By Paul Horsley

The Van Cliburn Tribute Concert presented this Friday at the Kauffman Center promises to be one of the highlights of the musical season. It features music by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, Cliburn’s own favorite composers, and by Park University ICM Director and internationally renowned composer Ingrid Stölzel. Among the performers are ICM artistic director and Cliburn Competition gold medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch, his student and London International Piano Competition winner Behzod Abduraimov, and the Park University Trio (Stanislav, violinist Ben Sayevich and cellist Daniel Veis, shown above), all of whom have ties to Tchaikovsky, Cliburn, and the whole Russian musical tradition.

See our advance story about the concert here. A PDF file of Friday’s program booklet, with bios of the performers and an special essay on Cliburn, the musicians and the composers, can be found online here on the Park University website. Read up before the concert if you like. The program includes Rachmaninoff’s Suite No. 1 for Two Pianos and his Second Piano Sonata, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio and Ingrid’s In the Midst.

Cliburn, who died last year of bone cancer, astonished the world and challenged the Cold War in 1958 by winning the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, against all odds. He was, by any estimation, a great American, and he was honored by several presidents and beloved the world over. He was also one of the great musicians our nation has produced.

The show is at 7:30 p.m. at Helzberg Hall and only a handful of tickets are left. Call the Kauffman Center box office at 816-994-7222 or visit kauffmancenter.org.

To reach Paul Horsley, performing arts editor, send email to phorsley@sbcglobal.net or find him on Facebook (paul.horsley.501) or Twitter @phorsleycritic.