Cliburn News April 2019

CLIBURN NEWS WWW.CLIBURN.ORG

APRIL 2019 I ISSUE NO. 116

MARIN ALSOP NAMED 2021 JURY CHAIRMAN The famed conductor and music director of the Baltimore and São Paulo Symphony Orchestra will chair the jury and will also conduct the Final Round of the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

IN THIS

ISSUE:

2019 JUNIOR: TOP 10 FACTS TO KNOW

2020 AMATEUR JURY CHAIRMAN: RALPH VOTAPEK

LAUREATE UPDATE: JOYCE YANG

CLIBURN IN THE CLASSROOM EXPANDS

FROM THE

PRESIDENT We are now in the second year of our four-year cycle, and this is an exciting time as we work on the 2019 Junior, 2020 Amateur, and 2021 Cliburn Competitions! Here are some highlights of what you’ll read and see in the coming pages: 2019: Cliburn Junior Competition and Festival I like to say that we are currently “friendraising” a lot in Dallas!

Increasing the awareness of the Cliburn programs (all of them!) is a great thing for the Cliburn in the long run. Many new doors are now opening. And, step by step, we talk about what is important to the Cliburn mission: excellence, encouragement of young artists, sharing music with all, international awareness. The people of Dallas that we meet are welcoming the Cliburn arrival as a gift from Fort Worth.

We believe that these new supporters of the Cliburn will embrace the entire organization in the upcoming years.

We received 230 applications from 32 countries for the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival this year. We announced our 24 competitors and 14 participants on March 13, and you’ll be able to read all about them in our next newsletter in May or online now at Cliburn.org. The Festival portion has grown this year, and all of the young pianists will benefit from piano lessons, chamber music sessions, a conductor master class, social media training, college admission information, a stagecraft workshop, and more from the jurors and other guest artists, including Alexander Kobrin, Anne-Marie McDermott, Orion Weiss, Sean Chen, Daniel Hsu, and more.

2020: Cliburn Amateur Competition We announced recently that Ralph Votapek will chair the jury for the 2020 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition. Since his win in 1962, Mr. Votapek has been a fervent emissary of great music making and the Cliburn. We are grateful to have him back to Fort Worth at the beginning of his eighth decade! Applications are open now and are due January 16, 2020.

and powerful voice on the international music scene (please have a look at her remarkable resume on page 5). When we met her recently in Baltimore, we were immediately impressed by her vision for what music can accomplish and charmed by her directness, sense of humor, and warmth. Marin has shown a commitment to nurturing young artists and building up communities through music, and we’re privileged to have her involvement at the head of the jury for the next Cliburn Competition, as we work to provide a platform for the best young pianists in the world.

April 12, 2019: Cliburn Gala Passion Paris (we love that theme!) is our signature Gala event this year! I would like to thank Anne Marie and Doug Bratton for serving as this year’s Gala chairmen, and Mildred Fender for being our honorary chair! On April 12, Ridglea Country Club was transformed once again, this time into the iconic Paris that we know, and you will feel this “joie de vivre parisienne!” Thanks to all who joined us!

Cliburn Concerts We hope you enjoyed the fantastic concerts this season as much as we did. We are proud to announce the upcoming season in this newsletter! 2019–2020 will be the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), and (of course!) we put together some new ideas to celebrate this great composer as a part of our season. One major highlight will be the special two-concert Cliburn at the Bass, featuring the five Beethoven concertos performed by five remarkable pianists and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Miguel Harth-Bedoya, during his final season as the orchestra’s music director. See page 19 for an overview of everything we have planned.

But next up: we hope to see you this May and June at the Junior Competition. Get your tickets now—it will be fun!

Many thanks,

2021: Van Cliburn International Piano Competition We are extremely pleased to announce the 2021 jury chairman and conductor for the Final Round: Marin Alsop! Marin is an inspiring

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Jacques Marquis, President and CEO

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2021 VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION Marin Alsop is jury chairman and conductor for the sixteenth edition, taking place May 28–June 12, 2021, at Bass Performance Hall.

2019 JUNIOR COMPETITION

WINNERS UPDATES

230 pianists applied; competitors were announced March 13; and tickets are on sale now.

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2020 AMATEUR COMPETITON

Tours of Japan, the cover of Forbes Korea, Valery Gergiev and Kent Nagano—this season has been marvelous for our winners.

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LAUREATE UPDATE: JOYCE YANG

CLIBURN IN THE CLASSROOM EXPANSION

Hear the latest news from our 2005 silver medalist in her words.

