The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is widely considered “one of the most prestigious contests in classical music” (The New York Times, June 2022). From its origins in 1962 through today, it has remained dedicated to sharing music with the largest international audience possible and to launching the careers of its winners. The 2025 edition builds on that rich foundation and the historic success of the 2022 edition, which has become one of the most-watched classical events in history—60 million views across 177 countries—and propelled Gold Medalist Yunchan Lim‘s meteoric rise to stardom. In the just three seasons since his Cliburn win, concert engagements have included most of the world’s career-highlight venues and orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestras, and Orchestre de Paris, and Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw, and Seoul Arts Center (most quickly sold out). His performance videos are now the most viewed online for some of classical piano’s most popular works, including Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3, Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3, Liszt 12 Transcendental Etudes, and Mozart Piano Concerto No. 22, K. 482.
From an applicant pool of 340 pianists representing 45 countries and regions, 30 have been invited to compete May 21–June 7, 2025. In front of warm Fort Worth audiences, fans around the world watching online, and an outstanding jury chaired by Paul Lewis, they’ll perform across four rounds; for finalists, that will mean more than 4 hours of music each.
Beyond the cash awards, they’re competing for a chance at an international touring career: medalists win three years of comprehensive and personalized career management, which includes concert bookings, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts. The total Cliburn prize package is worth an estimated $2 million.
BOOK
MENU
