July 12 - Van Cliburn (The Musical Birthday Series)

Van Cliburn (12 July 1934 – 27 February 2013) was an American pianist who achieve a stardom unusual for classical pianists after winning the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

Naming Rights

Oh, Van Cliburn, it was glorious

When you came back home victorious!

When you won the Russian prize,

Taking Moscow by surprise.

When you played Tchaikovsky’s First

Fame was yours and in a burst

You became a household name,

Beating Russia at its game,

Honored for the way you played

With a ticker tape parade.

Post-Tchaikovsky, your ambition 

Was to host a competition,

So, with your trophy on your shelf,

You named a contest for yourself.

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