More than 57,000 students will experience our signature music education program this year.

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SPONSOR PROFILE: BROWN-FOREMAN

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Ralph Votapek chairs the jury, and Damon Gupton conducts the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.

DONOR PROFILE: MILDRED HEDRICK FENDER

This premier spirits company and Cliburn This Fort Worth pillar’s involvement with the Cliburn Sessions have a common goal: “introducing began before the First Competition took place. our premium classics to a younger generation of consumers in a cool venue.”

2019–2020

CLIBURN CONCERTS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Each year, over 3,000 people enjoy the live concert experience for free through Cliburn in the Community. The secret to that success?

Strong partnerships.

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FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD:

AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES

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SIXTEENTH VAN CLIBURN INTER MAY 28–JUNE 12, 2021 BASS PERFORMANCE HALL FORT WORTH, TEXAS

MARIN ALSOP NAMED JURY

CHAIRMAN AND CONDUCTOR The Cliburn announced on March 28 that Marin Alsop will serve as jury chairman for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place May 28–June 12, 2021, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas.

Alsop is an inspiring and powerful voice in the international music scene—a music director of vision and distinction who passionately believes that “music has the power to change lives,” and is deeply committed to education and the development of audiences of all ages. Her remarkable, groundbreaking career is highlighted by lead positions at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, and ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Marin Alsop is the first woman to chair the jury of or to conduct in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

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Photo: Grant Leighton

In addition to her role as jury chairman, she will conduct the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra with the six finalists during the Competition’s Final Round. As such, she will lead the jury through the Competition, but will not vote, except in the case of a tie after the Final Round.

RNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION ABOUT MARIN ALSOP

Alsop became principal conductor and music director of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) in 2012, where she continues to steer highly creative programming and outreach activities, and which she conducts on the international stage: this includes a tour to Asia in 2019 with two concerts at the Hong Kong Arts Festival and three European tours featuring critically acclaimed performances at major summer festivals including the Lucerne Festival and in Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Salzburg, and Vienna; her contract continues to the end of 2019, when she becomes Conductor of Honour. In September 2019, Alsop becomes chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

“

If anyone has the courage and power to change the world through music, it’s Marin Alsop.

”

—WQXR Marin Alsop conducts the world’s major orchestras, with recent and forthcoming European highlights including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre de Paris, and has long-standing relationships with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO). In the United States, Alsop regularly conducts the Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, including at their summer residencies at Saratoga, Blossom, and Ravinia. Further highlights of the 2018–2019 season include the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Spanish National Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de France, following summer festival debuts at the Grafenegg and MITO festivals with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a

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Photo (here and on cover): Adriane White

Marin Alsop’s outstanding success as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) since 2007 has been recognized by two extensions in her tenure, now confirmed until 2021. As part of her artistic leadership, Alsop has led the orchestra on their first European tour to the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival and created several bold initiatives: ‘OrchKids,’ for the city’s most deprived young people, and the BSO Academy and Rusty Musicians for adult amateur musicians.

second residency with the Britten-Pears Orchestra at the Snape Proms. This season, at London’s Southbank Centre where she is artist-in-residence, she conducted Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, following performances with the orchestra at the BBC Proms. In September 2013, Marin Alsop made history as the first female conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, which she returned to conduct in 2015.

Her extensive discography has led to multiple Gramophone awards and includes highly praised Naxos cycles of Brahms with the LPO and MDR Leipzig, Dvořák with the BSO, Prokofiev with OSESP, and further recordings for Decca Classics, Harmonia Mundi, and Sony Classical. She is dedicated to new music, demonstrated in her 25-year tenure as music director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.

In 2019, Alsop was awarded the prestigious Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum and is the only conductor to receive the distinguished MacArthur Fellowship. Amongst many awards and academic positions, she is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Philharmonic Society, and was recently appointed director of graduate conducting at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute. She attended The Juilliard School and Yale University, which awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in 2017. Her conducting career was launched in 1989, when she was the first woman to be awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize from the Tanglewood Music Center and began studying with her most important mentor, Leonard Bernstein.

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MISSION The quadrennial Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival was established in 2015 as another means for the Cliburn to use its standing and expertise to encourage tomorrow’s great artists, to provide a valuable forum for them, and to give them an entrance to the next step of their journeys.

DALLAS Dallas is an obvious extension of our footprint.

