The Cliburn

Widely considered “one of the most prestigious contests in classical music” (The New York Times, 2022), the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition exists to share excellent classical music with the largest international audience possible and to launch the careers of its winners every four years. Building on a rich tradition that began with its 1962 origins in honor of Van Cliburn and his vision for using music to serve audiences and break down boundaries, the Cliburn seeks, with each edition, to achieve the highest artistic standards while utilizing contemporary tools to advance its reach. 

The Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will be held May 21–June 7, 2025 at Van Cliburn Concert Hall and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. This year’s Competition builds on the historic success of the 2022 edition. It reached a record-breaking number of people around the globe, exponentially surpassing viewership and online engagement from its past editions. It has now become one of the most-watched classical events in history, with more than 60 million views on Cliburn channels across 177 countries—and immeasurable viral reach beyond that.

The Cliburn's international competitions, education program, and concert series embody an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and the discovery of new artists. It shares the transformative powers of music with a wide global audience, through fully produced webcasts and by providing comprehensive career management and concert bookings to its winners. Rounding out its mission, the Cliburn also produces the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival (fourth edition, June 2027) for exceptional 13- to 17-year-old pianists and the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition (ninth edition, June 2028) for outstanding non-professional pianists age 35 and older.

Over a four-year cycle, the Cliburn contributes to North Texas’ cultural landscape with over 170 classical music performances for 150,000 attendees through competitions, free community concerts, and its signature Cliburn Concerts series. It presents 1,000 Cliburn in the Classroom in-school, interactive music education presentations for more than 200,000 area elementary students.