Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
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Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
There is a very special milestone upcoming for this very special pianist. April 14 marks the 50th anniversary of Van Cliburn winning the first International Tschaikowsky Competition for pianists and violinists. Overnight, Van Cliburn became the world's most famous musical idol of his day. Krushchev himself gave permission to the Soviet judges (which was an esteemed panel, pianists Emil Gilels and Sviatoslav Richter, and composers Dimitri Kabalevsky, Sir Arthur Bliss, and Dimitri Shostakovich, chairman of the competition) to award the prize to the 23 year old Van Cliburn. In the first round, Cliburn received an eight minute standing ovation from the Moscow audience, and his subsequent rounds were just as well received.
When he returned home, he received a ticker-tape parade in New York City. It's the only time that honor has been bestowed on a classical musician.
Van Cliburn's recording of the 1st Piano Concerto by Tschaikowsky was the first classical album to go platinum.
Van Cliburn became a worldwide cultural idol achieving a level of recognition the same as Elvis Presley. Advanced tickets for his first performance at Carnagie Hall after returning from Moscow, outsold any previous event in the then 67 year history of Carnagie Hall.
In November, 1958, for the first time in it's 77 year history, the Boston Symphony Orchestra was forced by demand for tickets to schedule a repeat performance of a concert with Van Cliburn performing.
His fame was acknowledged in a Peanut's comic strip.
His face was on a box of Soviet chocolates, the "best selling candies in the U.S.S.R."
In June, 1994, at a special concert with the Chicago Symphony, newspapers reported about 350,000 fans attended to see him perform.
He has performed for every American president since President Truman.
In 2003, George W. Bush awarded Van Cliburn the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which recognizes individuals who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the U.S. or to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
In 2004, President Vladimir Putin presented Van Cliburn with the Order of Friendship, a state decoration bestowed almost exclusively upon Russian citizens for “their significant contribution into the strengthening of friendship and cooperation of nations and nationalities…”
In 2001, Van Cliburn received the Kennedy Center Honors Award as “one of the most persuasive ambassadors of American culture, as well as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music.”
Van Cliburn received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
Here is a link to YouTube of Van Cliburn performing the 3rd movement of the Tschaikowsky 1st Concerto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7MAriotZyE
When he returned home, he received a ticker-tape parade in New York City. It's the only time that honor has been bestowed on a classical musician.
Van Cliburn's recording of the 1st Piano Concerto by Tschaikowsky was the first classical album to go platinum.
Van Cliburn became a worldwide cultural idol achieving a level of recognition the same as Elvis Presley. Advanced tickets for his first performance at Carnagie Hall after returning from Moscow, outsold any previous event in the then 67 year history of Carnagie Hall.
In November, 1958, for the first time in it's 77 year history, the Boston Symphony Orchestra was forced by demand for tickets to schedule a repeat performance of a concert with Van Cliburn performing.
His fame was acknowledged in a Peanut's comic strip.
His face was on a box of Soviet chocolates, the "best selling candies in the U.S.S.R."
In June, 1994, at a special concert with the Chicago Symphony, newspapers reported about 350,000 fans attended to see him perform.
He has performed for every American president since President Truman.
In 2003, George W. Bush awarded Van Cliburn the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which recognizes individuals who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the U.S. or to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
In 2004, President Vladimir Putin presented Van Cliburn with the Order of Friendship, a state decoration bestowed almost exclusively upon Russian citizens for “their significant contribution into the strengthening of friendship and cooperation of nations and nationalities…”
In 2001, Van Cliburn received the Kennedy Center Honors Award as “one of the most persuasive ambassadors of American culture, as well as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music.”
Van Cliburn received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
Here is a link to YouTube of Van Cliburn performing the 3rd movement of the Tschaikowsky 1st Concerto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7MAriotZyE
Last edited by Beethoven on Wed Mar 06, 2013 11:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Van Cliburn winning the First Internation Tschaikowsky Competition, a gala was held in his honor in Fort Worth, Texas, with dignitaries from both the U.S. and Russia attending. Both President Bush and Russian President Putin were in attendance. Dignitaries from other White House administrations including the widows and children of several past presidents made up the "President's Honor Circle." Bush, Putin, Mikhail Gorbachev and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice all sent letters of congratulation.
