We spoke with Jacques Marquis, President and CEO of The Cliburn, to learn more about this prestigious event.
What is the Cliburn Competition, and when was it founded? What is its main purpose?
The competition was started in 1962 by a group of volunteers in Fort Worth. They created it to honor Van Cliburn’s historic victory at the first Tchaikovsky Competition during the Cold War. The goal has always been to help talented young pianists start their careers and to share classical music with a wide audience. That mission remains the same today.
What are you most excited about for this year’s competition?
Every year, new and unique artists join the competition. The Cliburn provides them a stage to show their talent, creativity, and emotions. Through our global webcast, we help spread their unique voices to listeners all over the world. I love discovering these new voices!
How has the competition changed since it began?
At first, the Cliburn was run entirely by volunteers. Over time, we hired professional staff and added more programs. Yet, volunteers still play a big role, with 400 to 600 helping out each year.
We have also introduced several new events: Cliburn Concerts in 1977, which feature top musicians; the Amateur Competition in 1999 for non-professional pianists aged 35 and older; and the Junior Competition in 2015 for young pianists aged 13 to 17. Other programs include Cliburn in the Classroom, the Cliburn Festival, Cliburn Sessions, and Cliburn in the Community. We also expanded our winners’ career management and launched the Cliburn Agency.
Technology has changed how we share music too. While Fort Worth remains our home base, we now have a large online audience through our webcast and documentaries. We recently released a new album with Decca, featuring Yunchan Lim’s historic performance of Rachmaninoff’s Third Concerto. We also have partnerships with Apple Music Classical, Platoon record label, Carnegie Hall+, Amadeus (China), Medici, and The Violin Channel.
What do you aim to improve with each competition?
We continuously refine every detail, such as the scoring system, rounds, repertoire, jury members, conductors, and audition process. Even small changes can impact the competition’s outcome.
What qualities do you look for in a winner?
We want pianists who are ready to start a busy professional career with many concerts over the next three years. They need a clear artistic vision, stamina, and commitment. I especially like when candidates surprise me with their repertoire choices, creativity, and ability to take risks.
Like any audience or jury, we want to fall in love with their playing and want to hear them again.
What does the winner receive?
The top three winners receive career support for three years. This includes concert bookings worth about $1.2 million, recordings, new websites, professional photos, and training in social media, marketing, and finance.
Cash prizes are $100,000 for the gold medalist, $50,000 for silver, and $25,000 for bronze.
The competition’s webcast also gives all participants worldwide visibility. We expect around 25 million views in 2025.
When is the right time for a young musician to enter competitions?
This depends on the individual. Our last competition had the youngest winner ever, Yunchan Lim at 18, and the oldest medalist, Anna Geniushene at 31. Both had very different paths before the Cliburn.
Competitors need to be well prepared. The Cliburn requires four to four and a half hours of music at the highest level. This can be hard for younger players, though there are notable exceptions like Yunchan Lim, Haochen Zhang (19 in 2009), Nobuyuki Tsujii (20 in 2009), and Beatrice Rana (20 in 2013).
How can competitions help musicians’ careers?
Competitions offer a chance to compare yourself to other top artists and improve your repertoire. The effort you put into preparing will always benefit you.
Are there any performances from past competitions that stand out to you?
Many performances have been unforgettable. To highlight a few recent gold medalists:
Vadym Kholodenko’s “Trois mouvements de Petrouchka” (2013)
Yekwon Sunwoo’s Schubert Sonata in C minor D958 (2017)
Yunchan Lim’s Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 (2022)
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