Van Cliburn wins the First International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958

Watch the full documentary “Van Cliburn Concert PIanist“ by Peter Rosen here: Victory at the International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition In 1958, Van Cliburn won the coveted First prize at the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, Russia. A huge accomplishment on its own, Mr. Cliburn’s victory was made even more significant by the political climate of the time. Taking place just months after the Russian launch of Sputnik, the first earth-orbiting satellite, the competition was created to shine a spotlight on the country’s cultural and musical icons, and to bring equal attention to great classical music as had been shown to science, math and technology. A decade into the Cold War, the success of an American pianist at Russia’s most prestigious musical competition was a ray of hope and mutual understanding as the two countries built a connection around a shared love of classical music. © Peter Rosen Productions Inc.