The Cliburn
The Challenge
With their 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition looming, the Cliburn—a global juggernaut in classical music—didn’t just need a pretty site; it needed a powerhouse platform that could transform when competition season spiked traffic. Not only would the new site have to deliver seamless access to the organization’s iconic competition content, it also needed to engage a global audience, champion rising artists, entice donors, charm Fort Worth locals, and disarm classical music newbies with a confident wink and warm welcome. And, did we mention it had to be future-proof, video-hungry, mobile-first, and super easy for internal teams to update?
No pressure.
The Solution
Navigation: Audience-First Thinking
With 30 million views and consistent traffic from 150 countries, we kicked things off by tuning into Cliburn’s many audiences—virtuosic pianists, local supporters, global superfans, new-to-classical curious, music educators, and even corporate sponsors. Our plan? Design a digital stage that invites everyone in with audience-based navigation, clear call to actions, and storytelling that hits every emotional note. The site would guide users to the good stuff—whether that’s front-row webcast views, easy access to past performance videos, ways to give and get involved, or tickets to the next Fort Worth concert.
We also gave the Competition its own high-performance landing page, ready to flip the switch as soon as it was showtime: think live webcasts, performance schedules, rotating program info, real-time social integration, audience award voting, and (yes) merch. It’s a digital command center for global fans and hometown enthusiasts alike.
Design: Sleek, Modern, and Just a Bit Flirtatious
We know the Cliburn brand is timeless, world-class, a study in excellence—but that doesn’t mean the website had to wear a tuxedo 24/7. The new design is confident but playful, clean without being cold, and built for discovery. It launches with audio, of course. We added visual rhythm through curated video libraries, artist storytelling, and dynamic layouts that highlight Cliburn’s many flavors of brilliance—from competition laureates to community outreach.
Thousands of hours of performances and a living, breathing Van Cliburn timeline allow everyone to be immersed, transported, and inspired. Because classical music should feel alive, in the moment, a right-now experience.
Functionality: Built for the Encore
From mobile-first architecture to YouTube integrations that don’t just embed videos but elevate them, every inch of the site works smarter. We prioritized load times, donation flows, ticket-buying UX, and search-optimized content that invites organic discovery. By keeping the maintenance simple, we were able to hand the reins to Cliburn’s internal team with a flexible CMS setup. Updates are now faster (and easier) than a Rachmaninoff arpeggio.
Plus, it’s built to scale. The infrastructure will handle the global rush of millions when the Competition lights up in 2025—no sweat, no spinning wheels.
The Outcomes
We transformed Cliburn.org from a static archive into a living, breathing stage for classical music’s most compelling stories. The site is now a digital venue, a fundraising engine, a fan hub, an educational resource, and a welcoming front porch for anyone—from diehard pianophiles to wide-eyed first-timers—curious about the power of music.
The real encore? As the 2025 Competition approaches, Cliburn.org is finally ready for its spotlight moment—not just as the digital companion to a world-class event, but as a platform that transports, connects, and inspires. Just like the music.
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