Cliburn News Winter 2019/2020

CLIBURN NEWS WWW.CLIBURN.ORG

WINTER 2019/2020 I ISSUE NO. 118

THE WORLD IS LISTENING

SIXTEENTH VA N C L I B U R N IN T E R N ATI ON AL PIANO COMPETITION MAY 27–JUNE 12, 2021 FORT WORTH, TEXAS USA

MAJOR ELEMENTS ANNOUNCED JURY

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COMMISSIONED WORK

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F O R M AT

I

VENUES

IN THIS

ISSUE:

2020 AMATEUR: TOP 10 FACTS TO KNOW

CLIBURN 180° + COCKTAIL COMPETITION

LAUREATE UPDATE: BEATRICE RANA

2019 JUNIOR: HIGHLIGHTS & RESULTS

FROM THE

PRESIDENT Dear friends, 2021 will bring the sixteenth edition of our flagship Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. We are excited to share many of the major elements with you all; we (as always) are working hard to make it faster, higher, and stronger! “Citius, altius, fortius” As you know, the world is constantly changing, and we are always trying to learn how to be more effective with our support to our winners, more efficient with our media exposure, more accessible to a large public, and more appealing to Fort Worth, North Texas, the United States, and the world.

FORMAT. One learning led us to a change in the format of the Competition. Our new winners are asked to play 10–12 concertos per year; engagements with orchestras around the world are an important part of their young careers. Therefore, we decided to have three concertos in the last two rounds (2017 had two), in order to encourage vital repertoire development. In the Semifinal Round, competitors will once again play a Mozart concerto with Nicholas McGegan and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, which was a wonderful addition last time. Then in the Final Round, we’ll have two more concertos, which will be chosen from two different, specific lists. An additional benefit: this will offer more variety for the competitors, the jury, and the audience. One Final Round night, we may hear a nice Chopin concerto, followed by the Ravel Concerto and Rachmaninov’s Third Concerto. The next night could be the “Emperor” of Beethoven, “The Egyptian” of Saint-Saëns, and the Tchaikovsky First! Four closing nights with our finalists, our symphony, and the fantastic Marin Alsop, in her Cliburn debut!

REACH. Social media and digital communications evolve so much over four years! Classical music journalism has dramatically decreased, social influencers are in, and promoting classical music has never been so challenging—though more tools to do so keep surfacing. We’re working on a number of new projects, as well as ways to enhance the existing initiatives, in order

to reach more people around the world: smart use of social platforms and other online tools, strategic partnerships with major media and organizations, and new means of distribution—more announcements to come in 2020!

VENUES. We’re happy to be returning to TCU in 2021. The first two rounds will be held in its new 700-seat Van Cliburn Concert Hall. For those curious, the first edition of the Cliburn Competition was at TCU (1962), then following: TCU and Will Rogers Auditorium (1966), TCU and Tarrant County Convention Center (1969-1973-1977-1981-1985-1989-1993-1997), and finally Bass Performance Hall (2001-2005-2009-2013-2017). In 2021, the Preliminaries and Quarterfinals will be at TCU’s stunning new venue, then we’ll move to Bass Hall for the Semifinals and Finals.

This will be exciting for the competitors to play in a more intimate recital hall in addition to the 2,000-seat Bass Hall. Once again, like the concerto round, it will give the jury members a better perspective of these young exceptional talents and how they adjust to playing in varying spaces.

JURY. The members of the jury, headed by the world-renowned Marin Alsop, are almost entirely new to the Cliburn Competition.

Only one juror, Anne-Marie McDermott, is returning from the 2017 edition. A rare occasion in the piano world, this year we will have more women than men on the jury. We look forward to welcoming them with legendary Texas hospitality.

We believe that we must fine-tune every detail in order to recruit, evaluate, and crown the best pianists on the planet. Shortly, we will propose fantastic ticket packages for this not-to-be-missed event. We hope you are going to be part of it!

Thank you for your support!

Jacques Marquis, President and CEO 2 I CLIBURN NEWS

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

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page

6

2021 CLIBURN COMPETITION: JURY, SCREENING JURY, & COMPOSER Fifteen outstanding experts comprise the juries; Stephen Hough will also compose the commissioned work.

2021 CLIBURN COMPETITION: VENUES

8

The Competition returns to TCU, its original home, for the first two rounds, before moving to Bass Hall.

7

2020 AMATEUR COMPETITION

2021 CLIBURN COMPETITION: FORMAT & ARTISTIC COLLABORATORS

Tickets go on sale January 4, and applications for competitors and festival participants are due January 16.

A change in format will provide the jury with a good artistic picture and competitors with career-important repertoire development.

10 1216

14

WINNERS UPDATES The last few months included a victory in Russia, International Piano’s “One to Watch,” and the founding of a mentorship program in Korea.

