Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (/ˈklaɪbɜːrn/; July 12, 1934 – February 27, 2013) was an American pianist. At the age of 23, Cliburn achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 during the Cold War.
Van Cliburn | |
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Cliburn in 1966 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Harvey Lavan Cliburn Jr. |
| Also known as | Van Cliburn |
| Born | July 12, 1934 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | February 27, 2013 (aged 78) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Classical music |
| Occupations | Pianist |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1946–2013 |
| Labels | RCA Victor Red Seal |
Cliburn's mother, a piano teacher and an accomplished pianist in her own right, discovered him playing at age three, mimicking one of her students, and arranged for him to start taking lessons. Cliburn developed a rich, round tone and a singing-voice-like phrasing, having been taught from the start to sing each piece. Cliburn toured domestically and overseas. He played for royalty, heads of state, and every US president from Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama.
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