H.R. No. 725
R E S O L U T I O N
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 House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
4-16 Legislature hereby honor Van Cliburn for his outstanding musical
4-17 career and for the many contributions he has made to music
4-18 education; and, be it 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 Texas House of Representatives.
4-22 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-23 prepared for Mr. Cliburn as an expression of highest regard by the
4-24 Texas House of Representatives.
4-25 Hunter of Taylor
4-26 H.R. No. 725
4-27 Laney Giddings Munoz
5-1 Alexander Glaze Naishtat
5-2 Allen Goodman Nieto
5-3 Alonzo Goolsby Oakley
5-4 Alvarado Granoff Ogden
5-5 Averitt Gray Oliveira
5-6 Bailey Greenberg Park
5-7 Berlanga Grusendorf Parra
5-8 Black Gutierrez Patterson
5-9 Blackwood Haggerty Pitts
5-10 Bomer Hamric Place
5-11 Bosse Harris Price
5-12 Brady Hartnett Puente
5-13 Brimer Heflin Rabuck
5-14 Cain Hernandez Ramsay
5-15 Campbell Hightower Rangel
5-16 Carona Hilbert Raymond
5-17 Carter Hilderbran Rodriguez
5-18 Chisum Hill Romo
5-19 Clemons Hirschi Rudd
5-20 Coleman Hochberg Sadler
5-21 Combs Holzheauser Saunders
5-22 Conley Horn Schechter
5-23 Cook Hudson Seidlits
5-24 Corte Hunter of Taylor Shields
5-25 Counts Hunter of Nueces Siebert
5-26 Crabb Jackson A. Smith of Harris
5-27 Craddick James D. Smith of Harris
6-1 Cuellar of Webb Johnson Smithee
6-2 Cuellar of Hidalgo Jones of Lubbock Solis
6-3 Culberson Jones of Dallas Stiles
6-4 Danburg Junell Swinford
6-5 Davila Kamel Tallas
6-6 Davis Krusee Talton
6-7 De La Garza Kubiak Telford
6-8 Dear Kuempel Thompson of Tarrant
6-9 Delco Lewis Thompson of Harris
6-10 Delisi Linebarger Turner of Coleman
6-11 Denton Longoria Turner of Harris
6-12 Driver Luna Uher
6-13 Duncan McCall Van de Putte
6-14 Dutton McCoulskey Vowell
6-15 Earley McDonald West
6-16 Eckels Madden Williamson
6-17 Edwards Marchant Willis
6-18 Erickson Martin Wilson
6-19 Finnell Maxey Wolens
6-20 Flores Moffat Yarbrough
6-21 Gallego Moreno Yost
6-22 Gallegos Mowery Zbranek
6-23 H.R. No. 725
6-24 _______________________________
6-25 Speaker of the House
6-26 I certify that H.R. No. 725 was adopted by the House on May
6-27 18, 1993, by a non-record vote.
7-1 _______________________________
7-2 Chief Clerk of the House