Van Cliburn
American pianist (1934–2013) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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]
Van Cliburn | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Harvey Lavan Cliburn Jr. |
Also known as | Van Cliburn |
Born | (1934-07-12)July 12, 1934 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
Died | February 27, 2013(2013-02-27) (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.[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]