FORT WORTH, Texas, December 15, 2022— The Cliburn announces the jury for the third edition of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, for exceptional pianists age 13–17, taking place June 8–17, 2023, in Dallas, Texas, at Caruth Auditorium at SMU and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The 24 pianists invited to compete, as well as 14 additional non-competing festival participants, will be chosen through online applications (open now and due January 10, 2023), including a 15–20 minute video audition. Competitors will be announced March 28, 2023. Tickets and subscription packages will go on sale January 10, 2023.
Janina Fialkowska, renowned Canadian pianist, will serve as jury chairman.
2023 JUNIOR COMPETITION JURY
- Janina Fialkowska, jury chairman (Canada)
- Jane Coop (Canada)
- Adam Golka (USA/Poland)
- Carol Leone (USA)
- Anton Nel (South Africa/USA)
- Roberto Plano (Italy)
- Katia Skanavi (Greece/Russia)
- Jeffrey Swann (USA)
- Orion Weiss (USA)
ABOUT VALENTINA PELEGGI
Valentina Peleggi has been music director of the Richmond Symphony since the 2020–2021 season and has already revitalized the orchestra’s artistic output. While focusing on developing the orchestra’s own sound, she has also launched new concert formats, joined national co-commission partnerships, started a 3-year composer-in-residence program, launched conducting masterclasses in collaboration with local universities, and championed neglected composers from diverse backgrounds. Highlights of the 2022–2023 season include a ground-breaking augmented reality project, Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, and a special concert with soloist Yo-Yo Ma.
This season, Valentina debuts with the New World Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, and Rochester Philharmonic; at the Grant Park Festival in Chicago; and in Europe with the Residentie Orkest, Liege Philharmonic, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Nuremberg Symphony, and the orchestra of Opera North, also conducting the opening concert of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Engagements in recent seasons have included the Colorado and Baltimore Symphonies, Royal Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Brussels Philharmonic, Norrköping Symphony, Orchestra della Toscana, and Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano.
The first Italian woman to enter the conducting program at the Royal Academy of Music of London, she graduated with distinction and was awarded the DipRAM for an outstanding final concert as well as numerous other prizes and was recently honored with the title of Associate. She furthered her studies with David Zinman and Daniele Gatti at the Zurich Tonhalle and at the Royal Concertgebouw masterclasses. She won the 2014 Conducting Prize at the Festival International de Inverno Campos do Jordão, received a Bruno Walter Foundation Scholarship at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in California, and the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship 2015–2017 under Marin Alsop. Learn more about Valentina at valentinapeleggi.com.
KEY DATES OF THE 2023 CLIBURN JUNIOR COMPETITION
January 27, 2022 Online applications open
January 10, 2023 Applications due
March 28, 2023 Competitors announced
June 7, 2023 Competitor Orientation and Opening Dinner & Draw Party
June 8, 2023 Competition begins
June 17, 2023 Awards CeremonyABOUT THE 2023 CLIBURN JUNIOR COMPETITION
The Junior 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 were top international jurors, the media and webcast, Final Round performances with orchestra, and the festival atmosphere, which included performance experience and artistic workshops—all put into place to make the program significantly useful for students with aspirations of being professional musicians.
The Third Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival for talented pianists age 13–17, will take place June 8–17, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. The Preliminary through Semifinal Rounds and festival events will take place on the campus of SMU, where participants will also reside. The Final Round will be held at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, where the three finalists will each perform a full concerto with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and conductor Valentina Paleggi.
The Cliburn will invite 24 pianists to compete, and 14 additional pianists will be accepted as non-competing festival participants, who will have the opportunity to take part in master classes, workshops, and other elective activities.
Learn more about the Junior Competition here.
ELIGIBILITY
The Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival is open to pianists of all nationalities. Previous first-prize winners of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival are not eligible to apply. Applicants must have been born on or after June 17, 2005, and before June 8, 2010. This age requirement is firm, and applies to those applying to compete as well as those applying to come as non-competing participants.
ROUNDS AND REPERTOIRE
PRELIMINARY ROUND (JUNE 8–9, 2023) CARUTH AUDITORIUM AT SMU24 competitors will each perform a recital not to exceed 20 minutes in length. The recital must include:
One three- or four-voice Bach Prelude and Fugue
One fast, virtuosic etude (choice is subject to approval by the Cliburn)
The remainder of the program may be chosen by the pianist.QUARTERFINAL ROUND (JUNE 10–11, 2023) CARUTH AUDITORIUM AT SMU14 competitors will each perform a recital not to exceed 30 minutes in length. The recital must include:
One slow, lyrical work, similar to a nocturne, intermezzo, or song without words (choice is subject to approval by the Cliburn)The first or last movement of one of the following Classical sonatas (sonatas may be played in their entirety):
Any Haydn sonata
Any Mozart sonata
One of the following Beethoven sonatas:
Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, op. 2, no. 1
Sonata No. 2 in A Major, op. 2, no. 2
Sonata No. 3 in C Major, op. 2, no. 3
Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, op. 7
Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, op. 10, no. 1
Sonata No. 6 in F Major, op. 10, no. 2
Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3
Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, op. 13 (“Pathetique”)
Sonata No. 9 in E Major, op. 14, no. 1
Sonata No. 10 in G Major, op. 14, no. 2
Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, op. 22
Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major, op. 26
The remainder of the program may be chosen by the pianist. Repertoire from the Preliminary Round may not be repeated.SEMIFINAL ROUND (JUNE 14–15, 2023) CARUTH AUDITORIUM AT SMU6 competitors will perform in the Semifinal Round which will be held in two phases:
PHASE I: Each pianist must perform a 40-minute recital program, including:
One work written by a living composer.
A substantial work of at least 16 minutes.
The remainder of the program may be chosen by the pianist. Repertoire from the Preliminary and Quarterfinal Rounds may not be repeated.PHASE II: Each pianist will perform one movement, as determined by the Cliburn in consultation with the jury, of the concerto submitted for the Final Round with piano accompaniment. The Cliburn will provide an accompanist.
FINAL ROUND (JUNE 17, 2023) MORTON H. MEYERSON SYMPHONY CENTER3 competitors will each perform one concerto with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, selected from the following list:
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, op. 15
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, op. 19
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, op. 37
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, op. 21
GRIEG Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 16
LISZT Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, s. 124
LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major, s. 125
MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, op. 25
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-Flat Major, K. 271
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K. 453
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 26 in D Major, K. 537
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-Flat Major, K. 595
RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G Major
PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-Flat Major, op. 10
SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22
CLARA SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 7
SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 54ABOUT 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 30 million views from 170 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 of the 2023 Cliburn Junior
Jean Baptiste “Tad” Adoue, III Fund at The Dallas Foundation
NorthPark Center
Sewell Automotive Companies
The Richard & Enika Schulze Foundation
Official Piano of the Cliburn
Steinway & Sons – North Texas / Houston