CLIBURN 180° + COCKTAIL COMPETITION

BEETHOVEN AT 250: A CELEBRATION

Our young professionals group launched its 10th season and helped put on the second Cliburn Cocktail Competition.

The Cliburn joins a worldwide tribute to the iconic composer, with a special Cliburn at the Bass and Cliburn Festival.

2019 JUNIOR: HIGHLIGHTS & RESULTS

20 22 23

DONOR SPOTLIGHT: SUE & JOHN ALLEN CHALK

Longtime supporters reflect on why they love the Cliburn.

LAUREATE UPDATE: BEATRICE RANA

Since winning 2013 Cliburn silver, she has taken the international music world by storm.

We caught up with her on the heels of her latest American tour.

FROM THE CHAIRMAN Thank You! WINTER 2019/2020 I 3

SIXTEENTH VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION On October 15, 2019, applications officially opened for the 2021 Cliburn Competition; pianists age 18 to 30 are given one year to submit. The same day, the Cliburn announced the major elements of the Competition, including the jury, screening jury, commissioned work, venues, and format that have been put into place to set the foundation for a fantastic competition.

“

As we prepare for each competition, we carefully evaluate each element in order to constantly improve.

How can we attract the top competitors? Which international artists can we bring onto the jury and into the Cliburn family? How can we best inform the jurors’ decisions through the performances that the competitors give? How can we reach more and more people with classical music? What can we offer our winners to better support them into their careers?

”

– Jacques Marquis, Cliburn President and CEO

The result of much of that work follows on pages 5–7, with more announcements to come over the next 19 months.

4 I CLIBURN NEWS

MAY 27–JUNE 12, 2021 I FORT WORTH, TEXAS USA VAN CLIBURN CONCERT HALL AT TCU & BASS PERFORMANCE HALL

THE JURY The assembled jury—nine of whom are new to the Cliburn Competition—represents some of the most prominent voices in piano today, whose active careers and exceptional artistry continue to help shape the landscape of classical music.

Marin Alsop, jury chairman

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

Rico Gulda

Andreas Haefliger

Wu Han

Stephen Hough

Anne-Marie McDermott

Gabriela Montero

Orli Shaham

Lilya Zilberstein

THE SCREENING JURY The five members of the screening jury combine distinguished performance careers with a commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists. The screening jury will travel around the world for five weeks in January and February 2021 to select the 30 competitors from a large pool of applicants.

Angela Cheng

Arnaldo Cohen

Christopher Elton

Alexander Kobrin

Anton Nel

FOR JURY BIOS, VISIT CLIBURN.ORG/2021-COMPETITION-JURY

THE COMMISSIONED WORK In addition to serving on the jury, renowned pianist, composer, and one of Twenty Living Polymaths (The Economist) Stephen Hough has been commissioned to compose a new work for the 2021 Cliburn Competition, to be performed by all 30 competitors. This marks the second time that the composer of the commissioned work will also serve on the jury. Details on the piece will be released in early 2021, and competitors will receive it no later than March 25, 2021.

WINTER 2019/2020 I 5

SIXTEENTH VAN CLIBURN MAY 27–JUNE 12, 2021 I FORT WORTH, TEXAS USA

THE VENUES

VAN CLIBURN CONCERT HALL AT TCU

The Cliburn returns to its original home, hosting the Preliminary and Quarterfinal Rounds at TCU’s new, acoustically rich, 700-seat concert hall, appropriately named for our inspiration and namesake, Van Cliburn.

BASS PERFORMANCE HALL

For the Semifinal and Final Rounds, the Competition moves to downtown Fort Worth’s 2,042seat stunning cultural jewel, which has served as the Competition’s home since 2001.

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INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION VAN CLIBURN CONCERT HALL AT TCU & BASS PERFORMANCE HALL

IMPORTANT DATES January 2020 Prizes and Career Management Package Announced

December 15, 2020 Screening Auditions Schedule Announced

Spring 2020 Premium Ticket Subscription Packages On Sale

Early 2021 Single Tickets On Sale

Fall 2020 Additional Ticket Subscription Packages On Sale

March 10, 2021 Competitors Announced

October 15, 2020 Applications Due

May 27–June 12, 2021 Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

FORMAT & ARTISTIC COLLABORATORS New in 2021, the Cliburn has added an additional concerto in the Final Round, replacing the chamber music; we believe this will give the jury a better artistic picture of the young musicians and also help the competitors develop the repertoire that is important for their careers. We are pleased to be able to collaborate with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, which has performed in every single Cliburn Competition since the first in 1962, at an even higher level. Famed conductor, and expert in 18th-century style, Nicholas McGegan performs Mozart concertos with semifinalists, as he did in the 2017 Cliburn Competition. And distinguished and innovative conductor (and jury chairman) Marin Alsop makes her debut appearance at the Cliburn podium, performing two additional concertos with finalists.

