Despite the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, organizers at The Cliburn say they will allow Russian-born pianists to participate in the upcoming auditions for the 16th annual competition this summer in Fort Worth.
While organizers said "the invasion of Ukraine by Russia is reprehensible and heartbreaking" and that they condemn the tyranny, the Russian-born pianists who applied for the competition are not officials of the government and their participation is not state-sponsored so they will continue to welcome them to the auditions.
When making their decision the Fort Worth-based group considered Cliburn's own story of his victory at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow which inspired the world during the Cold War.
"Since we know that classical music is timeless and everlasting, it is precisely the eternal verities inherent in classical music that remain a spiritual beacon for people all over the world," Van Cliburn was quoted as saying.
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Of the 72 pianists invited to take part in next week's Screening Auditions for the 2022 Cliburn Competition, 15 are Russian-born; eight of whom are currently residing in Moscow.
"These young, brilliant artists have worked their way through an intense and complicated situation to ensure they would be able to come to Fort Worth for their chance to compete on one of classical music's biggest stages-for their chance to live their dreams," said the organization.
Screening Auditions of the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will take place March 6-12 in PepsiCo Recital Hall on campus at TCU.
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The auditions are open to the public and are free to attend.
For the full schedule, details, and pianist list, visit cliburn.org/2022screeningauditions.
