Russian pianist. Born in Kiev,1880; died in Glendale, California, 1976. Wife of Josef Lhévinne. Taught at the Juliard School of Music with her husband starting in 1924. Noted as the teacher of Van Cliburn. In her playing one can hear all that exemplifies the best of the Russian school: beautiful golden tone, effortless technique, and exquisite phrasing. Josef Lhévinne (December 13, 1874 – December 2, 1944) was a Russian pianist and piano teacher. ... Cliburn playing in the final round of the First International Tchaikovskys Piano Competition Van Cliburn (born July 12, 1934) is an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 when, at the age of 23, he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, at the height...