Cliburn, (Harvey Lavan, Jr) Van (1934– )

US pianist. He soloed with orchestras as a teenager before being catapulted to fame as the first American to win Moscow's Tchaikovsky Prize in 1958. He embarked on an international solo career, specializing in the 19th-century standard repertoire, but in 1978 largely ceased performing for personal reasons.

He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. The piano competition he began in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1962 became an important international event.