Biography

Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (July 12, 1934 – February 27, 2013) was a celebrated American pianist who became an international icon and a symbol of cultural diplomacy during the Cold War.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Cliburn began his piano studies at age three with his mother, Rildia Bee O'Bryan Cliburn, who had been a student of Arthur Friedheim (a pupil of Franz Liszt). He demonstrated prodigious talent early on, making his orchestral debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra at age 12. At 17, he entered The Juilliard School in New York, where he studied under the renowned pedagogue Rosina Lhévinne.

Cliburn’s career was propelled to legendary status in 1958 when, at age 23, he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. His victory occurred at the height of the Cold War, shortly after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. His performance so captivated the Soviet jury and public that, upon asking Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev if Cliburn was truly the best, Khrushchev famously replied, "Then give him the prize!"