Nicholas McGegan

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

VIDEO APPLICATIONS (due October 15, 2020) • Pianists submit an online application, including a 40-minute performance video SCREENING AUDITIONS (January/February 2021) • Approximately 135 applicants perform 40-minute recitals in eight cities across Asia, Europe, and North America PRELIMINARY ROUND (May 27–29, 2021) Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU • 30 competitors perform a 40-minute recital, to include commissioned work of 4-6 minutes by Stephen Hough QUARTERFINAL ROUND (May 30–31, 2021) Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU • 18 competitors perform a 40-minute recital

Marin Alsop

SEMIFINAL ROUND (June 2–6, 2021) Bass Performance Hall • 12 competitors in two phases: 1. 60-minute recital 2. Mozart concerto to be selected from a list with the FWSO and conductor Nicholas McGegan FINAL ROUND (June 8–12, 2021) Bass Performance Hall • 6 competitors perform two concertos, to be selected from two separate lists, with the FWSO and conductor Marin Alsop.

COMPLETE INFORMATION AT

CLIBURN.ORG/2021-COMPETITION-ROUNDS-AND-REPERTOIRE WINTER 2019/2020 I 7

C L I B U R N I N T E R N AT I O N A L EIGHTH EDITION I MAY 24–30, 2020 I FORT WORTH, TEXAS, USA

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MISSION Hailed by the Boston Globe as “a celebration of music, and the people who have to make music no matter what,” the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition highlights the importance of music-making in everyday life, bringing together the world’s best non-professional pianists age 35 and older for seven days of performances, symposia, and social events.

HISTORY Inaugurated in 1999, the Cliburn Amateur Competition was the first event of its kind in the United States and was established at the behest of the late Nela Rubinstein, wife of legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein. Since that time, over seven editions, hundreds have come to Fort Worth to compete and learn, and an active international amateur network has formed.

COMPETITORS They come from all walks of life: doctors and lawyers, homemakers and teachers, engineers and race car designers. They hail from countries around the globe, with wideranging cultures, languages, and experiences. From a wide pool of applicants, 48 will be invited to compete, along with an additional 24 non-competing festival participants.

BASS PERFORMANCE HALL The Cliburn Amateur is proud to take place in downtown Fort Worth, with the beautiful Bass Performance Hall complex serving as its home. The first rounds of competition, as well as most festival events, will fill the refined Van Cliburn Recital Hall, and the finalists will have the unsurpassed opportunity to perform on the Bass Hall stage.

TOP10 OF

2020 CL AMA COMPE

FOR OUTSTANDING, PIANISTS AGE 3

FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Since the Cliburn’s inception, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra has been an invaluable partner, performing with competitors and laureates for almost 60 years. They will again take the Bass Hall stage with the six Amateur Competition finalists, performing one movement of a concerto with each.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE JANUARY 16, 2020

AMATEUR PIANO COMPETITION VAN CLIBURN RECITAL HALL & BASS PERFORMANCE HALL

DAMON GUPTON, CONDUCTOR His dual success on screen (Black Lightning, Bates Hotel, Deadline, Prime Suspect, Criminal Minds, Whiplash, La La Land) and as a conductor makes Damon Gupton the perfect collaborator for the impeccable talents of the finalists, who also have a foot in two worlds. We’re thrilled he’s joining us to lead the FWSO for his second consecutive Cliburn Amateur.

FACTS THE

LIBURN ATEUR ETITION

NON-PROFESSIONAL 35 AND OLDER

RALPH VOTAPEK, JURY CHAIRMAN The gold medalist of the first-ever Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1962, Ralph Votapek has had a remarkable globe-spanning career, bringing his grand manner of playing to major orchestras and recital halls, in addition to serving on the faculty of Michigan State University for almost four decades. Welcome back!

COMPETITION Three riveting rounds of Competition take place May 24–30, 2020: Preliminary Round (48 pianists) and Semifinal Round (20 pianists) at Van Cliburn Recital Hall; and the Final Round (6 pianists) in a stunning conclusion with the FWSO and Damon Gupton at Bass Hall followed by the Awards Ceremony directly after jury voting.

FESTIVAL In addition to the Competition performances, a variety of events aimed at the artistic advancement of competitors, festival attendees, and other pianists will be offered, including workshops and symposia, chamber music and four-hand reading, open piano night, and free community performances around Fort Worth.

WEBCAST Performances will be webcast live and free at Cliburn.org to a large international audience, with hosts providing commentary, interviews, and behind-the-scenes features. Views for the seventh edition in 2016 have topped 220,000 to date, with over 1.3 million minutes watched across 33 countries.

