Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (; July 12, 1934February 27, 2013) was an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958, at the age of 23, when he won the inaugural quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow during the Cold War.
Upon Cliburn's return to the United States, RCA Victor signed him to an exclusive contract and his subsequent recording of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 won the 1958 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance. It was certified a gold record in 1961, and it became the first classical album to go platinum, achieving that certification in 1989.
Most of Van Cliburn's recordings were originally issued on LP records, with many also available on reel-to-reel, cassette, and 8-track. During the 1980s, RCA Victor reissued most of Cliburn's recordings on compact disc in remasterings of variable quality. Shortly before Cliburn's death, a newly remastered, Original Jacket Collection boxed set of Cliburn's complete RCA Victor recordings was issued, with the exception of the album Van Cliburn Conducts (LSC-2807), Cliburn's sole recording as a conductor.
A number of recordings, mostly originating from live concerts, have been issued on some smaller labels, including Testament.