We believe that this opportunity will help us to broaden the impact of the flagship Van Cliburn International Piano Competition here in North Texas and abroad, increase our artistic partnerships, diversify our sources of revenue, and expand our international stage presence.

SMU Meadows School of the Arts is a leader in developing innovative outreach and community engagement programs, challenging its students to make a difference locally and globally. The university will serve as home to the 2019 Junior Competition, hosting most performances and festival events, and housing the competitors and participants.

DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The largest performing arts organization in the Southwest, the DSO is committed to inspiring the broadest possible audience with distinctive classical programs and more. For the first time, the orchestra partners with the Cliburn to perform in the Final Round at the Meyerson Symphony Center under the baton of Ruth Reinhardt.

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FIRST MAJO PROGRAM

ALESSIO BAX, JURY CHAIRMAN This remarkable pianist, winner of both the Leeds and Hamamatsu International Piano Competitions, and SMU artist-in-residence will oversee an international jury, to include: Philippe Bianconi (France), Angela Cheng (Canada), Valery Kuleshov (Russia), Lowell Liebermann (United States), Aviram Reichert (Israel), and Uta Weyand (Germany).

TICKETS ON SALE NOW I Cliburn.org I 214.305.6217

LAURA BUSH, HONORARY CHAIRMAN The esteemed former First Lady—Dallas resident, proud SMU alumna, and longtime friend to Van Cliburn—continues her lifetime commitment to education on the highest level through this honorary association with the 2019 Cliburn Junior Competition.

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INTERNATIONAL Applicants and competitors hail from all around the world. 2019 applications totalled 230, with pianists representing 32 countries. Widespread media coverage is expected; 2015 outreach resulted in over 100 stories in North America, Europe, and Asia with a potential reach of 83 million.

COMPETITION Four riveting rounds of Competition take

place May 31–June 8, 2019: Preliminary Round (24 pianists), Quarterfinal Round (14 pianists), Semifinal Round (6 pianists) at SMU; and the Final Round (3 pianists) in a stunning conclusion with the DSO at the Meyerson followed by the Awards Ceremony directly after jury voting.

FESTIVAL In addition to the Competition performances, a variety of events aimed at artistic advancement of competitors, festival attendees, and other pianists will be offered, including master classes, guest artist recitals, workshops, chamber music and four-hand reading, private lessons, and free community performances around Dallas.

WEBCAST All 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 first edition in 2015 have topped 250,000 to date, with over 1.7 million minutes watched across 170 countries.

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LOOK TO OUR MAY ISSUE OR VISIT CLIBURN.ORG FOR COMPETITOR BIOS. APRIL 2019

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WINNERS 2017 VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

YEKWON SUNWOO GOLD MEDALIST

www.yekwonsunwoo.com

Winner Photos: Jeremy Enlow

Yekwon ended 2018 on the cover of Forbes Korea as the youngest and only musician named to its 2018 power leader list. Earlier in the fall, Washington Performing Arts presented his solo recital debut at the Kennedy Center, which was declared “outstanding,” all elements “coming together with exquisite refinement” by the Washington Post. He also joined Valery Gergiev and the Munich Philharmonic on their Asia tour, and traveled with his fellow Koreans at the KBS Symphony Orchestra on their nearly sold-out tour in Europe. He kicked off 2019 with a tour in Japan before making his way back through the United States and Europe this spring.

MARCH 15 Konzerthaus Berlin, Berlin, Germany 28–30 Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali, Milan, Italy

MAY 3–4

Photo: Jino Park

APRIL 8 Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra, Frankfurt, Germany 11–13 Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester, NY 23 Gallagher Bluedorn Center for Performing Arts,

University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 25 Society for the Performing Arts, Houston, TX 28 Plano Symphony Orchestra, Plano, TX Meany Center for the Performing Arts, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Yekwon performs on national Korean television to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Independence Movement.

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Yekwon with Valery Gergiev in rehearsal with the Munich Philharmonic in Seongnam, South Korea.

UPDATES KENNY BROBERG

DANIEL HSU

SILVER MEDALIST

BRONZE MEDALIST

www.kennybroberg.com

www.danielhsupiano.com

It was a big fall for Kenny: he made his debuts with the Kansas City Symphony and on tour in Japan, joined conductor Kent Nagano with the musicians of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in a benefit concert, and returned to the United Kingdom for performances with the Royal and Hastings Philharmonic Orchestras.