TICKETS GO ON SALE JANUARY 4, 2020

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WINTER 2019/2020 I 9

WINNERS 2017 VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

YEKWON SUNWOO GOLD MEDAL yekwonsunwoo.com

Yekwon opened the 2019–2020 season with a concerto tour across the United States, during which he was lauded as “the highlight of the afternoon... [putting] forth a stellar performance befitting his now-commanding position in the musical world” (Green Valley News). This summer, Yekwon spent some time in his native Korea, celebrating Clara Schumann’s 200th birthday with a recital tour across the country and launching a yearlong mentorship program for young Korean pianists at the Myeongdong Cathedral— Korea’s first and most important cathedral in the country. He is on tour now with the Royal Danish Orchestra and looks forward to working with conductors Fabio Luisi and Sebastain Tewinkel in the spring.

DECEMBER Tour with the Royal Danish Orchestra 8 Seoul Arts Center, South Korea 10 Daejeon Arts Center, South Korea 11 Gyeongnam Culture and Arts Center, Jinju, South Korea 12 Ulsan Culture and Arts Center, South Korea 15 Gasteig München, Munich, Germany JANUARY 25 York Symphony Orchestra, York, PA 31 Stadttheater Aschaffenburg, Aschaffenburg, Germany MARCH Tour with the Neubrandenburger Philharmonic 5 Konzertkirche Neubrandenburg, Neubrandenburg, Germany 6 Ernst-Barlach-Theater, Gustrow, Germany 8 Landestheater Neustrelitz, Neustrelitz, Germany 26–27 Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Yekwon made the cover of Auditorium Magazine.

Here he is signing CDs and magazines for its subscribers.

UPDATES KENNY BROBERG SILVER MEDAL kennybroberg.com

DANIEL HSU

Kenny had a huge summer: he claimed bronze at the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in June, and a month later traversed Australia on a 12-city recital tour, which was hailed by Limelight magazine for “offering high degrees of transparency and a sense of wonder… the colours of the piano shone.” The 2019–2020 season sees several returns to Russia to play with Valery Gergiev, a collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and celebrations of Beethoven’s 250th birthday.

DECEMBER 22 XIV Mariinsky International Piano Festival, St. Petersburg, Russia FEBRUARY 9 Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, College Station, TX 27–3/1 Cliburn Festival: Beethoven at 250, Fort Worth, TX MARCH 14 Chippewa Valley Symphony, Eau Claire, WI

Days after graduating this spring from Curtis—where he studied from the age of 10—Daniel embarked on a European chamber music tour with his Curtison-Tour colleagues and mentored young pianists at the Second Cliburn Junior Competition in June. He kicked off the 2019–2020 season with a return to the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, his debut with the Evansville Philharmonic, and recitals across the United States. Also this season—collaborations with the Verona Quartet and debuts with the Eugene and Jacksonville Symphony Orchestras.

MARCH 19 Eugene Symphony, Eugene, OR 26 Cliburn Concerts, Fort Worth

BRONZE MEDAL

JANUARY 19 Scottsdale Center for the

Performing Arts, AZ 25 Corpus Christi Chamber Music

Society, TX

danielhsupiano.com

FEBRUARY 1 Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Destin, FL

MAY 15-16 Jacksonville Symphony, FL

RACHEL CHEUNG AUDIENCE AWARD rachelcheung.com

APRIL 26 Plano Symphony Orchestra, TX

This year, Rachel was awarded Artist of the Year (Music) by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council; made her play/direct debut at the Hong Kong Philharmonic with Beethoven’s Fourth Concerto; and kicked off the 2019–2020 season on tour with the Asian Youth Orchestra, with stops in China, Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong. Other highlights: multiple engagements with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra with Music Director Jaap van Zweden, tours of the United States, and a collaboration with the Hong Kong Ballet.

FEBRUARY 9 Kahilu Theatre, Kamuela, HI 11 Hawaii Concert Society,

Hilo, HI 13 Kauai Concert Association, HI 15 Universtiy of Hawaii at Manoa,

Honolulu, HI 26–27 Hong Kong Philharmonic

MARCH 20–22 Hong Kong Ballet APRIL 21 National Ensemble of Soloists

Kiev Camerata, Ukraine

WINTER 2019/2020 I 11

CLIBURN 180° What started for the 2009 Cliburn Competition as a way to provide competitors with social hosts to take them around Fort Worth has steadily grown to be one of the most active and fun young professionals groups in the city. The Cliburn 180° just launched its TENTH season—which will consist of four exclusive events that generally include short performances by Cliburn artists, plus volunteer involvement during the 2020 Amateur Competition. For more information or to join, visit Cliburn.org/180s.

Here are some shots from their recent season launch event, held in September at Heim Barbecue on the River!

