Moscow nights van cliburn biography

Van Cliburn

American pianist (1934–2013)

For the eponymous piano competition, see Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Van Cliburn

Cliburn in 1966

Born

Harvey Lavan Cliburn Jr.


(1934-07-12)July 12, 1934

Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.

DiedFebruary 27, 2013(2013-02-27) (aged 78)

Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.

OccupationClassical pianist

Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (; 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 Van Cliburn - Wikipedia MUNY