Originally named the Van Cliburn International Quadrennial Piano Competition, the organization was created shortly after Van Cliburn's victory at the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 as a means of perpetuating his legacy of effecting cultural diplomacy through classical music.
Competitors are judged by an international jury made up of composers, pianists, teachers, and music critics.
To promote music-making as a part of everyday life, the Van Cliburn Foundation established the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in 1999.
Now a quadrennial forum for non-professional musicians, the competition is open to pianists age 35 and older who do not derive their principal source of income through piano performance or instruction.
Music education has been a key component of the Van Cliburn Foundation since its inception.