For First Time Ever, Esteemed Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Finals Will Play Live in U.S. Cinemas June 10 Only

In honor of famed pianist Van Cliburn, the Texan who went to Moscow and won the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958 at the height of the Cold War, comes a musical event of epic proportions – “2017 Cliburn Competition LIVE in Cinemas.” The one-day event will highlight the six final pianists in concerto performances with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Leonard Slatkin.

Founded in 1962, this time-honored tradition makes its big-screen debut through Fathom Events in partnership with the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Hosted quadrennially in Cliburn’s hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, the Competition will be broadcast live to movie theaters nationwide on Saturday, June 10, at 12:55 p.m. ET /11:55 a.m. CT /10:55 a.m. MT / 9:55 a.m. PT. During the event, cinema audiences will experience an exclusive interview with Mr. Slatkin with WQXR (New York)’s Elliott Forrest.

Tickets for “2017 Cliburn Competition LIVE in Cinemas” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 300 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Hailed as “a cross between the Miss America Pageant, the Olympic Games, the Academy Awards™ and the Pulitzer Prize” by the Boston Globe, the Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will bring the very best pianists in the world to Fort Worth, Texas, to compete for the coveted Cliburn gold medal and a chance at an international performing career. An esteemed screening jury traveled around the world to hear 146 pianists perform before a live audience. From these auditions, 30 of the world’s finest pianists will be invited to compete in Fort Worth. Seventeen days of competition culminate in concerto performances by six finalists accompanied by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Mr. Slatkin.

“Van Cliburn’s vision was to share excellent classical music with people around the world,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO. “As the organization that bears his name, we proudly continue his legacy by utilizing the latest tools to reach wider audiences with each edition of the Competition, showcasing the talent of our exceptional competitors. For 2017, we’re pleased to have such an innovative partner in Fathom Events, which will help us bring this music and these artists into movie theaters across the United States.”

“The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is one of the most elite musical events in the world,” Fathom Events Vice President of Programming Kymberli Frueh said. “It truly showcases some incredible talent and we are thrilled to be a part of bringing this to a national audience in movie theaters for the first time.”

Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema with participating affiliate theaters in all 100 of the top Designated Market Areas®, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events such as live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions like the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live, sporting events like Copa America Centenario, concerts with artists like Michael Bublé, Rush and Mötley Crüe, the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics film series and inspirational events such as To Joey With Love and Kirk Cameron’s Revive US. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 896 locations and 1,383 screens in 181 DMAs.

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. Established in 1962, the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is widely recognized as “one of the world’s highest-visibility classical music contests” (The Dallas Morning News) and remains committed to its original ideals of supporting and launching the careers of young pianists, age 18 to 30 (fifteenth edition May 25–June 10, 2017). It shares the transformative powers of music with a wide global audience, through fully produced webcasts and by providing comprehensive career management and concert bookings to its winners. Rounding out its mission, the Cliburn also produces the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival for exceptional 13 to 17-year-old pianists (second edition June 2019), and the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition for outstanding non-professional pianists age 35 and older (eighth edition June 2020). For more information, visit www.cliburn.org.