‘Here We Are Again!’ The Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Welcome!

If you scroll down, you will find that our last entry in this section of the website was made a full three years ago—our “Final Words” about the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition that concluded in June, 2022.

And here we are again, on the opening day of the 17th competition (or, as the Cliburn people write it, the “Seventeenth”), starting in just minutes on the Texas Christian University campus in Fort Worth (Texas), inside the beautiful Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU.

As before, our wonderful classical music guru and critic Wayne Lee Gay plans to see and hear every single performance, from the Preliminary Round to the QuarterFinals, from the Semifinal Round to the Finals—and the jury’s decision. Our reviews at @onstagentx.com will appear in short order after each live performance.

There are more options than ever for watching and learning about the competition. A live broadcast can be found on the Cliburn official website, cliburn.org , updated information and photos are available on the Cliburn Facebook page TheCliburn —and there are a variety of other options for where to watch: on YouTube, on medici.tv, on amadeus.TV and more. You can also find a new “Cliburn Keys View” of the pianist’s hands on cliburn.org (see link above) and on the YouTube feed.

At last count, 28 young pianists (ages 18 to 30) are taking part in the competition, representkng 17 countries around the world. We welcome them—and you—to this experience. Some of us in Fort Worth and Dallas have been lucky enough to attend Cliburn competitions since the 1960s and ‘70s. Each competition has its own stories, its own dramatic arcs, its own lineup of memorable young artists. Enjoy!

Jan Farrington
Managing Editor, Onstage NTX
www.onstagentx.com