FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
FOR SIXTEENTH VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION
Contact:
Maggie Estes, director of communications and digital content, mestes@cliburn.org, 817.739.0459
FORT WORTH, Texas, June 12, 2022— Marin Alsop, Jury Chair for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (taking place June 2–18, 2022, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall) tonight announced the six pianists advancing to the Final Round.
Dmytro Choni, Ukraine, 28
Anna Geniushene, Russia, 31
Uladzislau Khandohi, Belarus, 20
Yunchan Lim, South Korea, 18
Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 27
Clayton Stephenson, United States, 23
Click for biographies. Click for Competition Photos.
In the Semifinal Round, which took place June 8–12, 12 semifinalists each performed a 60-minute solo recital, as well as a Mozart piano concerto with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Nicholas McGegan. They performed live at Bass Performance Hall before the ten-member Jury and hundreds of patrons, as well as to a worldwide audience via the Competition’s live, fully produced webcast. Full details of the webcast can be found at cliburn.org/2022-webcast.
Using a simple yes/no/maybe voting system, the jury narrowed the field of 12 to 6. Each juror submitted a list of 6 competitors that he or she selected to advance, along with a list of “maybes” (used in the event of tied scores). The “yes” votes were tabulated, and the top 6 vote-getters advanced.
In the Final Round, June 14–18, each pianist performs two piano concertos (selected from separate lists) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop, who is also serving as Jury Chair this year.
The winners of the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will be announced in the Awards Ceremony, which begins 7 p.m. Saturday, June 18 on Bass Performance Hall stage.
As a grand thank you to the people of Fort Worth and a big, public celebration of our extraordinary competitors, the Cliburn will host a two-day finale in Sundance Square Plaza, just across from Bass Performance Hall. All events are free to attend and are open to all ages, so bring your friends, family, and some chairs to bask in the music and to toast our new winners!
FRIDAY, JUNE 17
Watch live on our giant LED screen as three of six finalists perform concertos with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Marin Alsop. Vendors will be set up in the Plaza with food and beverage for purchase.
SATURDAY, JUNE 18
New this year, for kids of all ages! Come take part in free family activities under the Sundance umbrellas. And we’ll host two special concerts—at 11:15 a.m. (Cliburn Kids education program) & 12:15 p.m. (Piano Lunch performance by 2022 competitors)—in the beautiful Pavilion. Food and beverage vendors will open at 11:30 a.m.
Watch live on our giant LED screen as three of six finalists perform concertos with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Marin Alsop in this last concert of the Competition! Then stay for the exciting conclusion, as our new winners are announced in a Ceremony beginning at 7:00 p.m. Vendors will remain open in the Plaza throughout, with food and beverage for purchase.
Just after the Awards Ceremony, the Plaza Party begins, with a 3-hour performance by Adonis Rose and the Fort Worth Jazz Orchestra! Around 9:15 p.m., we’ll take the Sundance stage to introduce the newest honorary Fort Worthians—the 2022 Cliburn medalists!
Widely considered one of the preeminent international music contests, 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 world’s top 18- to 30-year-old pianists compete for gold in front of a live audience in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as a global online viewership of over 10 million. Beyond cash prizes, winning a Cliburn medal means comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the three years following.
The sixteenth edition of the Cliburn Competition will take place June 2–18, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas at the brand-new Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU (Preliminary and Quarterfinal Rounds) and Bass Performance Hall (Semifinal and Final Rounds). The Competition, postponed from 2021 (a first in the Cliburn’s 60-year history), saw a record-breaking number of applications—388 pianists from 51 countries. The Cliburn’s expert panels selected the 30 extraordinary artists who will compete. Tickets are on sale now to attend in person.
The fully produced webcast will broadcast all 28 Competition performances live—as well as offer insightful commentary and behind-the-scenes access emulating a news- or sportscast—across multiple platforms. Viewers around the world can watch the entire Competition live and on demand at Cliburn.org, cliburn.medici.tv, and youtube.com/thecliburn. New this year: the Cliburn will be available in 4K HDR and surround sound. Viewers can subscribe at hyfi.live/vancliburn to experience the next best thing to being in the concert hall.
Click for biographies. Click for hi-res photos.
- Marin Alsop, jury chair (United States)
- Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (France)
- Alessio Bax (Italy)
- Rico Gulda (Austria)
- Andreas Haefliger (Switzerland)
- Wu Han (China Taiwan/United States)
- Stephen Hough (United Kingdom)
- Anne-Marie McDermott (United States)
- Orli Shaham (Israel/United States)
- Lilya Zilberstein (Germany)
There is nothing like hearing, seeing, and feeling live music in an energetic, packed concert hall. Add to that the unmatched exhilaration of being there to cheer on 30 of the world’s top emerging pianists as they strive to perform their best on an enormous world stage, in hopes of launching international careers. It’s been 60 years since the first notes of the Cliburn Competition were played in Fort Worth, Texas. And the world will once again be attentively listening.
All tickets for individual concerts are on sale now, as are a variety of subscription options. Full information at cliburn.org/2022-tickets.
The health and safety of our patrons is of the utmost importance to the Cliburn. We will communicate any pandemic-related protocols to patrons closer to the Competition and will post updates at cliburn.org/concertsafety.
As it has been since 2001, the entire sixteenth edition of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (June 2–18, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas USA) will be streamed live online from the first note to the announcement of the new 2022 gold medalist. The Cliburn was a pioneer in the early days of webcasting, and it continues to innovate and expand this vital program as a global leader in the field; this year becoming the first classical music competition in the world to broadcast in 4K HDR. The 2022 Competition webcast promises an even higher level of quality of sound and picture; a compelling, immersive program around the performances that gives viewers behind-the-scenes access and insightful commentary; and the widest selection of ways to watch of any classical music competition in history.
Viewers around the world can watch the entire Competition live and on demand at Cliburn.org, cliburn.medici.tv, and youtube.com/thecliburn.
New this year: the Cliburn will be available in 4K HDR and surround sound. Beginning today, viewers can subscribe at hyfi.live/vancliburn to experience the next best thing to being in the concert hall. Prior to the Competition start on June 2, the Cliburn Competition will be available via the HFYI app on iOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, and Roku. Subscription packages will be available at $90 for six months, and $125 for one year.
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