His triumphant return to Fort Worth for Cliburn Concerts was hailed as “superbly conceived, brilliantly executed… [demonstrating] a blazing intellect, impeccable technical skills, and the ability to build a strikingly imaginative and intelligent program” (Theater Jones). Among other activities in 2019, Kenny represented the Cliburn at the Texas Medal of Arts Awards in Austin this February.

After a fall traversing the United States and Japan—the third consecutive year he has toured the latter—in concerto, chamber music, and solo concerts, Daniel made his Boston recital debut, returned to Kalamazoo as a Gilmore Young Artist, and will join his colleagues at the Curtis Institute of Music for a chamber tour of Europe this spring. He’ll also be graduating from Curtis, where he has studied since being accepted at the age of 10.

MARCH 17 Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, PA 31 Frederic Chopin Society, St. Paul, MN APRIL 10 Lied Center of Kansas, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 14 Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, Findlay, OH 27 Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Victoria, TX MAY 11 19

South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, El Dorado, AR Yavapai Symphony Association, Prescott, AZ

MARCH 2 Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, Anchorage, AK 8 Kauai Concert Association, Lihue, HI 10 Kahilu Theatre, Kamuela, HI 12 Hawaii Concert Society, Hilo, HI 14 University of Hawaii–Manoa, Honolulu, HI 17 Gilmore Rising Stars Series, Kalamazoo, MI 30 Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts,

Jordan Hall, Boston, MA APRIL 27 Northeast Kingdom Classical Series, St. Johnsbury, VT MAY 2–3 18 21 23

UW Presents, Laramie, WY Die Glocke, Kleiner Saal, Bremen, Germany, Curtis on Tour Musical Instrument Museum, Berlin, Germany, Curtis on Tour Allerheiligen-Hofkirche, Munich, Germany, Curtis on Tour

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Photo: Ralph Lauer

KEY DATES February 22, 2019 Online applications opened January 16, 2020 Applications due March 12, 2020 Competitors announced May 24–26, 2020 Preliminary Round (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

May 27–28, 2020 Semifinal Round (Van Cliburn Recital Hall)

May 30, 2020 Final Round (Bass Performance Hall)

48 competitors will each present a solo recital not to exceed 15 minutes in length, of repertoire of their choosing.

20 competitors will each present a solo recital not to exceed 28 minutes in length, of repertoire of their choosing.

6 competitors will each perform one concerto movement, selected from a list, with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Damon Gupton

FULL INFORMATION AT CLIBURN.ORG/2020-AMATEUR-COMPETITION

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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.

The Cliburn Amateur returns next year for its eighth edition, again taking place at Van Cliburn Recital Hall and Bass Performance Hall. Competitors 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 wide-ranging 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.

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. ralphvotapek.com

Photo: Sergei Kvitko

RALPH VOTAPEK, jury chairman

His dual success on screen (Black Lightning, Bates Hotel, Deadline, Prime Suspect, Criminal Minds, Whiplash, La La Land) and as a lauded conductor makes Damon Gupton the perfect collaborator for the impeccable talents of the finalists, who also have a foot in two worlds. He joins us to lead the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for his second consecutive Cliburn Amateur. damongupton.com

Photo: Damu Malik

DAMON GUPTON, conductor

Since the Cliburn’s inception, the FWSO 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. fwsymphony.org

Photo: Ellen Appel

FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

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LAUREATE UPDATE:

JOYCE YANG 2005 SILVER MEDALIST

She first came to international attention in 2005 when, at 19 years of age, she took home the Cliburn silver medal, along with special prizes for best chamber music and new work. Seoul-born Joyce Yang has since made over 1,000 concert appearances in the world’s prestigious venues and with the New York, Los Angeles, and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras, the Deutsches-Orchester Berlin, and the Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, Melbourne, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras, among many others. She’s also a Grammy®-nominated recording artist praised for her “imaginative programming” and “beautifully atmospheric playing” (Gramophone).

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Photo: KT Kim

With a history of rave reviews spanning from “kaleidoscopic” (Los Angeles Times) to “poetic and sensitive pianism” (Washington Post) to one particular performance deemed a “knock out” by The New York Times, she’s focusing this season on inventive ways to introduce new audiences to classical music, including a guest artistic directorship with the Laguna Beach Music Festival and a groundbreaking collaboration with the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. We caught up with Joyce Yang just prior to her return to Fort Worth for the 2019 Cliburn Festival: Iconic Paris in February.

CLIBURN: We’re thrilled to welcome you back to Fort Worth for the 2019 Cliburn Festival: Iconic Paris! You’ve been back fairly frequently since 2005—what are you looking forward to the most from this visit?

