The Cliburn: New York Times

The Cliburn, the classical music nonprofit known for its prestigious international piano competition, announced on Thursday that it would start a new contest for young conductors.

Hosted in partnership with the Houston Symphony and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, the inaugural Cliburn International Competition for Conductors will take place in 2028 in Houston, and award its grand prize winner $50,000. The groundbreaking conductor Marin Alsop will serve as jury chair.

“We ask our artists always to push their own boundaries, but as an organization, we have to also push our boundaries,” Jacques Marquis, the Cliburn’s president and chief executive, said in an interview.

Marquis noted that the Cliburn, which was named after the award-winning American pianist Van Cliburn, has a rich history of launching pianists’ careers. “In this world of classical music,” he added, “conductors are also really important.” Europe, he said, has several conducting competitions.

Read the full New York Times feature here.