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
For any Van Cliburn fans, there is a new DVD out entitled "Van Cliburn In Moscow". He performs Rachmaninoff's 2nd and 3rd Piano Concerti. Here is a link to an article about it.
http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=4636
http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=4636
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
Van Cliburn will be performing at the 2008 Liberty Medal Ceremony in Philadelphia on Sept. 18 honoring Mikhael Gorbachev. Gorbachev is receiving the medal for his role in ending the Cold War.
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
Here is a link to a new DVD out of Van Cliburn in Moscow.
http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=5692
http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=5692
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
Fort Worth will be renaming a street in Van Cliburn's name. Here's a link to the article.
http://www.star-telegram.com/metro_news/story/1331189.html
http://www.star-telegram.com/metro_news/story/1331189.html
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
Here is a link to a very short video of Van Cliburn returning from Russia in 1958.
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=64094
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=64094
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
A link to when he appeared on "What's My Line?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lUFFZqXtoM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lUFFZqXtoM
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
For anyone interested,on Friday, September 10, Van Cliburn will perform the national anthem at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Dallas Cowboys, Emmitt Smith's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the road to Super Bowl XLV. This evening of fun for the entire family features a special concert performance by Tim McGraw.
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
Here's a link to a rare video by Van Cliburn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_1y7s4BJKg&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_1y7s4BJKg&feature=related
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
Last night at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Dallas Cowboys, Emmitt Smith's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the road to Super Bowl XLV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6wiaCacswk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6wiaCacswk
Winners of Tschaikowsky Competition Visit the Composer's Home in 1958
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPyU5JJENBc
Always a joy to watch Van Cliburn play!
Always a joy to watch Van Cliburn play!
Re: Van Cliburn - 1934-2013
My Tribute to Van Cliburn
Van Cliburn entered my life at an early age. I had begun playing the piano at three, he came into my life at around six or seven years old through recordings, the first was Fur Elise by Beethoven. I knew I wanted to learn that, and so I did. At seven, I saw him perform at the Crystal Cathedral. We sat in the second row, center to the stage and piano, so I had a perfect view of his hands. For someone who knew I wanted music/piano to be my career - my life, and already looked up to and had deep admiration for Van Cliburn, it was an absolute thrill to watch his fingers encompass eighty-eight keys, the expression and deep emotion on his face, his tall stature at the grand taking a gentle command of the keys. The ease, the emotion with which he played always remained with me. He could relay exactly what a composer was expressing through his music. That takes finesse, and a deep love and passion not only for the music and composer but the instrument itself. I then, in later years saw him perform the Tschaikowsky 1st at the Hollywood Bowl. What an absolute thrill to see him perform the Concerto he not only won the Tschaikowsky Competition with but my favorite Concerto of all the Piano Concerti, and had played it myself, it only gave me greater appreciation not only for the piece, but Van Cliburn as a pianist. This is, I feel, how our predecessors, wanted their beautiful music expressed, to be felt from within and interpreted in such a manner, rather than simply play notes from a manuscript. This was how Van Cliburn felt, I've heard him say just this as well in interviews.
Van Cliburn won the first International Tschaikowsky Piano Competition held in 1958. This was during the time of the Cold War, Sputnik, and strained relations between the U.S. and Russia. Van Cliburn always had a deep admiration for not only the Russian people, but their culture, arts, everything about Russia and the people. Over the course of many years, he returned to Russia ten times, to perform and visit for many heads of state. He performed for every U.S. President since Truman, was given the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001, Presidential Medal of Freedom - the highest honor given to a civilian, in 2003 by President George Bush, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, and in 2010 the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama.
In 1962, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition launched not only to bring Classical Music to the forefront, be a vocation for Classical Pianists around the world to share their love of music, but also help in the careers of many now famous Classical Pianists, such as Cristina Ortiz - 1969, Vladimir Viardo - 1973, Andre Michael Schub - 1981, Jose Fegahli - 1985 (who also served as pallbearer at Van Cliburn's funeral), and Haochen Zhang - 2009 co-Gold Medal Winner along with Nobuyuki Tsuji - 2009. This May begins the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The Cliburn Foundation has already named the Competition in Van Cliburn's memory. For more information, please visit http://www.cliburn.org.
On Wednesday, February 27, 2013, the world lost not only a magnificent Classical pianist, but a magnificent human being. Thank you Van Cliburn for being such a true inspiration on so many levels to not only myself but everyone you touched not only personally and politically, but through music. You will forever be missed.
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