CLIBURN: Congratulations on the 2018 Grammy® nomination! Tell us your approach to recording projects. How do you decide what to take on, and what’s next?

JOYCE: I am so looking forward to being surrounded by amazing musicians and reconnecting with my Cliburn host parents. I can’t believe it has been 14 years since I competed!

JOYCE: Augustin Hadelich and I have been playing together for many seasons, and we wanted to celebrate our collaboration with a duo disc. We had a great time recording and editing—we recorded many different renditions of each piece, and we had so many takes to choose from. Recording projects don’t happen overnight; I think on average I’ve spent about two years making one disc (from the first brainstorming to the moment it shows up on iTunes). I have to really believe in the project before I decide to take the next step. It has to be an extension of me and my playing, and I have to be convinced that I have something new to offer to the world by releasing a particular disc. I have a couple of ideas in the “oven”—stay tuned!

CLIBURN: You were only 19 when you won the silver medal. How did that experience (and what came immediately after) affect your life and career? What was your biggest takeaway?

JOYCE: Winning the silver medal at the Cliburn brought huge changes to my life. The moment the medal was placed around my neck, the whole world began listening to me. I was suddenly being compared to the greatest living (and non-living) pianists. I needed to quickly discover who I was, why I was playing the piano, and what I could offer the world through my music. I was expected to not only play the piano at the highest level but to make profound statements that were uniquely my own. I quickly realized just having fun on the piano was no longer good enough. I weeded out all the pieces I was playing just to showcase all my pianistic abilities that seemed at all “empty”—and started playing only the pieces I love, the pieces that had a profound effect on me, the pieces that moved me, the pieces that I NEEDED people to hear. I dug into the repertoire a lot more deeply and, in the practice room, quit asking myself “what do I want?” but rather “what does the music require?” I am grateful the Cliburn led me to a selfdiscovery and helped me fall deeper in love with classical music.

JOYCE: I truly feel grateful for every single opportunity I get to play for others and share my essential message. It’s the people that make the touring life special. I love meeting young people who are inspired by music after my performances. I love meeting audience members that “play” every note with me. I love helping people feel, remember, and dream. Just yesterday, I met a remarkable blind student in my masterclass who said, “thank you for helping me see the piece.” It is moments like this that make it all worthwhile! The most challenging are having to deal with flight delays and having to perform on bad pianos. You can never blame a subpar performance on these things! You just have to tough it out and deal with it. It’s also hard to constantly juggle old and new repertoire. It takes great planning (and sticking to the plan!) to be able to constantly learn new pieces while keeping the immediate repertoire in tip top shape.

Photo: KT Kim

CLIBURN: Fast forward to now: you’re enjoying a wonderful career.

As a touring artist, what do you find as the most inspiring part of being on the road and performing around the world? What is the most challenging?

CLIBURN: This season, you have a particular focus on promoting creative ways to introduce classical music to new audiences. Tell us a little about what that means and about your innovative new projects.

JOYCE: I love the concept of “art-inspires-art,” exploring different ways in which different art forms can influence and illuminate each other. I think that some people enjoy attending concerts whereas others prefer going to a museum. My idea is to pull different art forms together on to one stage, so you experience one art form from a new angle, while discovering another art form.

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CLIBURN IN THE CLASSROOM Now in its 19th year, the Cliburn’s signature music education program continues to grow, filling thousands of North Texas 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders with the joy and thrill of live music. Cliburn in the Classroom is one of the most important things the Cliburn does as an arts leader and advocate; here is a summary of its impact over the 2018–2019 school year.

CLIBURN HOSTS, PIANISTS, AND PIANO WILL TRAVEL TO 185

SCHOOLS TO GIVE 289 PROGRAMS TO MORE THAN 57,000 STUDENTS TOUCHING

11 DISTRICTS:

2018–2019 HOSTS & PIANISTS

2018–2019 PROGRAMS

Shields-Collins

Bray

Gloria

Lin

Sara

Doan

Donovan Evan

Mitchell Ejiri

Karen

Hall

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BEETHOVEN Children study the work and impact of the iconic composer, whose 250th birthday will be celebrated next year. In addition to exploring his variations on other people’s music, the program uses emojis to teach how moods are put into music and clapping games to show the importance of rhythm.

MUSICAL BUILDING BLOCKS How does the structure of a piece of music compare to the structure of a piece of writing? This program connects to what the children are learning in language classes—a phrase is a sentence; a section is a paragraph; a piece is an essay or a novel. It also shows how Alex McDonald phrases can sound like questions, exclamations, and declarations.

