# RIP Van Cliburn **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-van-cliburn/651550 "2013-02-27T20:38:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-van-cliburn/651550/1 "2013-02-27T20:38:27Z")
Classical pianist Van Cliburn has died, at 78. I was a teenager when he won the 1958 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He was a hero to many of us. Yes, we were deep in the Cold War back then, and wow, an American won the Russian competition. And yes, there was a ticker-tape parade in NYC when he returned. RIP ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-van-cliburn/651550/2 "2013-02-28T00:49:27Z")
[A YouTube tribute](http://youtu.be/ZC35v380vpk) ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-van-cliburn/651550/3 "2013-02-28T02:54:09Z")
“Full moon, and empty eyes…” ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-van-cliburn/651550/4 "2013-02-28T03:49:59Z")
Thanks for that youtube link. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-van-cliburn/651550/5 "2013-02-28T04:27:29Z")
Van Cliburn composed and performed the score for what I believe was the first monster movie I ever saw in a theater, “The Colossus of New York” (1958). ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-van-cliburn/651550/6 "2013-02-28T15:51:32Z")
The Texas pianist who stunned the world by winning the Tchaikovsy Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958 died Wednesday at age 78. Coincidently I had just taken out a double CD of “Legendary Performances” from the library a couple of weeks ago and still have it on hand as it was good enough to renew. (Have a couple of LPs but turntable needs to be replaced) ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-van-cliburn/651550/7 "2013-02-28T15:53:13Z")
Missed your post, just posted the same. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-van-cliburn/651550/8 "2013-02-28T17:10:12Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Classical pianist Van Cliburn has died, at 78. I was a teenager when he won the 1958 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He was a hero to many of us. Yes, we were deep in the Cold War back then, and wow, an American won the Russian competition. And yes, there was a ticker-tape parade in NYC when he returned. > > RIP I saw a movie that featured the competition (unless I dreamt it) or some of his other musical pyrotechnics, when I was a headbanger in HS. I was amazed at how great he was. RIP