By: Hunter, B. H.R. No. 725 73R11267 SRD-F 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.