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Title: American Classical Pianist Van Cliburn Dies at Age 78 Post by: MuffyBee on February 27, 2013, 05:39:08 PM http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/02/27/van-cliburn-deadl-american-classical-pianist-was-78/
Van Cliburn dies; American classical pianist was 78 February 27, 2013 For a time in Cold War America, Van Cliburn had all the trappings of a rock star: sold-out concerts, adoring, out-of-control fans and a name recognized worldwide. He even got a ticker-tape parade in New York City. And he did it all with only a piano and some Tchaikovsky concertos. The celebrated pianist played for every American president since Harry Truman, plus royalty and heads of state around the world. But he is best remembered for winning a 1958 piano competition in Moscow that helped thaw the icy rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. Cliburn, who died Wednesday at 78 after fighting bone cancer, was "a great humanitarian and a brilliant musician whose light will continue to shine through his extraordinary legacy," said his publicist and longtime friend Mary Lou Falcone. "He will be missed by all who knew and admired him, and by countless people he never met." More... |