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| Van Cliburn received a ticker-tape parade in New York City after his stunning triumph in the 1958 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow. |
My late husband was a highly trained classical musician and a great admirer of fellow Texan Van Cliburn, who died today at his home Fort Worth, aged 78. A tribute from the PBS Newshour:
See the full interview with Cliburn here.
The New York Times for some reason seems a bit reluctant to say so, but Cliburn is survived by a partner, Thomas Smith.
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| In 2011, President Obama bestowed the National Medal of Arts upon Cliburn in a ceremony at the White House. |
Update: The New York Times has now posted a more extensive obituary of Cliburn, with some further details about his sexuality - about which, like most gay men of his generation, he was always very discreet to the end of his life.
