“This young man has double the sound that anyone else has” – Vladimir Horowitz.

Van Cliburn (1934–2013) was one of the leading American pianists of his day – and a notable geopolitical figure, thanks to his sensational win at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958, during the Cold War.

Born in Louisiana and brought up in Texas, “The Texan Who Conquered Russia” (Time) studied first with his mother and later at Juilliard. His legacy includes both an impressive discography and his own international piano competition.