The Cliburn
Michelle Marlow
Michelle Marlow has spent most of her life bridging worlds — from the wide-open ranches of Shiner, Texas, to the refined stages of Fort Worth’s most prestigious music competitions. Now, she’s stepping into perhaps her most high-profile role yet — chair of the board of the Van Cliburn Foundation.
Marlow, a children’s author, speech-language pathologist, and community volunteer, has long been connected to the Cliburn. She first encountered the organization in 1995 during a placement with the Junior League of Fort Worth and later spent years volunteering in the competition’s gift shop. Since 2014, she has served on the Cliburn Board of Directors, and in 2022, she became vice chair. Her elevation to board chair marks the continuation of a deep, decades-long relationship with one of Texas’s cultural treasures.
Marlow succeeds Jeffrey B. King, who led the board from 2017, guiding the organization through two Van Cliburn International Piano Competitions, one Cliburn Amateur Competition, and two Cliburn Junior Competitions. Under King’s leadership, the Cliburn expanded its concert and educational programs, broadening its international reach and setting a high bar for the new chair.
Marlow grew up on a small ranch in Shiner, where her father was the local veterinarian and her mother a public school speech-language pathologist. Following her mother’s path, she attended TCU and studied speech-language pathology. For the past thirty years, she has worked in private practice, helping children — from toddlers to high schoolers — find their voices. Her professional experience also influences her writing: she is the author of seven children’s books in her Series of Hard-to-Pronounce Letters, including "I Can with Van," inspired by the life of Van Cliburn.
Beyond her career, Marlow is deeply woven into Fort Worth’s civic and cultural life. She has held leadership roles with the Junior League of Fort Worth, Cook Children’s Medical Center, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and numerous other organizations. With her husband Scott, a cardiac anesthesiologist, she raises four boys — a full house in every sense.
“As I step into this role as board chair, I carry with me a lesson my father always shared: ‘Never forget your roots,’” Marlow said. “It is by honoring where we come from that we can truly nurture the artistry, community, and legacy that make the Cliburn extraordinary.”
