Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn, Jr., (/ˈklaɪbɜrn/; July 12, 1934 – February 27, 2013) was an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at the age of 23, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow at the height of the Cold War.His mother, an accomplished pianist who had studied under a student of Franz Liszt, discovered him playing at age three and mimicking one of her students. She began his own lessons. He developed a rich, round tone and a singing voice-like phrasing, having been taught from the start to sing each piece.Van Cliburn toured domestically and overseas. He played for royalty, heads of state, and every U.S. president from Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama.
He was awarded the 2010 National Medal of Arts for his contributions as a pianist in the history of music, and as an ambassador for American culture. Since his historic 1958 victory at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, he has reached across political frontiers with the universal message of beautiful music.
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In the early days of the Cold War, in 1958, Cliburn became the first American to win the Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, in Moscow.
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Van Cliburn received the John F. Kennedy Center Honors in 2001.
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
America's Tribute to Bob Hope
1988
TV Movie documentary musician: piano
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Cliburn: 50 Years of Gold
2012
TV Movie documentary
Pianist
The Young and the Restless
2006
TV Series
Himself
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts
2001
TV Special
Himself - Honoree
Biography
1994
TV Series documentary
Himself
Carnegie Hall at 100: A Place of Dreams
1991
Video documentary
Himself
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts
1989
TV Special
Himself
CBS This Morning
1989
TV Series
Himself
This Morning
1989
TV Series
Himself
America's Tribute to Bob Hope
1988
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
1981
TV Movie
Himself
Live from Lincoln Center
1976
TV Series
Himself - Pianist
The Mike Douglas Show
1971
TV Series
Guest
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
1968-1971
TV Series
Himself
MisteRogers
1966-1967
TV Series
Himself
What's My Line?
1958-1964
TV Series
Himself - Mystery Guest / Himself - Guest Panelist
The Ed Sullivan Show
1961
TV Series
Himself - Pianist
Carnegie Hall Salutes Jack Benny
1961
TV Special
Himself
The Bell Telephone Hour
1960
TV Series
Himself
Sunday Showcase
1959
TV Series
Himself - Performer-Recipient
The All-Star Christmas Show
1958
TV Movie
Himself
The Milton Berle Show
1958
TV Series
Himself
The Steve Allen Plymouth Show
1958
TV Series
Himself - Pianist
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
The 56th Annual Grammy Awards
2014
TV Special
Himself - Classical Pianist (In Memoriam)
When Seattle Invented the Future: The 1962 World's Fair