From the
Chairman On February 27, we said goodbye to our dear Van Cliburn. As we all know well, Van was a treasured member of the Fort Worth community who belonged to the world. His legacy as a great humanitarian, iconic musician, trusted colleague, and incomparable friend will transcend the ages. Van will long be remembered for his place in history. As we join the world in mourning the loss of a true giant, we do so with full understanding that, as the organization that bears his name, we are entrusted with the duty of carrying forward his spirit and advancing music throughout the world. With tremendous joy and determination, we are putting the final preparations in place for the Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which will be dedicated to Van Cliburn. We do so with a new president at the helm. Jacques Marquis comes to us from Montreal with exactly the right experience, knowledge base, demeanor, and vision to lead this great organization forward—to uphold the tradition of excellence while utilizing every new resource to advance our cause. Please join me in welcoming Jacques and his family to Fort Worth. The Competition would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the Cliburn volunteers— the envy of arts organizations around the world! Over 1,200 strong, they open their homes to competitors, plan and manage the gift shop, coordinate facilities and transportation needs, work with local schools to engage students, entertain special guests, and energize the entire city, among other meaningful contributions. Thank you all for your tireless support. Nancy Lee Bass, who passed away the day after Van on February 28, personified the ideal patron of the arts. She gave selflessly of her time and resources throughout her life, and was instrumental in the Cliburn’s very beginnings. It is fitting that our gold medal is named for Nancy Lee and her dear husband Perry; it will remain as a tribute to their generosity in perpetuity—alongside the Van Cliburn Winner’s Cup. We invite you to join us at Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall this month as we usher the world’s next great pianists onto the world stage.
The Cliburn Prize
For the six winners of the Fourteenth Competition, the Final Awards Ceremony is the start of a new, life-altering journey. Within weeks, they will be on the road touring, sharing their gifts and individual voices with audiences across the United States. This is the mission of the Competition: to identify those with artistic vision and give them the platform to share it and build a career on it. More significant than the coveted Cliburn medals and the over $175,000 in prizes and awards, the winners of the Competition are offered unparalleled career opportunities. With the unwavering support of recital, orchestra, and festival presenters, the Cliburn arranges and provides full artist services for hundreds of engagements across the United States—and for the gold medalist, around the world in coordination with IMG Artists—for three years. The Cliburn will also work closely with the individuals to give advice and mentorship, provide touring and promotional support, continue media training and image consulting, develop an online presence, and prepare them for the next steps in their careers while ensuring that they have the space to continue growing as artists. The winners of the 2009 Competition were heard in more than 300 performances with presenters including the Aspen and Ravinia Festivals, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, and The Mann Center with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and earned over $1.3 million in performance fees. We look forward to welcoming another class of winners who will join the list of exceptional artists that have been ushered to international prominence under the auspices of the Cliburn over the course of its 50-year history, including Barry Douglas, Olga Kern, Radu Lupu, Jon Nakamatsu, and Cristina Ortiz.
Prizes and Awards First Prize: Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal and Van Cliburn Winner’s Cup Cash award of $50,000 Career management and international concert tours for the three concert seasons following the Competition Studio and live recordings produced by harmonia mundi usa Performance attire provided by Neiman Marcus Second Prize: Silver Medal Cash award of $20,000 Career management and U.S. concert tours for the three concert seasons following the Competition Live recording produced by harmonia mundi usa Third Prize: Crystal Award Cash award of $20,000 Career management and U.S. concert tours for the three concert seasons following the Competition Live recording produced by harmonia mundi usa
Preliminary Competitor Award Cash award of $1,000 each Steven De Groote Memorial Award for the Best Performance of Chamber Music Cash award of $6,000 Beverley Taylor Smith Award for the Best Performance of a New Work Cash Award of $5,000
Finalists (Non-medalists) Cash award of $10,000 each Career management and U.S. concert tours for the three concert seasons following the Competition
Jury Discretionary Awards John Giordano Jury Chairman Discretionary Award: Cash Award of $4,000 The Raymond E. Buck Jury Discretionary Award: Cash Award of $4,000 Jury Discretionary Award: Cash Award of $4,000
Semifinalists Cash award of $5,000 each
Audience Award Cash award of $2,500
Jacques Marquis Continued from page 1 Jacques Marquis brings to the Cliburn outstanding expertise and a wealth of international piano competition experience, informed by his formal education and 20 years of working in the industry. A bilingual executive with degrees in business administration and music, he is recognized as a dynamic and visionary leader, highly skilled in team management, fundraising, operations, and finance. As executive and artistic director of Jeunesses Musicales Canada (JMC) from 2002 to 2012, Mr. Marquis contributed to answering their dual mandate: promoting classical music, especially among youth, and supporting the career development of the country's finest young artists, both at home and abroad. By the end of his tenure, JMC was producing 800 concerts and 700 workshops annually. In 2002, he was instrumental in helping establish the Montreal International Musical Competition and functioned as its executive and artistic director. In that role, he was responsible for 11 editions of the competition—five voice, three piano, and three violin. Working for the Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal from 1994 to 2002 (current artistic director Yannick NézetSéguin), he first served as artistic administrator before rising to chief operating officer in the late 1990s. Mr. Marquis has served extensively on boards in his native Canada and internationally, among them Jeunesses Musicales International, the World Federation of International Music Competitions, and the Université du Québec à Montréal.
Carla Kemp Thompson
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A graduate of the Université de Montréal with a bachelor's degree in music (piano), Mr. Marquis earned a second degree in business administration, specializing in management, from the Université du Québec à Montréal.