FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2008
CONTACT: Meg Fullwood
mfullwood@kera.org
214-740-9377
DALLAS/FORT WORTH - Fifty years ago, the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a bitter dispute, fighting for world dominance in nuclear arms acquisitions and the space race. It was during the height of the Cold War, that a long, tall Texan stepped onto the world stage and struck a chord of harmony. Concert pianist and Fort Worth native, Van Cliburn became an international celebrity and diplomat when he won the 1st annual International Tchiakovsky Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958, and brought two nations together in a mutual love for music.
KERA 13 celebrates the anniversary of Van Cliburn’s historic performance in the television documentary Van Cliburn: Concert Pianist, which airs Wednesday, April 9th from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The documentary explores the life and career of the legendary pianist through interviews with the artist and those closest to him. Interviews are interspersed with performance footage from his 1994 summer tour. Van Cliburn: Concert Pianist includes interviews with opera stars Marilyn Horne and Leontyne Price. The program is narrated by Dan Rather and was produced by award-winning director, Peter Rosen.
About Peter Rosen Productions
Peter Rosen Productions, Inc. is one of the most respected and experienced film and television production companies in the United States. Founded in the 1970's by producer/director Peter Rosen, the company has made over 100 documentary films and television programs on a wide variety of subjects. Five of these productions have won Emmys, and many others have been awarded the top prizes and honors at film festivals and competitions throughout the world. In addition to national broadcasts on networks such as CBS, ABC, PBS, A&E, Bravo, and others, many of the programs produced by the company have been distributed internationally to virtually every foreign market, and have been released in the home video market world-wide by major distributors such as Sony, Polygram, BMG, Philips, and PBS. Peter Rosen, president of PRP, Inc., has won the prestigious Directors Guild of America Award, and has been a leader in the film and television industry for over 20 years.
About KERA
KERA is a not-for-profit public broadcasting organization that is independently owned and operated in North Texas. The station’s services include original television and radio productions, national public television and radio programs, online information and resources at www.kera.org and an educational resource center that develops outreach programs for children, families and educators.
KERA productions have earned the highest accolades bestowed by the broadcasting industry, including Peabody, duPont, Emmy, Clarion (Association of Women in Communications), Gold Camera Award (the U.S. International Film and Video Festival), Texas Gavel (State Bar of Texas), Anson Jones for In-Depth Television (Texas Medical Association), International Health and Medical Award for Community Health, Chicago International Film Festival's Silver Plaque, Lone Star Emmy, INTERCOM Competition’s Gold Plaque, American Association of Museums’ Gold Muse Award, National Telecommunications and Education Association, and many more.
