Vadym Kholodenko, gold medal winner from the esteemed Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will play UNL’s Lied Center for Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23. The program will feature original pieces and transcriptions by Sergei Rachmaninov.

Once every four years, a young pianist emerges as a gold medal winner from the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Representing the finest pianists in the world, the gold medal winner celebrates Van Cliburn’s legacy and captivates audiences across the globe.

“Mr. Kholodenko’s performance is going to be one of the highlights of the Lied Center’s classical repertoire this season. It is truly an honor to witness his virtuosic talent and we are privileged to welcome him to the Lied Center stage,” said Bill Stephan, executive director of the Lied Center.

Also taking home prizes for best performance of the piano quintet and best performance of the commissioned work, Kholodenko showed his aptitude in both recital and chamber music, then highlighted the final round of the competition with two concerti with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under maestro Leonard Slatkin.

Kholodenko will perform more than 50 engagements in 2013-14 as part of his debut season as gold medalist. Also part of his prize package, recording label Harmonia Mundi will release a live CD this fall of his competition performances.

The award is named for Cliburn, an American pianist credited with bringing classical music to the masses. Winning the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at the height of the Cold War in 1958 brought Cliburn unprecedented celebrity for an American concert pianist. As he toured the world and sold millions of records, he brought classical music, often for the first time, to listeners of all ages. The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was created to perpetuate Cliburn’s unique legacy of demonstrating how classical music has the appeal to reach across all borders. The quadrennial Cliburn Competition is considered one of the most significant music competitions in the world.

The Lied Center has a long history of presenting the Van Cliburn Gold Medalist, dating to 1994, and is the official presenter of the award winner in the state of Nebraska. This year’s competition held special significance as it was dedicated to its namesake and inspiration, who died on Feb. 27. Many Nebraskans remember Cliburn for his performance at Memorial Stadium in September 1990, dedicated to his friend D.B. “Woody” Varner, former University of Nebraska president.

Tickets for the Van Cliburn Gold Medalist performance are available at http://www.liedcenter.org, in person at the Lied Center Box Office, 301 N. 12th St., or by phone at 402-472-4747. Tickets start at $26.