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Arts & Culture

They Came To Play

Henri-Robert Delbeau competes at the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs hosted by The Van Cliburn Foundation.
American Public Television
Henri-Robert Delbeau competes at the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs hosted by The Van Cliburn Foundation.

Airs Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV

"They Came to Play" is an uplifting documentary chronicling the passion, pressure and potential surrounding the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs hosted by The Van Cliburn Foundation - a prestigious event which reunites 75 of the world's best amateur pianists with their dreams, if only for a brief time.

Players from all over the world, ranging from self-taught to classically-trained, aged 35 to almost 80, convene in Fort Worth, Texas for a week of intense competition, music and camaraderie. Entertaining, irreverent and, above all, inspiring, "They Came to Play" provides an intimate look into the lives of these colorful, multi-faceted competitors as they strive to balance the demands of work and family with their love of music.

"They Came To Play" is on Facebook.

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Trailer: They Came To Play
Amateurs 2007: Esfir Ross plays Thalberg
Amateurs 2007: Henri-Robert Delbeau