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Kudos to NPR for bringing this to my attention, on Morning Edition Saturday, this morning. More information on Cliburn can be found through the link.

In 1958, in the midst of cold war tensions, a 22 year old Texan, Van Cliburn, won the first International Tchaikovsky (piano) Competition, held at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. NPR reports that the judges, afraid to give the prize to an American, asked Nikita Khrushchev what to do. Khrushchev is reported to have said “Is he the best piano player? Then give it to him.” Cliburn brought the people of the two opposing nations together in their love of music.

Competitions for aspiring concert pianists are held throughout the world. One of the most prestigious, now, is the Cliburn competition, sponsored by the Van Cliburn foundation, and held in Fort Worth, Texas. The next Cliburn competition will be in May and June of 2009.

There doesn’t seem to be a video of his 1958 competition performance, however I was able to find this 1962 concert in Moscow, with Kirill Kondrashin conducting the Moscow Philharmonic, as he did in 1958 and, with the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, on Cliburs LP recording of the concerto.

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