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The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Archive

Content

The Van Cliburn Competition Archive consists of audio, video and print materials from about 1960 onward, comprising several sub-collections.

Original Materials:  

• original magnetic audiovisual recordings documenting the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and other Fort Worth cultural events
• textual materials:  press materials, organizational files, flyers, posters and programs
• musical scores comprising the jury library of the Competition
• film reels and soundtracks of various types

Reference Collection:  duplicate audiovisual recordings, publications and memorabilia, for use by staff and patrons.

Support Collection:  published sound and video recordings, books, and other items, by and concerning Competition participants and jurors. 

Importance

The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is widely considered to be the world's foremost piano competition.  It is also a reflection of the surprisingly abundant growth of the arts in Fort Worth, by tradition a "western" town.  The presence of the Archive evidences a long-standing connection between TCU and the Van Cliburn Foundation.

Purpose

To function as a permanent reminder of Competitions past, by preserving records of events, and of the remarkable organization backing them; to document, in part, the cultural evolution of fort Worth; and to assist the Cliburn Foundation, serving its information needs and enhancing its image within the community.

Relevance

The global appeal of the Cliburn Competition is undeniable, fuelled by extraordinary talent, dynamic personalities, and the excitement of artistic achievement.

Utility

The collection accommodates an array of different interests, which include the study of the competitive process in music; the development of individual performers; performance practice and the piano literature; the cultural life of Fort Worth; and of course, the history of the Cliburn Competition itself.

Availability

Those outside TCU and the Cliburn Foundation should apply for access to the Cliburn Archivist in the Special Collections department of the Mary Couts Burnett Library, and must subsequently be approved by Cliburn Foundation personnel.

Above left:  Poster image by Ivan Chermayeff, 1993

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