A lanky 23-year-old Texan would become a surprise Cold War hero when Van Cliburn won the first International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition—designed to show the artistic might of the Soviet Union—and would return home to a ticket tape parade in New York's "Canyon of Heroes," the first and only time ever the honor was accorded a classical musician.
On this afternoon's Classical Music with Foley Schuler, we'll hear a recording from the time of Van Cliburn performing the work that won him the top prize—and more.
You can hear Foley Schuler's musical selections—and stories behind the music—every weekday afternoon from 1 until 4 on Blue Lake Public Radio.
