Davit Khrikuli Joins the Prestigious 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Davit Khrikuli, winner of a Special Prize at Classic Piano 2024, has been selected to compete in the prestigious 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The event, known for launching the careers of world-class pianists, will take place in Fort Worth, Texas. His inclusion marks a significant step forward in his rapidly rising international career.

Davit Khrikuli, the Special Prize winner of Classic Piano 2024, continues his impressive ascent in the world of classical music by earning a coveted spot among the 30 competitors selected for the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The globally acclaimed event will take place from May 21 to June 7, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and the iconic Bass Performance Hall.

The Cliburn, often described by The New York Times as “one of the most prestigious contests in classical music,” has a storied history of launching the careers of piano legends. Alumni include Yunchan Lim, whose 2022 victory became one of the most-watched classical music moments in history with over 60 million views across 177 countries, as well as revered names like Haochen Zhang, Olga Kern, and Beatrice Rana.

Davit Khrikuli now joins this extraordinary lineage, having emerged from a field of 340 applicants representing some of the brightest talents around the globe. A distinguished panel of fourteen internationally respected musicians worked diligently over several months to evaluate each candidate’s technical mastery, artistic expression, and potential for a professional concert career.

“Fourteen of the world’s experts worked with dedication over the last few months to thoughtfully consider each of our 340 applicants and eventually narrow the field down to the 30 competitors who will return to Fort Worth in May,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO. “The Cliburn is honored to provide an international platform for them to express their musical vision and to help usher them into the next steps of their professional journeys.”

We congratulate Davit on this major accomplishment and wish him continued success as he prepares to take the stage in Fort Worth. The world will be watching—and listening.