Cliburn 2009: May 22 - June 7
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closeTuesday, Jul. 14, 2009
Head of Cliburn Foundation Richard Rodzinski exits after 23 years
By ANDREW MARTON
dfw.com
Richard Rodzinski, the executive director and president of the Van Cliburn Foundation for 23 years, announced his retirement Tuesday.
Since 1986, Rodzinski has presided over the growth in scope and global reputation of that organization’s flagship event — the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, the most recent ending June 7.
His contract expires Feb. 1, 2010, he said, but the Cliburn has agreed to let him to leave the post earlier than that to pursue a new professional "opportunity," which he will soon announce but would not elaborate on Tuesday. He will be named president emeritus of the foundation.
"It’s been such a fascinating ride," Rodzinski said, "to take up an already very fine organization to begin with and being allowed to carry it as far forward as I could artistically and in terms of world scope."
Rodzinski’s silvery shock of hair and meticulously clipped mustache helped him cultivate one of the most elegant profiles in the local arts community. The son of legendary conductor Artur Rodzinski, he will turn 65 in January. That impending birthday was, he said, part of an unofficial deadline for a "plan of leadership transition" whereby he would relinquish his position in the organization.
Alann Sampson, chairwoman of the Cliburn Foundation Board of Directors, said she would convene a search committee to find Rodzinski’s successor.
"There will never be another Richard," she said. "We’ll never be able to find another one like him . . . certainly not someone with his high standards and his passion for more and more people to know the wonder of music — those were always the main motivating fires in him."
Sampson, who has known Rodzinski since he arrived at the Cliburn in 1986, hinted that after Rodzinski leaves there will be certain collaborations between him and the foundation.
Career high notes
During his 23 years with the foundation, Rodzinski oversaw six of the quadrennial Cliburn competitions, now regarded as the premier piano competition in the world. Rodzinski instituted changes such as live auditions worldwide, new voting procedures and a change in the format of the competition finals. Many of these changes have been adopted by other international piano competitions, the foundation said.
Among Rodzinski’s other major achievements:
In 1999, he started the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, a musical event that has taken place five times — with the next one scheduled for 2011.
He incorporated a "Composer’s Invitational," spotlighting new American music, as part of the Cliburn competition.
He helped launch the Cliburn Concerts at the Bass Performance Hall series and the Cliburn at the Modern series, which have showcased works by living American composers.
He helped inaugurate the Cliburn’s Musical Awakenings outreach program.
"I think my proudest achievements," said Rodzinski, "may have been being able to restructure and fine-tune the Cliburn competition to make it as professional and as relevant in the real musical world as possible and not have it be some kind of marginalized production — and to make it something truly integral to the development of artists in the real musical world."
Sampson said Rodzinski especially embraced and encouraged the Cliburn’s technological advancements, starting with its Web site development. He was a particularly vocal proponent of the Cliburn increasing its use of audio and video streaming; the 2009 Cliburn’s Web site broadcast all the performances and backstage commentary worldwide.
"What I really always appreciated was the tremendous faith placed in me by the board so that I could pursue any number of initiatives, such as the amateur competition," Rodzinski said. "I clearly remember one board member first thinking that was kind of a crazy idea. But they trusted me and they ended up being delighted by the great success that it turned out to be."
What I really always appreciated was the tremendous faith placed in me by the board so that I could pursue any number of initiatives."
Richard Rodzinski,executive director and president of the Van Cliburn Foundation
Andrew Marton is a Star-Telegram senior arts writer. 817-390-7679
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