Yolanda Newland, Isabel Hebert Mary Elizabeth Van Meter, Mandy Purselley

Josh Knoblock, Katie & James Day Summa Aholo

Jonathan Cranz, Norm Robbins, Kelly & Morgan Kostohryz, Haley Robbins

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Kobi Sella, Isabel Hebert, Gustavo Peña

CLIBURN COCKTAIL COMPETITION On October 2, 2019, the second annual Cliburn Cocktail Competition took place, arranged by the members of the Cliburn 180° as a fundraiser for the 2021 Competition. With TX Whiskey as a fantastic partner, Whiskey Ranch was the perfect setting for the seven local amateur cocktail teams to compete for the super-prestigious Cliburn Cocktail gold medal. Here are some scenes from that unforgettable night. [photo credit: Richard Rodriguez] CONGRATULATIONS TO TEAM SOUTHSIDE STIRRING COMMITTEE, WHO WON WITH THEIR ANCHO MOMMA’S TX!!

The Crazy 88s Team Area Whiskey-1 Team

Event chairman Andrea Palmer & Jacques Marquis with the winning team, the Southside Stirring Committee

Martini Shot Team

Bank of TX Team

Area Whiskey-1 Team

Holiday Cowtown Smash Team

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SPECIAL HOLIDAY PACKAGE

Beethoven

PIANO at 250: THE CONCERTOS SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 2020 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM BASS PERFORMANCE HALL To kick off 2020—which will be a yearlong, international celebration of the iconic composer’s 250th birthday—this very special Cliburn at the Bass will present each of Beethoven’s five piano concertos, in order. One day, two concerts, five spectacular pianists, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and Miguel Harth-Bedoya, in the midst of his final season as the orchestra’s music director. It’s the definition of a do-not-miss event.

FEATURING PIANISTS JOYCE YANG I DAVID FRAY I JON NAKAMATSU I GEORGE LI I TILL FELLNER AND THE FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA I MIGUEL HARTH-BEDOYA CONDUCTOR

TWO-CONCERT PACKAGES STARTING AT JUST $36!

CLIBURN.ORG/CLIBURN-AT-THE-BASS

COMPLETE THE CELEBRATION WITH OUR EXCLUSIVE CLIBURN DINNER PARTNERS!

RESERVE YOUR TABLE FOR DINNER AT 5:30 PM ON JANUARY 4 14 I CLIBURN NEWS

I S TA N B U L G R I L L fort worth

817.332.2473

817.885.7326

817.984.1110

AND THIS FEBRUARY, SPEND A WEEKEND WITH A REVOLUTIONARY. 5 CONCERTS. 4 DAYS.

Beethoven 2020 CLIBURN FESTIVAL:

at 250

FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 1, 2020

MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH Beethoven is revered as a musical revolutionary—having propelled music and its capabilities into the modern era—and also beloved for his profound connection to the joys, griefs, and hopefulness of humanity. Cliburn Festival artists-in-residence will come together to explore his remarkable oeuvre of solo, chamber, and vocal works in five concerts over four days. It will be a showcase of the genius and spirit of Beethoven, with each concert curated around a particular theme: Optimism, Turning Points, Beloved, Homage, and Hero.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW

CLIBURN.ORG/2020CLIBURNFESTIVAL

ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE KENNY BROBERG

SEAN CHEN

FILIPPO GORINI

2017 CLIBURN SILVER MEDALIST

2013 CLIBURN THIRD-PRIZE WINNER

2015 TELEKOM-BEETHOVEN FIRST-PRIZE WINNER

VERONA QUARTET

SPONSORED BY

JONATHAN ONG & DOROTHY RO, violins; ABIGAIL ROJANSKY, viola; JONATHAN DORMAND, cello WINTER 2019/2020 I 15

MAY 31–JUNE 8, 2019

I

DALLAS, TEXAS

SMU MEADOWS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS & MEYERSON SYMPHONY CENTER I LAURA BUSH

honorary chairman

3rd: JIWON YANG (17, SOUTH KOREA) I 2nd: EVA GEVORGYAN (15, RUSSIA/ARMENIA) I 1st: SHUAN HERN LEE (16, AUSTRALIA) When the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival was announced in January 2018, the world took notice. This global event would be one of the most prestigious and widely watched of its kind, bringing together an elite group of teenage pianists from around the world, the champions of their own domains. The Cliburn would use its standing and expertise to encourage the participants, and to provide them with a valuable forum and entrance to the next step of their journeys. And, for the first time ever, a major Cliburn program would be held outside of Fort Worth.

230 outstanding young pianists from 32 countries applied to participate. From those, a select group was invited to Dallas for two weeks of highest-level competition, intense artistic development, and the creation of long-lasting friendships.

THE PIANISTS 23 COMPETITORS + AN ADDITIONAL 14 FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS REPRESENTING 14

COUNTRIES

ARMENIA I AUSTRALIA I AUSTRIA I CANADA I CHINA HONG KONG I ITALY I JAPAN I RUSSIA I SOUTH KOREA SPAIN I TAIWAN I THAILAND I UNITED STATES 16 I CLIBURN NEWS

JUNIOR PHOTO CREDITS: RALPH LAUER & CAROLYN CRUZ

HIGHLIGHTS & RESULTS THE COMPETITION

23 PIANISTS VIED FOR THE COVETED PRIZES, PERFORMING BEFORE THE JURY, AN IN-PERSON AUDIENCE, & A VAST INTERNATIONAL ONLINE VIEWERSHIP.

