FORT WORTH, Texas, January 12, 2023—A total of 248 pianists, age 13 to 17, and representing 44 countries, have submitted applications to compete in the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, taking place June 8–17, 2023, in Dallas, Texas, with the Preliminary, Quarterfinal, and Semifinal Rounds at the SMUMeadows School of the Arts and the Final Round performance with the Dallas Symphony Orchestraconducted by Valentina Peleggi at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The selected 24 competitors and 14 non-competing festival participants will be announced on March 28, 2023.
Applicant Pool
Countries represented by the 248 Junior Competition applicants include (in alphabetical order): Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, China Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.
The countries with the most applicants are: China (100); United States (93); South Korea (24); Canada (20); Japan (10).
A selection committee is now in the process of choosing 24 competitors and 14 non-competing festival participants from the impressive applicant pool, through online applications and video submissions, which are 15 to 20 minutes in length and include one virtuosic etude, one movement of a Classical sonata, and one lyrical work.
Ticket Options
Subscriptions include tickets to all 12 concert + awards ceremony and range in price from $139 to $525. Full details are below, and all tickets are available for purchase at cliburn.org/2023-junior-tickets or by calling the Dallas Symphony Orchestra box office at 214.849.4376.
Virtuoso Circle Subscription (price based on Final Round seating at the Meyerson)
$495–$525
- PREFERRED SEATING TO all 12 concerts + awards
- Ticket to the closing reception at the Nasher Sculpture Center
- Official program book Virtuoso Circle souvenir pin
- Access to Virtuoso Circle private lounge throughout
Complete Subscription (price based on Final Round seating at the Meyerson)
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE UP TO 20%! all 12 concerts + awards
$139–$195
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
Preliminary Round
June 8–9, 2023
24 competitors each perform a 20-minute solo recital
Caruth Auditorium at SMU
Free with reservation
Quarterfinal Round
June 10–11, 2023
12 competitors each perform a 30-minute solo recital
Caruth Auditorium at SMU
$15 per ticket
Semifinal Round
June 14–15, 2023
6 competitors each perform a 40-minute solo recital (June 14) and one movement of a concerto with piano accompaniment (June 15).
Caruth Auditorium at SMU
$25 per ticket
Final Round & Awards Ceremony
June 17, 2023
3 competitors each perform full concertos with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Valentina Peleggi, conductor.
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center
$29–$109 per ticket
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
The Junior Competition and Festival was established in 2015 as another means for the Cliburn to use its standing and expertise to encourage tomorrow’s great artists, to provide a valuable forum for them to express themselves, and to give them an entrance to the next step of their journeys. Key ingredients were top international jurors, the media and webcast, Final Round performances with orchestra, and the festival atmosphere, which included performance experience and artistic workshops—all put into place to make the program significantly useful for students with aspirations of being professional musicians.
The Third Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival for talented pianists age 13–17, will take place June 8–17, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. The Preliminary through Semifinal Rounds and festival events will take place on the campus of SMU, where participants will also reside. The Final Round will be held at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, where the three finalists will each perform a full concerto with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and conductor Valentina Peleggi.
The Cliburn will invite 24 pianists to compete, and 14 additional pianists will be accepted as non-competing festival participants, who will have the opportunity to take part in master classes, workshops, and other elective activities.
Learn more about the Junior Competition here.
ELIGIBILITY
The Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival is open to pianists of all nationalities. Previous first-prize winners of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival are not eligible to apply. Applicants must have been born on or after June 17, 2005, and before June 8, 2010. This age requirement is firm, and applies to those applying to compete as well as those applying to come as non-competing participants.
ROUNDS AND REPERTOIRE
PRELIMINARY ROUND (JUNE 8–9, 2023) CARUTH AUDITORIUM AT SMU
24 competitors will each perform a recital not to exceed 20 minutes in length. The recital must include:
One three- or four-voice Bach Prelude and Fugue
One fast, virtuosic etude (choice is subject to approval by the Cliburn)
The remainder of the program may be chosen by the pianist.
QUARTERFINAL ROUND (JUNE 10–11, 2023) CARUTH AUDITORIUM AT SMU
12 competitors will each perform a recital not to exceed 30 minutes in length. The recital must include:
One slow, lyrical work, similar to a nocturne, intermezzo, or song without words (choice is subject to approval by the Cliburn)
The first or last movement of one of the following Classical sonatas (sonatas may be played in their entirety):
Any Haydn sonata
Any Mozart sonata
One of the following Beethoven sonatas:
Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, op. 2, no. 1
Sonata No. 2 in A Major, op. 2, no. 2
Sonata No. 3 in C Major, op. 2, no. 3
Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, op. 7
Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, op. 10, no. 1
Sonata No. 6 in F Major, op. 10, no. 2
Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3
Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, op. 13 (“Pathetique”)
Sonata No. 9 in E Major, op. 14, no. 1
Sonata No. 10 in G Major, op. 14, no. 2
Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, op. 22
Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major, op. 26
The remainder of the program may be chosen by the pianist. Repertoire from the Preliminary Round may not be repeated.
SEMIFINAL ROUND (JUNE 14–15, 2023) CARUTH AUDITORIUM AT SMU
6 competitors will perform in the Semifinal Round which will be held in two phases:
PHASE I: Each pianist must perform a 40-minute recital program, including:
One work written by a living composer.
A substantial work of at least 16 minutes.
The remainder of the program may be chosen by the pianist. Repertoire from the Preliminary and Quarterfinal Rounds may not be repeated.
PHASE II: Each pianist will perform one movement, as determined by the Cliburn in consultation with the jury, of the concerto submitted for the Final Round with piano accompaniment. The Cliburn will provide an accompanist.
FINAL ROUND (JUNE 17, 2023) MORTON H. MEYERSON SYMPHONY CENTER
3 competitors will each perform one concerto with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, selected from the following list:
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, op. 15
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, op. 19
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, op. 37
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, op. 21
GRIEG Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 16
LISZT Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, s. 124
LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major, s. 125
MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, op. 25
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-Flat Major, K. 271
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K. 453
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 26 in D Major, K. 537
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-Flat Major, K. 595
RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G Major
PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-Flat Major, op. 10
SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22
CLARA SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 7
SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 54