Renowned pianist Van Cliburn diagnosed with cancer

[monmouth]

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Renowned classical pianist Van Cliburn has been diagnosed with advanced bone cancer. His longtime friend and publicist, Mary Lou Falcone, announced the news Monday. She says the 78-year-old Cliburn is resting comfortably at his home in Fort Worth, Texas. She says his spirits are high and he's under excellent care.

Cliburn skyrocketed to fame in 1958 when he won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at age 23. He returned to a New York ticker tape parade, the only one ever for a classical musician.

He has performed for every president since Harry Truman, and for years has devoted his time to the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Founded by Fort Worth music teachers in 1962, it's held every four years and now considered the world's premiere piano competition.

http://news.yahoo.com/renowned-pianist-van-cliburn-diagnosed-cancer-230755088.html

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I'm glad he's getting excellent care.

How horrifying that he has this, and I wish him the best of luck as he fights it.

[Le Taz Hot]

2. Wow!

"Advanced bone cancer" doesn't sound good.

As the article states, he first came into prominence by winning the Tchaikovski Competition in 1958 at age 23. This was COMPLETELY unexpected as all the judges were Russian and it was just assumed they'd give the prize to a Russian.

Healing white light to you, sir.

[Burma Jones]

3. I wish him the best.......

I'd so much like to see him and those like him keep playing into their 80's and even 90's......they have a lot to say with their instruments after so much playing.......

[hifiguy]

4. Met him at a record signing in the mid-1990s

and saw him in concert a couple of days later. I own many of his recordings from the Golden Age of stereo.

He was an exceedingly nice and gracious person and one of the true Hall Of Fame pianists of the 20th century.

Sad to hear.

[Poiuyt]

5. I had to yell at him back in 1975

He was signing autographs after a concert and I was one of the first to get to him. I handed him my program and my father's Cross pen to use. He handed my program back but as he was swarmed by so many other fans, he kept using my father's pen. Finally, I said very meekly, "Mr. Cliburn, may I please have my pen back"? He shook my hand and said in this beautiful baritone voice, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry."

OK, maybe I didn't really yell at him. But it makes for a better story. He was truly a gracious man.

[Raine]

6. Many positive thoughts for him on their way. nt

[Cleita]

7. Wow, he must be older than me. I used to listen to him when I was a teenager in college.

I hope he recovers and enjoys good health in the future.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

8. He was a household name in the 60s

Everyone knew about him and watched when he came on TV. His fame did a lot for musical education especially among school kids like me. I don't even want to think about where musical education in our schools is today and whether any classical musicians of the current era are as celebrated as he was. I wish him well.

[UTUSN]

9. I had no idea he was alive or 78 n/t