While Fort Worth is home to The Cliburn piano competition, its origins, in a sense started in Russia when a young Van Cliburn took the stage in Moscow, wowed the 1958 Cold War crowd and won a prestigious competition there.
The ability for music to transcend nationality and politics has infused The Cliburn ever since which, this month, held prelims for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for pianists, ranging in age from 18 to 30-years-old.
Jacques Marquis, President and CEO of The Cliburn, said the recitals that were held from March 6-12 included 72 competitors.
15 of the players were born in Russia and of those – eight live in Moscow.
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“Artists are the ones who will speak against the government,” Marquis said. “When they can.”
And right now, they can’t, which is why Marquis maintains its important to let the music speak.
It is hard a tune for some to hear right now.
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Father Pavlo Popov is pastor at Saint Sophia Ukrainian Catholic Church in the Colony.
“I understand they might not be guilty as individuals but, you know, that’s exactly how you get to Russia - by sanctioning everybody, the whole country,” Popov said.
After service on Sunday, Popov shared with NBC5 how many in his largely Ukrainian-American congregation fear their loved ones in Ukraine will survive constant Russian attacks.
In an environment where Russian athletes are already being barred from many competitions, Popov is calling on The Cliburn to reconsider allowing any Russian competitor that may qualify among 30 finalists set to compete starting June 2.
“Musicians they go back home and tell their parents we were not allowed to compete because of Putin - because of the regime,” Popov said. “That’s the way it’s going to work.”
Marquis says The Cliburn, which includes alumni and a board of directors, will continue to discuss the best approach going forward but added since Russian pianists are not sponsored by the state, the artistic non-profit is leaning on its history as a testament to how art can transcend tense current moments.
“We have to be aware of what’s happening in the world, at the same time, I still believe that young musicians can be a real strong voice in the future,” Marquis said.
