2025 CLIBURN COMPETITORS ANNOUNCED
30 pianists will advance to the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place May 21–June 7, 2025, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
FORT WORTH, Texas, April 9, 2025—The Cliburn announces today the 30 competitors selected to participate in the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place May 21–June 7, 2025, at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. Visit cliburn.org to learn more.
The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is widely considered “one of the most prestigious contests in classical music” (The New York Times, June 2022). From its origins in 1962 through today, it has remained dedicated to sharing music with the largest international audience possible and to launching the careers of its winners. The next edition builds on that rich foundation and the historic success of the 2022 edition—one of the most-watched classical events in history, with more than 60 million views across 177 countries. It also launched the meteoric career of Yunchan Lim, whose Cliburn laureate predecessors include Haochen Zhang, Nobuyuki Tsujii, Olga Kern, Vadym Kholodenko, Yekwon Sunwoo, and Beatrice Rana.
“Fourteen of the world’s experts worked with dedication over the last few months to thoughtfully consider each of our 340 applicants and eventually narrow the field down to the 30 competitors who will return to Fort Worth in May,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO. “And they did a wonderful job. As usual, we were impressed with the high level of playing, craft, engagement, enthusiasm, and commitment of each of these pianists. The Cliburn is honored to provide an international platform for them to express their musical vision and to help usher them into the next steps of their professional journeys.”
2025 CLIBURN COMPETITORS
Piotr Alexewicz, Poland, age 25
Jonas Aumiller, Germany, 26
Alice Burla, Canada, 28
Yangrui Cai 蔡阳睿, China, 24
Elia Cecino, Italy, 23
Yanjun Chen 陈艳君, China, 23
Jiarui Cheng 程嘉睿, China, 26
Federico Gad Crema, Italy, 26
Shangru Du 杜尚儒, China, 27
Roman Fediurko Роман Федюрко, Ukraine, 20
Magdalene Ho, Malaysia, 21
Carter Johnson, Canada/United States, 28
Xiaofu Ju 鞠小夫, China, 25
Mikhail Kambarov Михаил Камбаров, Russia, 24
David Khrikuli, Georgia, 24
Pedro López Salas, Spain, 27
Philipp Lynov Филипп Лынов, Russia, 26
Jonathan Mamora, United States, 30
Callum McLachlan, United Kingdom, 26
Evren Ozel, United States, 26
Chaeyoung Park 박채영, South Korea, 27
Korkmaz Can Sağlam, Türkiye, 25
Aristo Sham 沈靖韜, Hong Kong China, 29
Kotaro Shigemori 重森光太郎, Japan, 25
Vitaly Starikov Виталий Стариков, Israel/Russia, 30
Anastasia Vorotnaya, Russia, 30
Angel Stanislav Wang, United States, 22
Xuanxiang Wu 武暄翔, China, 18
Ryota Yamazaki 山﨑亮汰, Japan, 26
Sung Ho Yoo 유성호, South Korea, 28
Ages listed as of May 21, 2025.
Repertoire will be added to the competitor pages on cliburn.org the week of April 14.
COMPETITOR STATS
- 30 pianists
- Ages 18 to 30, average age: 25 (ages as of May 21, 2025)
- 17 countries and regions represented (including dual representation)
- Canada, China, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong China, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
- Most represented: China (7), United States (4), Russia (4)
SELECTION PROCESS
An initial screening panel—comprising pianists Lucille Chung (Canada/United States), Jane Coop (Canada), Alessandro Deljavan (Italy), Valery Kuleshov (United States/Russia), Anton Nel (United States), Orli Shaham (Israel/United States), Katia Skanavi (Greece/Russia), Erik T. Tawaststjerna (Finland), and Amy Yang (China/United States)—reviewed all 340 applications, recommending 150 pianists to move forward. From those, the Screening Jury—Philippe Bianconi (France), Gloria Chien (Chinese Taipei/United States), Alexander Kobrin (United States), Momo Kodama (Japan), and Roberto Plano (Italy/United States)—selected 77 to be invited to Fort Worth for the live Screening Auditions, held March 16–22, 2025. The five-member Screening Jury then chose the 30 competitors, following the live auditions.