Corrie

Natsuko

Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw, Crowley, Everman, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, White Settlement, Birdville, Grapevine-Colleyville, Castleberry

MUSICAL ORGANIZERS Did you know that there are different forms of music that make you feel different things? This program uses counting and other activites to identify different music forms and repeated themes to help kids understand the structure of the music that they’re hearing.

THE PIANO TELLS A STORY The piano—all by itself—can create characters that vividly take you through a story. How can it sound like a mosquito? A bagpipe? Can it send you in a game of cat and mouse? Can it make you want to dance? Can it trick you? Students are led through activities Nathan Ryland that help them discover the powerful storytelling of music.

SCENES FROM CHILDHOOD The music of Schumann helps kids explore their own ability to tell stories. Short pieces are played, and the Jonathan students imagine what’s happening. They work together to create their own Tsay adventure to the music, enhancing both creative skills and musical understanding.

CLIBURN IN THE COMMUNITY Cliburn in the Community provides the experience of live classical music performance for free to a broad audience, bringing in young, emerging artists for weeklong residencies twice a year. The program has grown to now serve more than 12,000 children, seniors, and members of the general public every four years. The key to that success? Strong partnerships with vibrant venues and organizations throughout the Fort Worth area. Here are few of those:

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION MISSION: to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

“For our fourth Cliburn in the Community concert, we moved the recital to the beautiful First Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth and invited our colleagues in long term care communities to enjoy the wonderful opportunity. It was a joy watching all the buses from the memory care communities arrive and helping people with wheelchairs and canes to their seats. Naturally, everyone loved the piano music; seeing over 150 rapt faces in the audience only added to the feeling that we were all sharing a truly special moment. It was a stunning success.”

FORT WORTH PUBLIC LIBRARY MISSION: to welcome and support all people in their enjoyment of reading and recreational materials, and their pursuit of learning and information.

“The public library is the great equalizer when it comes to art and culture in the community. We are free, open to the public, and we are the place where people from all walks of life come together. We love having the Cliburn in the Community concerts inside the Fort Worth Public Library because we believe that everyone deserves to be exposed to world-class music.”

BRIGHTER OUTLOOK MISSION: to provide vital assistance, enrichment, and charitable services, directly from the historic, vastly underserved, inner-city community in which it operates: Stop Six. Services include literacy training, reading skills and tutoring for children, employment assistance, health programs, technology training, for seniors, for pregnant and parenting women, transitional re-entry, and more.

“The students from the Dunbar Pyramid (Elementary to High School) had a great time and really enjoyed the amazing pianist immensely. The Stop Six community as a whole was happy that children from the area could enjoy such talent and hopefully give many of them aspirations to work hard and succeed at whatever they choose to do.”

Photo: Greta Burtini

CLIBURN IN THE COMMUNITY – SPRING 2019 Come hear Italian pianist Leonardo Pierdomenico, winner of the 2017 Cliburn jury discretionary award, at any of these free concerts: Tuesday, April 30 I 6:00 p.m.

Chandor Gardens Mansion – 711 West Lee Avenue, Weatherford Thursday, May 2 I 6:00 p.m.

Fort Worth Central Public Library – 500 W. Third St. Friday, May 3 I 5:30 p.m.

Sundance Square Pavilion – happy hour concert, bar opens at 5 p.m.

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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT:

BROWN-FORMAN

Last year, Wayne Putlak first heard about the Cliburn from his friend—Cliburn marketing committee member and “Voice of the TCU Horned Frogs”— Brian Estridge. As the then-territory manager for the premier spirits company Brown-Forman, Wayne saw an opportunity for brand alignment with the classical club series Cliburn Sessions at Scat Jazz Lounge, envisioning a common mission of “introducing our premium classics to a younger generation of consumers in a cool venue.”

CLIBURN: Tell us about Brown-Forman’s history in DallasFort Worth. What are you most proud of and what are your plans for the future?

BROWN-FORMAN: Brown-Forman has a rich history in the DFW area. Our Central U.S. division office has been located here for the past 25 years. We are most proud of working with hundreds of DFW organizations, like the Cliburn, HOPE Farm, SOS Mid-Cities, Operation Ride Home, and others, supporting their businesses along with giving our consumers a very enjoyable beverage experience. The future for us will be to continue to build our current premium spirits portfolio, led by the Jack Daniel’s family, Woodford Reserve, and Herradura, as well as identify and launch acorn spirit products like Slane Irish and Glendronach Single Malt, that match the changing dynamics of the Texas consumer. It is also important to note, Brown-Forman will continue to promote our brands to our consumer in a responsible manner by providing tools for a safe and enjoyable experience.

