June 10, 2017. Rachel Cheung from Hong Kong performs with conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra on Saturday in the Final Round of The Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition held at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo Carolyn Cruz)
The Cliburn received 388 applications from pianists from 51 countries, a 34% increase over the last edition in 2017, according to the Cliburn organization.
The representation is a record-breaking number.
The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will take place June 2-18, 2022, in Fort Worth.
The pool represents the largest and most diverse in the organization's 60-year history according to Cliburn organizers.
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"Following the vision of Van Cliburn, the Cliburn Competition serves two mandates: to constantly grow the international fanbase for classical music, and to discover and support the best-of-the-best young pianists," said Jacques Marquis, president and CEO.
"This excellent application response is a testament to the artform's vibrancy; it is our job now to manage the selection process carefully, as our experts determine the 30 who will be invited to Fort Worth in June. With this level of geographic representation and, particularly, after the global challenges of the past two years, the Competition will be a truly extraordinary celebration of the resiliency of the human spirit and of the power of music."
The applicants consist of 277 men, 110 women, and 1 non-binary person.
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An extra year of eligibility was added to the Cliburn competition normal age range of 18-30 due to the pandemic-related one-year postponement.
Tickets are on sale now for individual concerts as are a variety of subscription options.
The competition has been broadcast live online since 2001.
