Van Cliburn | |
|---|---|
 Cliburn in 1966 | |
| Born | Harvey Lavan Cliburn Jr. July 12, 1934 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | February 27, 2013 (aged 78) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Classical pianist |
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (/ˈklaɪbɜːrn/; July 12, 1934 – February 27, 2013)[1] 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.[2]
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.[2] Cliburn developed a rich, round tone and a singing-voice-like phrasing, having been taught from the start to sing each piece.[2] Cliburn toured domestically and overseas. He played for royalty, heads of state, and every US president from Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama.[3]
- ^ Tommasini, Anthony (February 27, 2013). "Van Cliburn, Cold War Musical Envoy, Dies at 78". The New York Times. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
WSJ deathwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Clinton, Hillary Rodham (November 29, 2000). An Invitation To The White House: At Home With History. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-684-85799-2.