DALLAS, Texas, June 7, 2023—The Cliburn celebrated the beginning of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival at the Opening Dinner & Draw Party Wednesday evening, June 7, 2023, at the Bush Institute in Dallas.
The competitors and members of the Jury received warm welcomes from Cliburn staff and patrons. Speakers included Jeffrey B. King, Cliburn chairman of the board, Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO, and Buddy Bray, Cliburn artistic consultant.
After dinner, Jacques Marquis, Dr. Sam Holland, dean of the SMU Meadows School of the Arts, and Kim Noltemy, Ross Perot president and CEO of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, drew competitor names out of a chalice. Jacques Marquis read out the names, and each pianist came forward to choose their order of play.
Preliminary Round (order of play, though not times, will hold for Quarterfinal Round recitals)
Click here for artist biographies.
Click here for high-res photos of the Artist Orientation.
PRELIMINARY RECITAL 1 (Thursday, June 8)
2:30 p.m. – Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia
2:52 p.m. – Saehyun Kim 김세현, 16, South Korea
3:14 p.m. – Seoeun Lee 이서은, 14, South Korea
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
3:54 p.m. – Yiran Zhou 周怡然, 15, China
4:16 p.m. – Eddison Chen, 13, United States
4:38 p.m. – Zhonghua Wei 魏中华, 14, China
PRELIMINARY RECITAL 2 (Thursday, June 8)
7:00 p.m. – Chengcheng Yao 姚承承, 14, China
7:22 p.m. – Steven Ruochong Cui 崔若冲, 17, United States
7:44 p.m. – Jaeuk Lim 임재욱, 16, South Korea
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
8:24 p.m. – Taige Wang, 13, United States
8:46 p.m. – Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea
9:08 p.m. – Chihiro Sugawara 菅原千尋, 16, Japan
PRELIMINARY RECITAL 3 (Friday, June 9)
2:30 p.m. – Yifan Wu 吴一凡, 14, China
2:52 p.m. – Tiankun Ma 马天坤, 16, China
3:14 p.m. – Alyssa Gabrilovich, 17, United States
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
3:54 p.m. – Lukas Lee 李璐王子, 15, China
4:16 p.m. – Mi Hou 侯米, 15, China
4:38 p.m. – Sizhe Wang 王思哲, 14, China
PRELIMINARY RECITAL 4 (Friday, June 9)
7:00 p.m. – Zihan Jin 金子涵, 14, China
7:22 p.m. – Modan Oyama 大山桃暖, 17, Japan
7:44 p.m. – Chenxi Chu 褚晨熙, 14, China
20-MINUTE INTERMISSION
8:24 p.m. – Xuanyan Jessie Gong 龚暄妍, 16, China
8:46 p.m. – Andrew Gu, 16, United States
ABOUT THE 2023 CLIBURN JUNIOR
The Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival was established in 2015 as another means for the Cliburn to use its standing and expertise to encourage tomorrow’s great artists, to provide a valuable forum for them to express themselves, and to give them an entrance to the next step of their journeys. Key ingredients are top international jurors, the media and webcast, Final Round performances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Festival atmosphere, which includes performance experience and artistic workshops—all put into place to make the program significantly useful for students of piano of the highest level.
2023 QUICK FACTS
COMPETITION
Four riveting rounds of Competition take place June 8–17, 2023:
- Preliminary Round (24 pianists each performing 20-minute recitals, to include one virtuosic etude and one Bach Prelude and Fugue) at SMU
- Quarterfinal Round (12 pianists each performing a 30-minute recital, to include one movement of a Classical sonata and one lyrical work) at SMU
- Semifinal Round (6 pianists each performing a 40-minute recital, to include one work by a living composer and one substantial work of at least 16 minutes in length (phase one), and one concerto movement with piano accompaniment (phase two)) at SMU
- Final Round (3 pianists each performing one complete concerto with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Valentina Peleggi) in a stunning conclusion at the Meyerson, followed by the Awards Ceremony directly after jury voting.
- Tickets on sale now.
INTERNATIONAL
Applicants and competitors hail from all around the world. 2023 applications totaled 248, with pianists representing 44 countries, and the 38 selected competitors and participants represent 13 countries. Widespread media coverage is expected; 2019 outreach resulted in over 120 stories in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
THE JURY
- Janina Fialkowska, jury chairman (Canada)
- Jane Coop (Canada)
- Adam Golka (United States/Poland)
- Carol Leone (United States)
- Anton Nel (South Africa/United States)
- Roberto Plano (Italy)
- Katia Skanavi (Greece/Russia)
- Jeffrey Swann (United States)
- Orion Weiss (United States)
SMU
Meadows School of the Arts is a leader in developing innovative outreach and community engagement programs, challenging its students to make a difference locally and globally. The university will serve as home to the 2023 Junior Competition, hosting most performances and festival events, and housing the competitors.
DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The largest performing arts organization in the Southwest, the DSO is committed to inspiring the broadest possible audience with distinctive classical programs and more. For the second time, the orchestra partners with the Cliburn to perform in the Final Round at the Meyerson Symphony Center under the baton of Valentina Peleggi.
FESTIVAL
In addition to the Competition performances, a variety of events aimed at artistic advancement of competitors, festival participants, and other pianists will be offered, including masterclasses, workshops, artist conversations, performance discussions, and free community performances around Dallas.
The 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival will be streamed live online from the first note to the announcement of the new 2023 winner. The 2023 Cliburn Junior webcast promises high quality sound and picture; a compelling, immersive program around the performances that gives viewers behind-the-scenes access and insightful commentary.
KEY DATES
- June 8–9, 2023 – Preliminary Round (SMU)
- June 10–11, 2023 – Quarterfinal Round (SMU)
- June 14–15, 2023 – Semifinal Round (SMU)
- June 17, 2023 – Final Round and Awards Ceremony (Meyerson)
LOGISTICS
Competitors and festival participants will be housed at SMU for the duration of the Competition and Festival. All travel (domestic and international) and lodging will be provided by the Cliburn.
PRIZES
The first-prize winner will receive a cash award of $15,000; second prize is $10,000; and third prize is $5,000. All three top prizes will also include $2,500 scholarships.
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 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, age 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 (third edition, June 8–17, 2023) for exceptional 13- to 17-year-old pianists and the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition 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. It presents 1,000 Cliburn in the Classroom in-school, interactive music education programs for more than 200,000 area elementary students. During the same time period, it garners the world’s attention with more than 40 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.
Major Underwriters and Acknowledgements for the 2023 Junior Competition
Bartolucci Family
Mercedes T. Bass
Texas Ballet Theater – Anne T. and Robert M. Bass
Capital One
Central Market
Children’s Health
Linda P. and William A. Custard
Hoblitzelle Foundation
Jean Baptiste “Tad” Adoue, III Fund at The Dallas Foundation
Junior League of Dallas
Cece Smith and Ford Lacy
The Eugene McDermott Foundation
Shirley and Bill McIntyre
The Morton H. Meyerson Family Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
NorthPark Center
The Rea Charitable Trust
The Richard & Enika Schulze Foundation
Sewell Automotive Companies
Janny and Warren Strickland
Carolyn and Jere Thompson, junior
Carla and Kelly ThompsonOfficial Piano of the Cliburn
Steinway & Sons – North Texas / Houston
