Countdown to the Cliburn
The 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition kicks off in Fort Worth May 21 to June 7. The Fort Worth Report will provide in-depth coverage of the competition. Follow the score .
Jacques Marquis came to Fort Worth from Montreal in 2013 to lead one of the world鈥檚 most prestigious piano competitions.
In the dozen years since, the president and CEO of the Van Cliburn Foundation has overseen the globally recognized Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Starting May 21, the competition returns with 30 emerging pianists from 15 countries 鈥� ranging in ages from 18 to 30 鈥� vying for top prizes and career management packages during a three-week period at TCU鈥檚 Van Cliburn Concert Hall and Bass Performance Hall.
鈥淚 came here from Montreal because of the Cliburn,鈥� Marquis told attendees at a May 13 hosted by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce at the Kimbell Art Museum. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad I came to Fort Worth because it鈥檚 a diamond here in Fort Worth.鈥�
He described the Cliburn as one of the top two piano competitions in the world. But, he adds, 鈥淚鈥檓 not saying that.鈥�
Media outlets, such as BBC Music Magazine and The New York Times, have described the Cliburn with glowing accolades since the competition began in 1962, he said.
Its direct economic impact on Fort Worth is massive 鈥� to the tune of $15 million to $20 million 鈥� every four years that the competition is held. Visitors spend money at restaurants, hotels and vehicle rentals during the competition鈥檚 run, which concludes this year on June 7.
The competition鈥檚 start 鈥渨as in tribute to Van鈥� after the late pianist won the inaugural in Moscow in 1958 and was celebrated with a ticker-tape parade in New York City, the first pianist recognized to such national acclaim. Time magazine described Cliburn at the time as 鈥�.鈥�
Almost 65 years later, the competition is thriving in Fort Worth.
The Cliburn, coupled with the upcoming May 19-25 at Colonial Country Club, 鈥減uts eyeballs on Fort Worth,鈥� said Robert Allen, president and CEO of the .
鈥淭hat type of culture doesn鈥檛 show up in a box score,鈥� he said, adding that it allows business leaders to present the cultural aspects of the city in storytelling efforts to attract businesses.
鈥淚t鈥檚 significant, it demonstrates the well-roundedness of a city like ours,鈥� Allen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful time in Fort Worth.鈥�
With the use of technology, millions of people now view the piano competition and numerous related piano concerts online through webcasts. When that endeavor started in 2015, half a million viewers tuned in, Marquis said.
Those efforts have boomed in recent years. In 2022, with partnerships with South Korea and China, those webcasts reached 60 million views, he said. This spring, the foundation is partnering with to stream documentaries, past recitals and select performances from the 2025 competition.
鈥淲e bring the eyes to Fort Worth,鈥� Marquis said.
In 2022, about 30,000 tickets were sold for the Cliburn. From those tickets, 22.5% were at least 50 miles away from North Texas.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 about 7,000 people coming from 14 countries and 44 states,鈥� Marquis said.
Those visitors created a strong economic impact by spending about $500 to $3,000 each during their stay in Fort Worth.
鈥淲hen you come to (the) impact of the Cliburn, the Cliburn reaches the world every four years,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ecause we manage the careers of the winners, we also do a movie.鈥�
That film, 鈥�,鈥� follows the 2022 competition with behind-the-scenes stories of pianists, capturing 鈥渟tories of adversity, sacrifice and heartbreak.鈥� The film is available on Amazon and other platforms. The foundation also produces classical music albums distributed internationally.
Wherever you go out in the world, if you say Fort Worth, the city鈥檚 connection to the Cliburn comes to the minds of many, Marquis said.
The foundation鈥檚 efforts to promote classical music led to 7 million impressions on social media in 2022 as well as 5,000 news articles across the world.
That鈥檚 invaluable global recognition, he said.
鈥淚f you can tell me how much this is worth, I鈥檒l go to see all the businesses and sell and try to get sponsors,鈥� Marquis said.
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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