CLIBURN: What is Brown-Forman’s sponsorship philosophy, and how has the Cliburn matched those goals?

BROWN-FORMAN: Brown-Forman supports hundreds of Texas charity organizations a year, with our main direction and funding going towards events and organizations that provide aid to people that serve and protect our community, state and country; the arts; and charities with diversity focus. Cliburn Sessions matches up well, as we are interested in introducing new people to classical music while sipping on a premium classic cocktail, made with Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Herradura, or Jack Daniel’s, brands with hundreds of years of rich history.

16 I CLIBURN NEWS

CLIBURN: Tell us about the unique ways in which you are executing your Cliburn Sessions sponsorship.

BROWN-FORMAN: Our execution is very tactical. We partner with the Scat Jazz Lounge staff to identify three to four premium fashionable, tasty, classic cocktails. We feature, promote, and merchandise them during the concerts and provide any product education as needed to the staff or consumer.

CLIBURN: How do you see the relationship between the Cliburn and Brown-Forman? Has it been beneficial to your brand?

BROWN-FORMAN: I think our relationship is a good fit.

Both have a target of introducing our premium classics to a younger generation of consumers in a cool venue setting.

This strong consumer experience should translate into future growth for both brands.

CLIBURN: Why might the Cliburn be an important partner for you in the future?

BROWN-FORMAN: Strong brands such as Jack Daniel’s are built and grow by having consistent messaging, strong partnerships, and great consumer experiential events.

Both Brown-Forman and the Cliburn have the goal of providing these to our consumers, so our future should be fun and fruitful together.

DONOR PROFILE:

MILDRED HEDRICK FENDER

Mildred Hedrick Fender’s association with the Cliburn began before the first Van Cliburn International Piano Competition took place in September 1962, when she and her husband Howard contributed to a benefit concert that was held 18 months prior.

In addition to contributing financially to the Cliburn regularly for the past 58 years, Mrs. Fender also served as an invaluable volunteer in many, many facets, most notably on the entertainment committee for 10 Cliburn Competitions (1969–2005), with four as chairman. She joined the Board of Directors prior to the 1977 Competition and was a member of the Executive Committee for the 1993 through 2005 Competitions.

Here are some of her fondest memories of her Cliburn time:

CLIBURN: What is your connection to classical music?

MRS. FENDER: My only connection to classical music (and all forms of music) is a love and appreciation for the ultimate art form.

MRS. FENDER: Olivia (Mrs. Paul) Mason was helping me with a gigantic fundraising mailing for the Cliburn Competition in an empty floor on the old “The Fair” building [now the “Oil & Gas / Star-Telegram Building”]. Postage requirements were rigid. When her husband Paul watched six struggling volunteers, he, as head of the First National Bank, provided mail clerks from the bank who bagged all the letters up, bundled them according to regulations, and delivered them to the U.S. Post Office.

CLIBURN: Do you have a favorite memory of your years serving as entertainment chairman?

MRS. FENDER: Entertainment means giving tender, loving care to the distinguished jurors, the competitors, the donors, the visiting press, and out-of-town guests. My favorite memories are of Janie Harper (unflappable and always there) and the many volunteers who gave their time so generously. Thank you.

CLIBURN: As a longtime donor and volunteer, why do you give your resources and your time to the Cliburn and why should others?

Richard and Betty Brown with Mildred Fender (l to r) during the Third Cliburn Competition in 1969.

CLIBURN: When did you first get involved with the Cliburn and why?

MRS. FENDER: Grace Ward Lankford [Cliburn Competition co-founder] told me it was my civic duty to help her and Martha Hyder provide a competition that would give young pianists an opportunity to become professionals.

MRS. FENDER: No community should be without the ability to provide its citizens an opportunity to hear great music.

The 2019 Classically Cliburn Gala: Passion Paris will be held on Friday, April 12 at Ridglea Country Club in honor of Mildred Hedrick Fender. Join us to toast her lifetime commitment to the Cliburn and classical music. Info & tickets at Cliburn.org or khowell@cliburn.org.

CLIBURN: Do you have a favorite Cliburn memory?

APRIL 2019 I 17

FROM THE

CHAIRMAN AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES

“

... they bring light and love and brilliance to worldwide audiences through the beauty and power of classical music.