WHAT’S NEXT
View the full Competition schedule.
1. May 14–17, 2025: Competitors arrive in Fort Worth for orientation and piano selection.
2. May 19, 2025: Opening Dinner & Draw Party (The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel)
Competitor names are drawn to select their order of performance.
3. May 21–23, 2025: Preliminary Round—30 competitors (Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU)
30 competitors perform a 40-minute recital to include the commissioned work of 4-6 minutes in length, composed by Gabriela Montero.
4. May 24–25, 2025: Quarterfinal Round—18 competitors (Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU)
18 competitors perform a 40-minute recital.
5. May 28–June 1, 2025: Semifinal Round—12 competitors (Bass Performance Hall)
12 competitors in two phases:
1) Each competitor will perform a 60-minute recital.
2) Each competitor will perform a Mozart concerto with Carlos Miguel Prieto and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, selected from a list.
6. June 3–7, 2025: Final Round—6 competitors (Bass Performance Hall)
6 competitors perform two concertos with Marin Alsop and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra:
1) Each competitor will perform one concerto selected from a list.
2) Each competitor will perform one concerto of the competitor’s choosing.
7. June 7, 2025: Awards Ceremony (Bass Performance Hall)—announcement of gold, silver, bronze medalists + special awards; cash prizes total $265,000; medalists also win career management packages worth a total of over $2 million.
ABOUT THE 2025 CLIBURN COMPETITION
Quick facts about the 2025 Cliburn Competition are available below. For complete information, visit cliburn.org.
COMPETITION JURY
- Paul Lewis, jury chairman (Ireland/United Kingdom)
- Rico Gulda (Austria)
- Mari Kodama (Japan/United States)
- Anne-Marie McDermott (United States)
- Gabriela Montero (Venezuela/United States)
- Jon Nakamatsu (United States)
- Lise de la Salle (France)
- Yevgeny Sudbin (United Kingdom)
- Wu Han (Chinese Taipei/United States)
PRIZES & AWARDS
A total of $265,000 in cash will be awarded, including $100,000 for the gold medalist, $50,000 for the silver medalist, and $25,000 for the bronze medalist. Medalists also receive three years of comprehensive personalized career management and concerts. All together, prizes total more than $2 million in value.
LIVE BROADCAST
As it has been since 2001, the entire Cliburn Competition will be broadcast live for an international audience. The Cliburn will announce more details this month—the online event promises to be one of the most-watched in classical music history, with the most recent edition in 2022 receiving more than 60 million views across 177 countries and immeasurable viral reach beyond that.
ABOUT THE CLIBURN
The Cliburn advances classical piano music throughout the world. Its international competitions, education programs, and concert series embody an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and the discovery of new artists. Established in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1962, the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (seventeenth edition, May 21–June 7, 2025) remains the most visible expression of that mission and is, as always, committed to its original ideals of supporting and launching the careers of emerging artists, ages 18–30. It shares the transformative powers of music with a wide global audience, through fully produced webcasts and by providing comprehensive career management and concert bookings to its winners. Rounding out its mission, the Cliburn also produces the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival (fourth edition, June 2027) for exceptional 13- to 17-year-old pianists and the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition (ninth edition, June 2028) for outstanding non-professional pianists age 35 and older.
Over a four-year cycle, the Cliburn contributes to North Texas’ cultural landscape with over 170 classical music performances for 150,000 attendees through competitions, free community concerts, and its signature Cliburn Concerts series. Cliburn in the Classroom—the Cliburn’s music education program and recipient of D CEO Magazine’s 2024 Innovation in Education Award—presents 1,000 free, in-school, and interactive concert experiences for more than 200,000 area elementary students over a four-year cycle. During the same time period, the Cliburn garners the world’s attention with more than 60 million views from 177 nations for competition webcasts; 300 concerts worldwide booked for competition winners; more than 10,000 news articles about the Cliburn and its winners; and regular national radio broadcasts to 245 public radio stations. cliburn.org
TICKETS
There is nothing like being in the hall for a Cliburn Competition performance. 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 63 years since the first notes of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition were played in Fort Worth, Texas. And the world will once again be attentively listening.
Premium and regular subscription packages, and all tickets for individual concerts, are on sale now.
