2026 Cliburn Festival: America 250

The 2026 Cliburn Festival: America 250 will take place March 26–29, 2026, at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The 2026 Cliburn Festival explores the ways music reflects the American experience over the last 250 years, bringing together a group of artists to present music written in, inspired by, and reflective of the United States of America.

Cliburn Festival artists will come together to explore the expanding canon of American music, in a diverse program of solo, chamber, and vocal works in five concerts over four days. The Festival features pianists Peter Dugan (Host of NPR's From the Top), Avery Gagliano (2020 National Chopin Competition first-prize winner), and Jonathan Mamora (2025 Cliburn competitor).The artists-in-residence will be joined by mezzo-soprano Kara Dugan and an ensemble of string musicians to showcase the versatility and variety of American music.

Single tickets and subscription packages for the 2026 Cliburn Festival are on sale now. Single tickets start at $22. Five-concert subscription packages start at $80. Tickets can be purchased at Cliburn.org or by calling the box office at 817.212.4280.

Festival Schedule:
*Programs are subject to change.

Thursday, March 26 at 7:30 pm
AMERICAN ROOTS
Works inspired by American folk music and communities

BARBER Selections from Souvenirs for piano, four hands, op. 28
PRICE Adoration
PRICE "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" from Folksongs in Counterpoint
Selected American songs
RZEWSKI Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
DVOŘÁK String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, op. 96 ("American")

Friday, March 27 at 7:30 pm
AMERICAN JAZZ
America’s greatest musical export

GERSHWIN/HEIFETZ Three Preludes
SCHNEIDER Selections from Winter Morning Walk
RAVEL Violin Sonata No. 2 
SCHOENFELD Café Music (I)
Selected Jazz Standards

Saturday, March 28 at 2 pm
AMERICAN MOSAIC
Music of cultural exchange and influence

BOULANGER Three Pieces for Cello and Piano
BEACH Chanson d’amour
RAVEL Selections from Chansons Madecasses
ESMAIL Piano Trio (III, IV) 
COPLAND/BERNSTEIN El Salón México 
KORNGOLD Selected works for violin and piano
DUGAN Rach on (on Rachmaninov's Prelude in C-sharp Minor, op. 3, no. 2)
COLEMAN Fanmi Imen 
FOSS Capriccio for cello and piano

Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 pm
AMERICAN ROMANTICS
Music of American individualism and love of nature

MACDOWELL Selections from Woodland Sketches
LOEFFLER Selected songs 
BARBER Nocturne, op. 33
COLEMAN Music in Timelapse
BEACH Piano Quintet in F-sharp Minor, op. 67

Sunday, March 29 at 2 pm
AMERICAN CLASSICS
Iconic Classical Works

LIEBERMANN Gargoyles
BARBER String Quartet in B Minor, op. 11 (II, III) 
Selected American songs
STILL Suite for Violin and Piano
BERNSTEIN West Side Story

The Cliburn advances classical piano music throughout the world. Its international competitions, education programs, and concert series embody an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and the discovery of new artists. The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (eighteenth edition, May/June 2029) is widely considered “the instrument’s Olympics” (The Guardian, June 2025) and “one of the most prestigious contests in classical music” (The New York Times, June 2022). From its origins in 1962 through today, it has remained dedicated to sharing music with the largest international audience possible and to launching the careers of its winners. Known for excellence and innovation in the digital space, the Cliburn is one of the most-watched events in classical music: video views over the past four years have topped 100 million across 200 countries.