Van Cliburn began lessons at age 3, after his mother found him at the keyboard uncannily mimicking one of her students.
The classical pianist Van Cliburn's Cold War performance when he won the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition at 23 also was selected.
Van Cliburn's Cold War piano performance in Moscow when he won the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition at 23 also was selected.
Cliburn also used his skill and fame to help other young musicians through the Van Cliburn International Music Competition, held every four years.
Van Cliburn, the renowned American classical pianist, has died aged 78.
"That Van Cliburn won the first ever Tchaikovsky Prize in Moscow in 1958, the middle of the Cold War, is testimony to his prodigious gifts, " he said.
"Van Cliburn was an international legend for over five decades, a great humanitarian and a brilliant musician whose light will continue to shine through his extraordinary legacy, " she said Wednesday.
Van Cliburn. (Applause.) The 2010 National Medal of Arts to Van Cliburn for his contributions as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music, and as a persuasive ambassador for American culture.
WHITEHOUSE: The 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal Ceremony | The White House
Praised for introducing Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff to a younger generation when he became well-known, Cliburn also helped nurture the careers of younger musicians through the Van Cliburn International Music Competition, which was set up in 1962 and occurs once every four years.
"Over the course of many years, during the most difficult historical times, the art of Van Cliburn brought together people from different countries, different continents and united them, " Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement that was read during the service.
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