The Fort Worth-based Cliburn is crossing county lines and making a long-term commitment to Dallas: The arts organization is entering a 20-year partnership with Southern Methodist University and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for the next five editions of its Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists.

The next one will be contested June 10-19, 2027, in Dallas.

Formerly the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, the contest welcomes top pianists aged 13 to 17 from around the world for both fierce competition and educational enrichment. The Dallas partnership will include an in-residence fellowship program on the campus of SMU consisting of masterclasses, workshops, artist conversations, performance opportunities, and other scheduled activities, a release says.

“As the Cliburn continues to encourage the futures of the amazing young artists who participate in the Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists, we must also invest in the future of the communities that make events like this possible,” says Cliburn president and CEO Jacques Marquis in the release. “By cementing the partnership with SMU and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra - true pillars of the Dallas artistic community - for the next 20 years, we are telling the people of Dallas that the Cliburn is here, and that we are committed to the development of the next generation of great artists.”

'Cliburn Junior' history
The inaugural Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival was held in June 2015 at Texas Christian University, with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra accompanying the finalists. The top three finishers in 2015 were from Kazakhstan, Russia, and China.

Cliburn Junior 2023 winner Seokyoung Hong (center) with second-place Yifan Wu (left), and third-place Jan Schulmeister. Photo by Ralph Lauer

The competition for teens moved to Dallas and partnered with SMU and the DSO for the 2019 edition, attracting a new audience of piano enthusiasts on the east side of the Metroplex. (The Cliburn-experts at CultureMap Fort Worth published a guide to getting the most out of the competition in Dallas.)

The move to Dallas marked the first time the organization, a crown jewel of Fort Worth culture, staged a major program outside namesake Van Cliburn’s adopted hometown since Cliburn competitions began in 1962.

At the time, Marquis explained that, "One key to continuing the Cliburn’s strategic advancement is to continuously reach a broader community, both around the world and in our own backyard."

The junior competition was held in Dallas again in 2023; Seokyoung Hong, a 15-year-old phenom from South Korea, took home the top prize.

A few "Cliburn Junior" laureates have gone on to compete in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; notably, Tony Yike Yang, a Canadian pianist who competed in both the 2015 Cliburn junior and the 2017 Cliburn International, where he earned a spot in the semifinals. And Clayton Stephenson, who competed in the 2015 Cliburn Junior and returned for the 2022 Cliburn International, where he was a fan-favorite finalist (and brought the house down in Bass Hall with a performance of the Gershwin Piano Concerto.)

Clayton Stephenson competed in the 2015 Cliburn Junior Competition and returned for the 2022 Cliburn International Competition, where he was a finalist. Photo courtesy of The Cliburn

The Cliburn also just announced its further stretch, to Houston, where the inaugural Cliburn International Competition for Conductors will take place in June 2028.

Looking ahead to 2027
For the 2027 young pianists' competition, per tradition, the Preliminary and Semifinal Rounds will be hosted on the campus of SMU, where participants will also reside throughout their time in Dallas.

The Final Round will move to the Meyerson Symphony Center, where six young pianists will perform one concerto movement with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maurice Cohn, music director of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and former assistant conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

The 2027 competition jury will be chaired by Sa Chen, the 2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition bronze medalist. Additional jurors will include:

• Kenny Broberg, USA (2017 Cliburn silver medalist)
• Lucille Chung, Canada/USA
• Alessandro Deljavan, Italy (2009 & 2013 Cliburn jury prize winner who returns to DFW frequently for concerts)
• Marie-Josèphe Jude, France
• Alexander Korsantia, Georgia/USA
• Alessandro Mazzamuto, Italy
• Noriko Ogawa, Japan
• Steven Osborne, Scotland

Italian pianist and Cliburn alum Alessandro Deljavan will serve on the jury. Photo courtesy of Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth

More information can be found at the competition's website.