REGISTRATION & ORIENTATION: 4:00pm. in hotel conference room on the 5th floor. Pick up your Road Scholar arrival packet containing your name tag, up-to-date schedule, list of participants, maps, and other important information we will review.
The on-site coordinator will greet you with a warm Texas welcome, introduce everyone, and provide key staff contact names and phone numbers. We will review the up-to-date daily schedule, discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. If you arrive late, pick up your packet at the hotel front desk.
This program date focuses on the Van Cliburn Competition Semi-Finals. You will have opportunities to hear the 12 semi-finalists as they each play a solo recital, a newly commissioned work, and perform with the acclaimed Brentano String Quartet. You will also be present for the announcement of which six will advance to the finals.
Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to weather and other local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible.Dinner: Enjoy a welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant; vegetarian and low-salt meals available. As we walk to and from the restaurant, you will become acquainted with the Sundance Square area and see the positive effects of recent downtown revitalization efforts.Evening: EVENING PROGRAM: Peter Rosen’s enthralling documentary film “A Surprise in Texas” takes you backstage at the 13th annual Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009. Follow the grueling three-week competition schedule for insights into the lives of the 29 young contestants from 14 countries who came to Fort Worth to compete for one of the most prestigious prizes in the music world. Experience “Nobu fever” — after Nobuyuki Tsujii, the blind pianist who became an inspiration to all people who face hurdles or obstacles in life. You’ll also get a behind-the-scenes look at the time contestants had in North Texas as they eat barbecue, model cowboy hats, and soak up the homey vibe of “Cowtown” in the company of their local hosts.Lodging: Embassy SuitesMeals Included: Dinner
You will begin your exploration of the 14th Van Cliburn Competition with a lecture/discussion with a university professor, who will attend the competition sessions with you and discuss the works heard, the competitors, composers, and different styles of piano performance throughout the program.
The Van Cliburn Foundation also sponsors a quadrennial Amateur Competition open to pianists age 35 and older who do not derive their principal source of income through piano performance or instruction. These talented musicians also compete in three elimination rounds, have opportunities to explore chamber music works with professional musicians, and participate in symposia and other events. After a short break, you will meet one of the finalists from the 2011 Amateur Competition, who will share stories and insights into the experience.Lunch: We will walk to lunch at a nearby restaurant in the Sundance Square area; vegetarian and low-salt options available. A city-operated trolley service is available for those who prefer not to walk.Afternoon: VAN CLIBURN COMPETITION SEMI-FINALS: Watch and listen as the semi-finalists play in Bass Performance Hall. The Semi-final Round is in two phases. Phase I consists of a recital not to exceed 60 minutes in length of works chosen by the pianist, as well as a new work commissioned by the Van Cliburn Foundation from composer Christopher Theofanidis, whose music has been described as “lyrical, exotic soul searching” by the New York Times. In Phase II each pianist performs a quintet chosen from works by Brahms, Dvorák, Franck, and Schumann with the Brentano String Quartet, one of the world's foremost chamber ensembles.Dinner: We will walk to dinner in the Sundance Square area; vegetarian and low-salt meals will be available. Enjoy a variety of types of food during your stay in downtown Fort Worth.Evening: VAN CLIBURN COMPETITION SEMI-FINALS: Attend another Semi-final Round at Bass Performance Hall. Over the past four decades, the Cliburn Competition has involved hundreds of great musicians, music professionals, and dedicated individuals in its various activities. Its juries have included Jorge Bolet, Philippe Entremont, Rudolf Firkusny, Leon Fleisher, Malcolm Frager, Alberto Ginastera, Howard Hanson, Nicole Henriot-Schweitzer, Lili Kraus, Alicia de Larrocha, Dame Moura Lympany, Nikita Magaloff, Gerald Moore, John Ogdon, Cecile Ousset, Gyorgy Sandor, Harold Schonberg, Maxim Shostakovich, Soulima Stravinsky, Walter Susskind, Alexis Weissenberg, and Earl Wild.Lodging: Embassy SuitesMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After a short break, a music professor will lead a lecture-discussion on piano performance and musical genres.Lunch: Lunch is on your own today. Choose from one of many nearby eateries and explore the downtown area.Afternoon: VAN CLIBURN COMPETITION SEMI-FINALS: Attend another Semi-final Round at Bass Performance Hall. By now, you will have become familiar with these extraordinary young talents and may be rooting for your favorite.Dinner: We will walk to dinner in the Sundance Square area; vegetarian and low-salt meals will be available.
As you have learned, Sundance Square is rich in Western history and lore. It is named for the Sundance Kid who, with Butch Cassidy, was a frequent visitor to the area then known as Hell's Half Acre.Evening: VAN CLIBURN COMPETITION SEMI-FINALS: Attend another Semi-final Round at Bass Performance Hall. The intensity of the competition will be playing out, literally, as you watch.Lodging: Embassy SuitesMeals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
A representative from Bass Performance Hall will tell you about this hall, developed with private funds, that has become the crown jewel of Fort Worth — a city which boasts America’s third-largest cultural district. It is also an important symbol of one of the most successful downtown revitalization efforts in the country. The 2,056-seat multipurpose Hall is characteristic of the classic European opera house form. An 80-foot diameter Great Dome tops the Founders Concert Theater while two 48-foot tall angels grace the Grand Facade. Since the Hall opened in May 1998, the angels have become cultural icons. The Hall itself is renowned for its superb acoustics, exceptional sight lines, and ambience on level with the great halls of the world.Lunch: We will walk to lunch in the Sundance Square area; vegetarian and low-salt meals will be available.Afternoon: VAN CLIBURN COMPETITION SEMI-FINALS: Attend another Semi-final Round at Bass Performance Hall. The excitement and tension in the hall are palpable. Imagine how the contestants feel!Dinner: We will walk to dinner in the Sundance Square area; vegetarian and low-salt meals will be available. Sundance Square is at the heart of Fort Worth's vibrant downtown cultural district.Evening: VAN CLIBURN COMPETITION SEMI-FINALS: Attend another Semi-final Round at Bass Performance Hall. There are no "losers" in this competition. Each young artist has to deal with the challenges of incredibly demanding performance situations that will prepare them for whatever lies ahead.Lodging: Embassy SuitesMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After a short break, a music professor continues your lecture-discussion on the pieces performed during the competition and will offer further insights into the study of piano.Lunch: We will walk to lunch in the Sundance Square area; vegetarian and low-salt meals will be available.Afternoon: VAN CLIBURN COMPETITION SEMI-FINALS: Attend another Semi-final Round at Bass Performance Hall. As we approach the conclusion of the Semi-Final Round, each of the 12 semifinalists will have performed a solo recital and a piano quintet with the world-renowned Brentano String Quartet as well as the newly-commissioned work by Christopher Theofanidis. Many of you will now know this music by heart!Dinner: We will walk to the Sundance Square area for our last dinner together; vegetarian and low-salt meals available.Evening: VAN CLIBURN COMPETITION SEMI-FINALS: This is it — the last of the Semi-final Round. At the conclusion of the performances, you will be present for the announcement of the six young pianists who advance to the Final Round of competition. Share in the excitement, the tears of joy (or disappointment) and find out if your favorite young performers have been judged worthy as finalists.Lodging: Embassy SuitesMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
HOTEL CHECK-OUT: By 11:00am.
We hope you have enjoyed this very special event and will return for other rewarding Road Scholar programs in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!Meals Included: Breakfast