Ralph Lauer
Cliburn at Tannahill
From the left, chef Tim Love and Jacques Marquis stand in front of Tannahill's Music Hall.
If you mention string instruments at the Fort Worth Stockyards, its usually in reference to a fiddle, banjo, or a number of twangy guitars. And rightfully so, after all the Stockyards are considered ground zero for where the west begins. Almost at any given time of day, the sounds of live music can be heard bouncing off various corners of this iconic and historically significant area of our city.
Well — as of this October — the sounds echoing from Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall, located in Mule Alley, will be that of classical composers, singers, and trios. The strings in this case will belong to a fiddle of sorts, but in this crowd, it’s considered a violin.
That’s right folks, celebrity chef Tim Love has partnered with the Cliburn to host all four of the 2024 —2025 Cliburn Sessions, now in its tenth year. This brand-new partnership means this classic series will take place at Tannahill’s, just down the street from the twice a day cattle drive on Exchange Avenue.
“This kind of partnership is exactly what Fort Worth is about,” said Cliburn president and CEO Jacques Marquis in a release. “We are very happy to be collaborating with Tim Love and his excellent team, and we believe that Tannahill’s is the perfect new home for our Cliburn Sessions series. This also is the first time the Cliburn will produce a ticketed concert in the famed Fort Worth Stockyards. Cowboys and culture at its finest.”
This partnership only strengthens what Love has been building over the last two years with the Fort Worth Music Festival. In an interview we did with Love in January, he says he thinks of Fort Worth as a combo of Nashville and Austin put together.
“I feel like there's been a lot of this negativity written about the Fort Worth music scene,” he said. “I don't think that's actually true. I think it's just some evolution as well. I think there's still a lot of great things going on in the city, and I hate that people have kind of attached to the negative side of that as opposed to all the positives.”
This comment made in gest after the closure of several legendary live venues last fall seems to be partly coming to fruition with this new partnership announcement.
The Cliburn Series itself was one of the first of its kind in the region when it started in 2014. Currently, this series hosts some of classical music’s top international stars playing Fort Worth’s best clubs, venturing outside of the normal concert environment.
For example, Time for Three and Sybarite5 each performed at Live Oak Music Hall on the Near Southside on the Series 2016-2017 lineup. Pianists Joyce Yang and Teddy Abrams, and violinist Tessa Lark also played TX Whiskey Ranch, which are just a few decade’s worth of examples.
“The concept behind Cliburn Sessions is to present classically trained artists in a very relaxed environment, where they are free to be casual, to blend genres, to interact with the audience. It’s an intimate, cool environment—and will allow us to bring even more great talent to Fort Worth. Many of these musicians may venture outside of the classical idiom during the course of the concert—into jazz, pop, world, alternative. In the hands of exceptional artists, good music is good music.”
- Cliburn Concerts debut Wednesday, October 16, 2024 I 8:00 p.m. Tannahill's Music Hall
CAROLINE SHAW, viola/singer/composer & GABRIEL KAHANE, piano/singer/composer
- All-new collaboration Tuesday, November 12, 2024 I 8:00 p.m. Tannahill's Music Hall
- 2022 Cliburn Juror and Composer of the Commissioned Work Wednesday, January 29, 2025 I 8:00 p.m. Tannahill's Music Hall
SIMONE PORTER, violin + BLAKE POULIOT, violin + HSIN-I HUANG, piano
- Cliburn Concerts debuts Wednesday, March 26, 2025 I 8:00 p.m. Tannahill's Music Hall
Tickets for individual concerts are $45 each or $150 for a table of four.Four-concert subscriptions are also available for $160.
Visit cliburn.org/sessions for more information and to purchase tickets.
