One of the first Classical CDs I ever owned was World’s Favorite Piano Music by Van Cliburn. I felt so grown up and sophisticated when I listened to it. And it inspired me more in my own piano studies that I probably realized at the time (as I look at the track listing now, I see that many of the included repertoire selections are ones I went on to learn myself!). I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to hear Van Cliburn speak at our 2006 MTNA Conference in Austin, Texas. It was especially endearing to hear his great admiration for his mother, who had prayed for a child and, after Van was born, became his first piano teacher.
Anyway, all that to say, the Van Cliburn competition begins tomorrow and will showcase 28 pianists in the preliminary round. You can view the complete schedule on the Cliburn.org website, and you can even watch the performances via either the website or their Van Cliburn YouTube channel.
This is such a fabulous way to listen to some of today’s greatest young pianists playing some of the world’s greatest music. I’m sending the link to all my studio families in case they want an invigorating dose of inspiration as they start their summer break!
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