4 COMPETITION ROUNDS I 12 CONCERTS 52 PERFORMANCES I 21 HOURS OF MUSIC 6 HOURS OF REHEARSAL WITH THE DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & RUTH REINHARDT 7 INTERNATIONALLY ESTEEMED JURORS MORE THAN $40,000 AWARDED

7,000 ATTENDED COMPETITION PERFORMANCES IN PERSON

THE FESTIVAL

CRUCIAL TO THE CLIBURN JUNIOR EXPERIENCE, A BUSY SCHEDULE OUTSIDE OF THE CONCERT HALL ALLOWED PARTICIPANTS TO ENGAGE WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY & LEARN FROM TOP PIANISTS & TEACHERS.

1,600 ATTENDED FESTIVAL EVENTS IN PERSON 8 MASTERCLASSES 14 PRIVATE LESSONS FOR PARTICIPANTS 20 JURY MEETINGS FOR COMPETITORS WORKSHOPS I SYMPOSIA ARTIST CONVERSATIONS SIMULCASTS I FIELD TRIPS COMMUNITY CONCERTS WINTER 2019/2020 I 17

MAY 31–JUNE 8, 2019

I

DALLAS, TEXAS

SMU MEADOWS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS & MEYERSON SYMPHONY CENTER I LAURA BUSH

THE WEBCAST & PRESS

honorary chairman

A HIGHLY PRODUCED, COMPLETE ONLINE BROADCAST AND GLOBAL MEDIA ATTENTION BROUGHT THE CLIBURN JUNIOR TO THE WORLD.

34 HOURS BROADCAST LIVE ONLINE OVER 7 DAYS

performances i commentary i features i interviews

650,000 VIEWS I 4 MILLION MINUTES WATCHED I 120 COUNTRIES SOCIAL REACH: 7 MILLION

facebook i instagram i twitter i youtube

MEDIA COVERAGE: 120 FEATURES I 51 MILLION POTENTIAL REACH including in: australia i belgium i brazil i canada i france i germany i italy i japan i mexico i philippines i russia i united kingdom i united states

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HIGHLIGHTS & RESULTS

THE CLIBURN FAMILY

THE YOUNG PIANISTS. JURORS. GUEST ARTISTS. VOLUNTEERS. PATRONS. DONORS. PARTNERS. THE RELATIONSHIPS FORMED WILL LAST A LIFETIME.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE PIANISTS, TEACHERS, & EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO CAME TO DALLAS TO INSPIRE THE FUTURE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC. *ALESSIO BAX, JURY CHAIRMAN italy I *PHILIPPE BIANCONI, 1985 CLIBURN SILVER france I BUDDY BRAY united states SEAN CHEN, 2013 CLIBURN BRONZE united states I *ANGELA CHENG canada I DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA DANIEL HSU, 2017 CLIBURN BRONZE united states I CAROL LEONE united states I GILBERT KALISH united states ALEXANDER KOBRIN, 2005 CLIBURN GOLD russia I RACHEL NAOMI KUDO, 2017 CLIBURN COMPETITOR united states *VALERY KULESHOV, 1993 CLIBURN SILVER russia I *LOWELL LIEBERMANN united states I ANNE-MARIE MCDERMOTT united states *AVIRAM REICHERT, 1997 CLIBURN BRONZE israel I RUTH REINHARDT, CONDUCTOR germany I ORION WEISS united states I *UTA WEYAND germany *jury

WINTER 2019/2020 I 19

LAUREATE UPDATE: 2013 SILVER MEDALIST

BEATRICE

RANA “ ”

One of the outstanding pianists of her generation.

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Photo: Nicolas Bets

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Beatrice Rana was just 20 when she took home silver at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, on the heels of her first-prize victory at the Montreal Competition two years prior. Since then, Bea (now 26) has taken the international music world by storm, winning admiration and praise from conductors, concert presenters, audiences, and critics alike. She’s played a good portion of the world’s major concert halls (such as Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Vienna’s Konzerthaus, Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center); she’s been featured on the cover of more than 10 magazines; and she’s received rave reviews and a slew of awards, including The New York Times’ “Best Classical Music of 2019” list, Gramophone’s 2017 “Young Artist of the Year,” and BBC 2015 “New Generation Artist.” And she signed an exclusive recording deal with Warner Classics, having now released four critically acclaimed albums in four years, including a new RavelStravinsky disc that dropped October 25. We caught up with her this December.

