1987 White House meeting between President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1991 Cliburn performed at the opening of the 100th Anniversary season of Carnegie Hall. In 2003 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 2004 received the Russian Order of Friendship. He has played piano music for royalty, heads of states, and for every President of the United States since Harry S. Truman. Van Cliburn is living in Fort Worth, Texas. He is a Steinway artist. He owns a collection of Steinway pianos that are tuned-up to accommodate his individual touch and style.

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Filmography

Actor

27

Type

Year

On the Road with Ed Sullivan Poster

On the Road with Ed Sullivan Mini-Series2024Self

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards Poster

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards TV Special2014Self - Classical Pianist

The Cliburn: 50 Years of Gold Documentary2012Pianist

When Seattle Invented the Future: The 1962 World's Fair Poster

When Seattle Invented the Future: The 1962 World's Fair Documentary2012Self

The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts Poster

The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts TV Special2001Self - Honoree

Carnegie Hall at 100: A Place of Dreams Poster

Carnegie Hall at 100: A Place of Dreams Documentary1991Self

The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts Poster

The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts TV Special1989Self

America's Tribute to Bob Hope Poster

America's Tribute to Bob Hope Documentary1988Self

This Morning Poster

This Morning TV Series1988Self

Biography Poster

Biography TV Series1987Self

CBS This Morning Poster

CBS This Morning TV Series1987Self

Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition TV Special1981Self

Live from Lincoln Center Poster

Live from Lincoln Center TV Series1976Self - Pianist

The Young and the Restless Poster

The Young and the Restless TV Series1973Self

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Poster

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood TV Series1968Self

Carnegie Hall Salutes Jack Benny TV Special1961Self

MisteRogers Poster

MisteRogers TV Series1961Self

The Mike Douglas Show Poster

The Mike Douglas Show TV Series1961Self - Concert Pianist

Sunday Showcase Poster

Sunday Showcase TV Series1959Self - Performer-Recipient

The Bell Telephone Hour Poster

The Bell Telephone Hour TV Series1959Self

The All-Star Christmas Show Poster

The All-Star Christmas Show TV Special1958Self

The Milton Berle Show Poster

The Milton Berle Show TV Series1958Self

The Steve Allen Plymouth Show Poster

The Steve Allen Plymouth Show TV Series1956Self - Pianist

To Tell the Truth Poster

To Tell the Truth TV Series1956Self - Guest

The Tonight Show Poster

The Tonight Show TV Series1953Self

What's My Line? Poster

What's My Line? TV Series1950Self - Mystery Guest

The Ed Sullivan Show Poster

The Ed Sullivan Show TV Series1948Self - Pianist

Music Department

1

America's Tribute to Bob Hope Poster

America's Tribute to Bob Hope Documentary1988

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