The Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition wraps up on Sunday. This year, the quadrennial competition carries a poignant air with the death of the legendary pianist in February at the age of 78.
Of the thirty competitors in Fort Worth, TX, only one will emerge with one of the most prestigious prizes in all the world. It’s a grueling process, one that conductor James Conlon is intimately familiar with, since he has worked with the finalists and conducted the final round for the past 16 years.
Click "listen" above to hear Monika Vischer's full interivew with Maestro James Conlon about Van Cliburn and his experience mentoring Cliburn finalists during the last four competitions. (12 minutes)