CLIBURN: You’ve had such a meteoric rise in the six years since your Cliburn appearance—major concerts, loads of press, and a nice recording contract. What is your secret for balancing the demands of this busy life, while still developing artistically and enjoying it all?

BEATRICE: There is no secret, unfortunately! My strength is the love for what I do: sharing music with people and sharing life with my loved ones. Balancing the two things is not always easy, but I try always my best because they are equally important to me. In this sense, I like to have a busy and challenging schedule, with good combination of old and new repertoire, solo and concertos, and at the same time I save some weeks to be off stage and spend time with family and friends.

CLIBURN: You have had some great mentors along the way. Tell us about those relationships and how they’ve shaped you.

BEATRICE: I owe everything I know to Benedetto Lupo and Arie Vardi.

Benedetto Lupo has been my mentor since I was a child, and he taught me the art of music, but also the profession of being a pianist: thanks to him, I got a real fascination for colors and sounds, and a real necessity of using a certain sound for a certain result. At 18, I got in the studio of Arie Vardi, and he opened me another world, very wide in a sense, where music, art, literature, and philosophy were all part of one great thing. I feel very lucky to have been mentored by such musicians.

CLIBURN: With all the traveling, concertizing, and amazing collaborators, you must have some great stories from the road. Share one or two with us?

BEATRICE: Last September I played in Paris in the beautiful Theatre des Champs-Elysees with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Yuri Temirkanov. The orchestra and conductor were in the middle of a tour, so they were supposed to arrive in the early afternoon and rehearse with me couple of hours before the concert. As soon as I

“

Beatrice Rana possesses an old soul that belies her twenty years, and more than a touch of genius.

GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE

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Truly astounding … among the most faultless of young pianists today.

THE WASHINGTON POST

get on stage for my rehearsal, I see less than half of the orchestra and Maestro Temirkanov on the podium. I ask where the rest of the orchestra was, since the rehearsal was about to start: they told me that the other musicians were on a much delayed plane and didn’t know if they would make it on time. So we rehearsed the Schumann Concerto for a…chamber orchestra size! :-) The rest of the orchestra finally arrived 10 minutes before the start of the orchestra, so I got to meet the full orchestra during the concert. Despite everything, it was one of the most beautiful concerts I have ever played.

CLIBURN: Your newest CD just released on October 25. Tell us a little about how that project came together, and what’s up next.

BEATRICE: The last CD is dedicated to two composers that are very dear to my heart: Ravel and Stravinsky. It’s always challenging to decide the repertoire of an album, mainly because the album is like a photograph of a precise artistic moment. I have been touring quite a lot in the previous season with Ravel Miroirs and Stravinsky Firebird, so it felt very natural to record them, alongside with La Valse and Petrushka. It’s a portrait of a period of great changes, both on the artistic and on the social level, which brought to the complete collapse caused by the first world war. In a sense, I feel that that kind of feeling of crisis is very present.

CLIBURN: Take us back to 2013. Why did you decide to come to the Cliburn and what was your experience like in Fort Worth?

BEATRICE: My experience at the Cliburn has been completely life changing. I was already very excited to be in Fort Worth and play in such a giant hall for such a venerable jury and audience. But what I understood during the last days of the competition is that that adrenaline that was driving me so much during those days wouldn’t end with the competition: being a laureate of the Cliburn was going to open the doors of so many concert halls for me! At first I was a bit overwhelmed, but step by step I got to find a balance with this new life and started to really enjoy the crazy touring life!

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DONOR SPOTLIGHT:

SUE & JOHN ALLEN CHALK

When Sue Chalk moved to Fort Worth with her husband John Allen in 1986, one of her first priorities was to get involved with the Cliburn. She had followed Van Cliburn (as a young pianist around his age), as well as the Cliburn Competition, closely—and couldn’t believe that she found herself in his, and its, hometown. Her commitment led her to serve on the Board of Directors for 25 years; she recently transitioned to the Van Cliburn Advisory Council. She’s volunteered in the office and for six competitions, primarily managing visitors information. And she and her husband are present advocates, participating as donors since 1990 and being full concert and competition subscribers since 1997. Here’s a little about why, in their own words:

SUE & JOHN: Increased professional and other opportunities at a time when both of us could transition from Abilene to Fort Worth without serious complications or hindrances. Fort Worth offered both of us immediate access to participation in and support for the arts. The people, the arts, and the culture in general make Fort Worth unique.

CLIBURN: Why did you decide to contribute to the Cliburn Endowment?

CLIBURN: What is your connection to classical music?

SUE & JOHN: Sue studied piano for nine years through high school, and also played the flute for many years in the high school orchestra. John Allen began music lessons from 5 years of age that continued into college, playing the trumpet.

CLIBURN: What is it you enjoy most about classical music performances?

SUE & JOHN: Sue says, “It just feeds my soul.” We enjoy learning more of the history of composers and compositions as well as the demonstrated skill levels of Cliburn performers.

