By: Hunter, Bob H.C.R. No. 142
73R10831 SAJ-F
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, The members of the Texas Legislature are proud to
1-2 honor Van Cliburn for his outstanding accomplishments as a concert
1-3 pianist and for the many significant contributions he has made in
1-4 the field of music education through the provision of scholarships
1-5 and the cultivation of international musical competition; and
1-6 WHEREAS, During an extraordinary career that has brought him
1-7 well-deserved acclaim throughout the world, Mr. Cliburn has
1-8 maintained his ancestral ties to Texas, which include a maternal
1-9 grandfather, Judge William Carey O'Bryan, who was a member of the
1-10 Texas House of Representatives and who, with his talented wife,
1-11 Sirrildia McClain O'Bryan, later became a trusted advisor to
1-12 Governor Pat Neff, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Tom Clark, and
1-13 Congressman and longtime Speaker Sam Rayburn; and
1-14 WHEREAS, The son of Harvey Lavan Cliburn and Rildia Bee
1-15 O'Bryan Cliburn, he was destined for fame at an early age and began
1-16 studying piano as a three-year-old with his mother, an accomplished
1-17 pianist in her own right, and played in public for the first time
1-18 at age four; and
1-19 WHEREAS, At age 12, the accomplished youth captured
1-20 first-place honors at a statewide competition for young Texas
1-21 pianists, and the following year he made his first appearance at
1-22 Carnegie Hall after winning the National Music Festival Award; and
1-23 WHEREAS, He entered The Juilliard School when he was 17 and,
1-24 after garnering numerous accolades as a student, went on to receive
2-1 the prestigious Edgar M. Leventritt Foundation Award in 1954,
2-2 which granted him the opportunity to perform with major orchestras
2-3 across the country; and
2-4 WHEREAS, Mr. Cliburn skyrocketed to worldwide fame at age 23
2-5 as the winner of the First Tchaikovsky International Piano
2-6 Competition, held in Moscow in 1958, and upon his return to America
2-7 became the only classical musician honored with a tickertape parade
2-8 in New York City; and
2-9 WHEREAS, Over the years, he has thrilled and delighted
2-10 audiences with inspiring concert hall performances, particularly in
2-11 the United States and Russia, and his numerous recordings,
2-12 including his classic Piano Concerto Number 1 by Tchaikovsky, which
2-13 was the first classical album to sell one million copies, have
2-14 introduced countless fans to the joy and beauty that is classical
2-15 music; and
2-16 WHEREAS, A frequent guest at the White House, he has
2-17 performed for every American president since Franklin Delano
2-18 Roosevelt and has entertained royalty and heads of state from
2-19 around the world as well; and
2-20 WHEREAS, Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Cliburn has
2-21 recognized the need to nurture the careers of aspiring young
2-22 artists, and toward that goal has established scholarships at
2-23 Louisiana State University and Texas Christian University as
2-24 gestures of goodwill in behalf of his native and adopted states;
2-25 and
2-26 WHEREAS, His altruism extends also to many renowned
2-27 institutions that have been beneficiaries of his scholarships,
3-1 including the Franz Liszt Academy in Hungary, the Moscow and St.
3-2 Petersburg conservatories in Russia, The Juilliard School, the
3-3 Cincinnati Conservatory, and the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he
3-4 serves on the board of trustees; and
3-5 WHEREAS, In Texas, Mr. Cliburn has generously given his name,
3-6 talent, and energies to establish the Van Cliburn International
3-7 Piano Competition; since it was first held in 1962, this
3-8 prestigious Fort Worth event has remained a legacy to its founder's
3-9 outstanding commitment to developing young artistic talent; and
3-10 WHEREAS, Now held on a quadrennial basis, and anticipating
3-11 this spring its ninth competition, this internationally acclaimed
3-12 event will bring 35 young artists from 17 countries to Texas,
3-13 showcasing the world's talent in a series of performances to be
3-14 held from May 22 to June 6, 1993; and
3-15 WHEREAS, The Van Cliburn Foundation, established by prominent
3-16 Texas musicians in 1961, has provided generous support to the piano
3-17 competition throughout its history and has contributed also to many
3-18 other charitable activities toward the promotion of Texas art and
3-19 culture; and
3-20 WHEREAS, Richard Rodzinski, the executive director of the
3-21 foundation, and its board of directors chaired by Ms. Susan Tilley
3-22 and vice-chaired by Mr. Heywood Clemons, and including Mrs. Harry
3-23 Bartel, Mrs. Perry R. Bass, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bass, Mr. William
3-24 Biggs, Mrs. Charles Jacobs, Mr. Lewis Kornfield, Jr., Mrs. L.
3-25 Edward Martin II, Dr. James Moudy, Mr. Paul Ray, Sr., Mrs. John
3-26 Roach II, Mrs. Barclay Ryall, Mrs. Gordon Smith, Mr. Rice Tilley,
3-27 Jr., Mrs. Robert Watson, and Mr. Herschel Winn have devoted
4-1 countless hours to making the competition a world-class event as
4-2 befits an assemblage bearing Mr. Cliburn's name; and
4-3 WHEREAS, In recognition of his outstanding concert career and
4-4 the many significant contributions he has made in the development
4-5 of young talent, Mr. Cliburn has been awarded honorary degrees by
4-6 Texas Christian University, Baylor University, Loyola University,
4-7 and Michigan State University, among others in this country, as
4-8 well as a master of fine arts degree from the Moscow Conservatory;
4-9 and
4-10 WHEREAS, Mr. Cliburn's many noteworthy accomplishments as a
4-11 pianist and his abiding commitment to nurture the careers of
4-12 aspiring young artists have greatly benefitted the residents of our
4-13 state and nation, and he is indeed deserving of special praise and
4-14 recognition for his exceptional efforts; now, therefore, be it
4-15 RESOLVED, That the 73rd Legislature of the State of Texas
4-16 hereby honor Van Cliburn for his outstanding musical career and for
4-17 the many contributions he has made to music education; and, be it
4-18 further
4-19 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-20 prepared for Mr. Cliburn as an expression of highest regard by the
4-21 Legislature of the State of Texas.