The Van Cliburn Foundation has announced that the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will be held May 22-June 7 at Bass Hall in Fort Worth. The deadline for entry is Oct. 15 (I suspect if you are good enough to enter, though, you probably already knew that ).
About 120 applicants will be chosen to perform in public recitals before a five-member jury. Then on March 5, the foundation will announce the 30 or so pianists who will participate in the formal competition. The six finalists will receive a prize package that includes cash awards and managed concert tours.

In related news, Fort Worth’s Lone Star International Film Festival announced recently that it’s partnering with the Van Cliburn Foundation and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth to present a screening of the film They Came to Play.

The documentary follows amateur pianists as they compete in the 2007 International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, which the Van Cliburn Foundation hosts.  The screening will take place on Oct. 16 and will be preceded by performances from several of the film’s subjects. Complete information can be found on the Lone Star International Film Festival’s Art&Seek page.