FORT WORTH, Texas, March 9, 2016—Tickets are on sale now for the Seventh Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition on June 19–25, 2016, in Fort Worth. Amateur Competition subscriptions are $140 for the Preliminary, Quarterfinal, and Semifinal Rounds, which will take place at Van Cliburn Recital Hall, with tickets for individual concerts ranging from $10 to $20. Tickets for the Final Round, which will take place at Bass Performance Hall, are sold separately and range from $10 to $60 (complete schedule and details below).
Tickets can be purchased online at Cliburn.org, by calling 817.212.4280, or in person at the Bass Hall Box Office (525 Commerce Street, Fort Worth, TX).
A total of 159 pianists representing 18 countries have submitted applications to compete in the Amateur Competition, which is open to non-professional pianists age 35 and older who do not derive their principal source of income through piano performance or instruction. Established in 1999 as the first of its kind in the United States, the quadrennial festival promotes lifelong music-making as a vital part of daily life. The 72 competitors selected for the Competition will be announced on April 1, 2016.
The jury consists of: Olga Kern, Russia (chairman); Akemi Alink-Yamamoto, Japan; Angela Cheng, Canada; Catharine Lysinger, United States; Fali Pavri, India; André-Michel Schub, United States; and Nelita True, United States.
APPLICANT POOL
Countries and territories represented by the 159 Amateur Competition applicants include: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, and the United States. (The application period has now closed.)
A selection committee is now in the process of choosing 72 competitors from the impressive applicant pool, reviewing the online applications and video submissions, which are 15 to 20 minutes in length featuring repertoire of the applicant’s choosing.
COMPETITION SCHEDULE AND TICKETS
The Amateur Competition will consist of four rounds:
Preliminary Round (June 19, 20):
72 competitors will each present a program between 8 and 10 minutes in length at Van Cliburn Recital Hall.
Quarterfinal Round (June 21, 22):
30 competitors will each present a program between 15 and 18 minutes in length at Van Cliburn Recital Hall.
Semifinal Round (June 23):
12 competitors will each present a program between 25 and 28 minutes in length at Van Cliburn Recital Hall.
Final Round (June 25):
Six competitors will each present one movement of a concerto, to be selected from a list, with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jacomo Rafael Bairos at Bass Performance Hall.
Specific repertoire requirements can be found here.
Complete rules and requirements can be found here.
ABOUT THE CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR PIANO COMPETITION
“A celebration of music, and the people who have to make music, no matter what,” (The Boston Globe) the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition (formerly the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™) is open to non-professional pianists age 35 and older who do not derive their principal source of income through piano performance or instruction. Established in 1999 as the first of its kind in the United States, the quadrennial festival promotes lifelong music-making as a vital part of daily life and invites 72 competitors.
Many past Amateur Competition participants have, at one time in their lives, received advanced piano degrees; others have never studied the piano professionally. Amateur Competition prizes have been awarded both to those with extensive public performing experience, as well as to those who have spent many hours playing mostly for their own enjoyment or for the pleasure of friends, family, and their local community. All, however, are united by their love of classical music and of sharing this passion with others of like mind.
A festival including symposia, community performances, opportunities for chamber music collaboration, and several social events will be organized during the course of the Competition. Practice facilities and instruments will be available for all competitors during the week of the Competition.
Competitors will be responsible for their own travel and housing arrangements.
ABOUT THE CLIBURN
The Cliburn advances classical piano music throughout the world. Its international competitions, education programs, and concert series embody an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and the discovery of new artists. Established in 1962, the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is widely-recognized as “one of the world’s highest-visibility classical-music contests” (Dallas Morning News) and remains committed to its original ideals of supporting and launching the careers of young pianists, age 18 to 30 (fifteenth edition May 25–June 10, 2017). It shares the transformative powers of music with a wide global audience, through fully-produced webcasts and by providing commission-free, 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 for exceptional 13 to 17-year-old pianists (inaugural edition June 21–28, 2015; second edition 2019), and the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition for outstanding non-professional pianists age 35 and older (seventh edition June 19–25, 2016).
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 at Bass Performance Hall, the Kimbell Art Museum Piano Pavilion, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. It presents 1,000 in-school, interactive music education programs for more than 200,000 area elementary students. During the same time period, it garners the world’s attention with over one million visits from 155 nations for live concert and competition webcasts; 300 concerts worldwide booked for competition winners; more than 5,000 news articles about the Cliburn and its winners; regular national radio broadcasts to 245 public radio stations; and a PBS documentary airing in a potential 105 million households. Detailed information about the Cliburn and its programs is available at Cliburn.org.
Cliburn Sponsors are:
Amon G. Carter Foundation
Arts Council of Fort Worth
Crystelle Waggoner Charitable Trust
The Pangburn Foundation, J.P. Morgan, Trustee
ExxonMobil / XTO Energy
Mercedes T. Bass Charitable Corporation
Sid W. Richardson Foundation
Exclusive Print Media Sponsor:
Star-Telegram
Official Piano of the Cliburn:
Steinway & Sons – North Texas / Houston
Official Hotel of the Cliburn:
Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel
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