CLIBURN: Do you have a favorite memory of Van Cliburn?

SUE & JOHN: Sue has many special memories, but one not related to music occurred at a black tie dinner in Fort Worth.

We were seated with Van and one of the conversation topics was “good southern cooking.” We discovered that Van and Sue loved turnip greens and cornbread! Van was a warm conversationalist, as many experienced through the years. We also enjoyed personal visits in his Fort Worth home and other opportunities to visit personally about various subjects.

CLIBURN: You lived for many years in Abilene. Why did you decide to come to Fort Worth—what makes Fort Worth unique?

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SUE & JOHN: Sue says that as a young pianist near Van’s age she followed the news stories regarding his Tchaikovsky Competition victory in 1958. “I read with great interest about the beginning of the Cliburn Competition and then followed news stories when the competition would occur. Never dreaming I would ever live in Fort Worth, I thought it would be fabulous to attend a competition ‘sometime.’ When we moved to Fort Worth I immediately wanted to get involved with the Cliburn. I became a volunteer for the competition, and John Allen and I enjoyed attending and listening to the competitors.” The competition brings very positive world-wide recognition to Fort Worth. To produce this world class event requires lots of financial support and enormous amounts of personal time and effort from the Cliburn staff and volunteers.

CLIBURN: Why do you feel endowments are important?

SUE & JOHN: Endowments encourage and protect legacies that otherwise are subject to neglect and attrition. The Cliburn Endowment helps assure the future of what are now the multiple Cliburn competitions.

CLIBURN: Why do you give your resources and your time to the Cliburn and why should others?

SUE & JOHN: The Cliburn represents the best of classical piano and encourages the continuing development of gifted young performers and future teachers of the genre.

Congratulations go to Marianne Pohle, the Cliburn’s director of development, who recently received her professional designations as a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® and a Certified Fund Raising Executive®.

For any questions about your giving, such as those regarding non-cash assets or IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, please contact her at mpohle@cliburn.org or 817.738.6536.

FROM THE

CHAIRMAN THANK YOU!

One of the most compelling features about the Cliburn culture is a laser-like focus on the future.

This vibrant organization bursts with imagination and innovation. The sheer volume of upcoming competitions, concerts, festivals, school performances, and celebrations seems endless and it’s all thrilling and inspiring. Everybody is excited about everything all the time!

To be honest, while it’s exhilarating it can also be exhausting. So for just a moment, let’s allow ourselves the luxury of a little bit of reflection and gratitude.

First of all, to our amazing staff, thank you. Your passion is infectious, your energy is boundless, and your capacity for hard work is a wonder to behold.

To our volunteers, you make us unique. There is no comparable model in our business. Your commitment to a superior and consistent experience for our artists, competitors, students, and supporters is what sets us apart from every other arts organization in the world. Thank you.

To our subscribers, your support for Cliburn Concerts and for our competitions not only provides confidence in our fiscal planning, but you have become a part of our family. Thank you.

To our new friends in Dallas, who took a leap of faith and helped bring together the 2019 Junior Competition, the first major international event ever produced by the Cliburn outside of Fort Worth, you slugged it out of the park: SMU, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Junior League of Dallas, and all our new investors and subscribers and volunteers. Watching you watching us, and seeing the wonder and excitement in your eyes was worth every sleepless night on this side of the turnpike.

Thank you, we will be back.

To our corporate and community partners, you know better than anybody that our city proudly offers a widely diverse and unique lifestyle, embracing the future while remaining respectful of our heritage.

And the Cliburn plays a critical role in placing Fort Worth firmly on the world stage. Thank you.

To our young professionals—rising stars and civic leaders—thank you for your enthusiastic embrace of Cliburn 180° and Cliburn Social. Not only are we enjoying your energy and ambassadorship, you are our lifeblood and we look to you for our very future.

“

...let’s allow ourselves the luxury of a little bit of reflection and gratitude.

”

To our volunteer leadership, our Board of Directors and the Van Cliburn Advisory Council, your wisdom and guidance ensures that our future is limitless. Thank you.

And finally, Van. You were humble greatness personified. Your vision could only have come from a heart as big as Texas. And I am confident that today you would not believe your eyes. For the depth of your generosity, your talent, and your grace, we wish to express our deepest gratitude and love.

Always.

Jeff King Chairman of the Board

WINTERMARCH 2019/2020 2019 I 23

Non-Profit Organization US Postage

PAID

Permit No.13 Fort Worth, Texas

201 MAIN ST., STE. 100 FORT WORTH, TX 76102

NORTH TEXAS • HOUSTON

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020 I 7:30 PM SIMMONS BANK PAVILION AT DICKIES ARENA

Gala Chairmen

Honorary Chairman

Jennifer and Philip Williamson

Gail Rawl

For information, please contact Kay Howell I 817.738.6536 I khowell@cliburn.org