”

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” That bit of ancient wisdom is also a verse in John Lennon’s 1980 song “Beautiful Boy.” It came back to me earlier this year, an epiphany during an incredible performance by Ava Pine and Jonathan Beyer at Scat Jazz Lounge in downtown Fort Worth, one of the venues for our Cliburn Concerts series.

It is difficult to comprehend how many irons are in the fire over at the Cliburn offices. The Second Junior Competition is barreling toward us this summer: a new setting in Dallas; new partners in SMU, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Meyerson Symphony Center; new financial supporters and volunteers; a world-class jury chaired by Alessio Bax; and brilliant, young competitors from around the globe, finishing in a Final Round performance under the direction of Ruth Reinhart, one of the most accomplished and dynamic young conductors on the stage today.

Likewise, planning continues at a frenetic pace for the following summer, during which the Eighth Amateur Competition will introduce us once again to a lovable cast of non-professional musicians—those teachers, doctors, and homemakers who are as comfortable performing in front of our symphony and a worldwide audience as you and I are sitting down to dinner at home. We will be thrilled and humbled by the heartwarming stories of everyday folks who are just like the rest of us…in our dreams.

And believe me when I say that the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2021 will be even bigger and better than ever. With an expanded program and some surprising twists, the next “Big Cliburn” will once again ensure our place at the top of the short list of premier events which Jacques Marquis calls the “Grand Slam of Piano Competitions.” But back to my epiphany at Scat Jazz Lounge…

Listening to Ava Pine, the great soprano (and TCU alumna), sing “Over the Rainbow” in such an intimate setting was a true gift. Watching Kenny Broberg completely dominate Nikolai Medtner’s “Night Wind” Sonata at the Kimbell Art Museum back in November was exhausting in the most exhilarating way possible. We were transported to a higher plane of existence by Leonidas Kavakos, one of the top violinists in the world today, at the Kimbell on January 31. And I still consider the first concert of the current season, featuring Lawrence Brownlee and Eric Owens, the most moving musical experience I’ve had in a very long time. “Iconic Paris” was the theme for our recent 2019 Cliburn Festival at the Modern Art Museum, the Naughtons brought their piano virtuosity to the Kimbell in early March, and the hits continued both at the Kimbell and Scat Jazz Lounge through the spring.

So, of course, we all look forward to the three iconic Cliburn competitions. It goes without saying that those events are our most visible calling cards; they bring light and love and brilliance to worldwide audiences through the beauty and power of classical music. But let’s not miss all of the life that is happening in front of us right now, right here, every month, through Cliburn Concerts. For Cliburn patrons, it is truly an embarrassment of riches…and it’s all ours!

Jeff King Chairman of the Board 18 I CLIBURN NEWS

OCTOBER 10 & 11

KIMBELL ART MUSEUM OLGA KERN piano

OCTOBER 24

SCAT JAZZ LOUNGE PUBLIQuartet

NOVEMBER 16

MODERN ART MUSEUM THE WOMEN OF THE PULITZER: JULIA WOLFE, CAROLINE SHAW, JENNIFER HIGDON composers

NOVEMBER 21

KIMBELL ART MUSEUM CAMILLE THOMAS cello + ROMAN RABINOVITCH piano

JANUARY 4

BASS PERFORMANCE HALL BEETHOVEN AT 250: THE PIANO CONCERTOS featuring Till Fellner, David Fray, George Li, Jon Nakamatsu, Joyce Yang piano + Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra + Miguel Harth-Bedoya conductor

JANUARY 23

SCAT JAZZ LOUNGE WINDSYNC + IVAN TREVINO percussion

JANUARY 30 & 31

KIMBELL ART MUSEUM STEPHEN HOUGH piano

FEBRUARY 13

KIMBELL ART MUSEUM SUSAN GRAHAM mezzo-soprano + MALCOLM MARTINEAU piano

FEBRUARY 27 – MARCH 1

MODERN ART MUSEUM CLIBURN FESTIVAL: BEETHOVEN AT 250

MARCH 14

MODERN ART MUSEUM JENNIFER KOH violin + VIJAY IYER piano & composer

MARCH 26

KIMBELL ART MUSEUM DANIEL HSU piano

APRIL 16

SCAT JAZZ LOUNGE JCT TRIO

THE NEW SEASON IS ANNOUNCED! SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE ON SALE NOW. CLIBURN.ORG/1920CONCERTS OR 817.212.4280

APRIL 2019 I 19

Non-Profit Organization US Postage

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