The actor who dodged dinosaurs in Jurassic Park is navigating a different kind of high-stakes chase: 28 world-class pianists battling for a gold medal and music stardom in Fort Worth. Hollywood's Jeff Goldblum has narrated Exit Stage Right, a new five-part docuseries following the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
The series, a collaboration between the Fort Worth-based Cliburn and Framework Productions and directed by Steven Pierce, follows the competing pianists from the Opening Night Draw Party through the preliminary, quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds to the dramatic finals that saw six finalists perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and renowned conductor Marin Alsop.
The series takes audiences behind the curtain and off stage as the promising pianists work to turn competition success into career success, a release says.
A docuseries is a first for the Cliburn, which has produced 12 award-winning, feature-length documentaries about its competitions since 1977 - but never an episodic series. It's a trendy way to present the story, in line with other recent popular competition series such as North Texas-based Cheer and sports-focused Last Chance U.
"The new format and extended run time allow for in-depth examination, more personal stories, and expanded musical highlights," says the release.
There's one important detail for eager Cliburn fans to note: Although Exit Stage Right is complete, it has not yet secured distribution. In other words, there's currently nowhere to watch it. Don't bother searching Netflix, Prime, or Apple TV. Yet.
Framework Productions is in the process of applying for film festivals and is pitching the series to distributors, a Cliburn spokesman tells CultureMap.
Once a distributor is found, the Cliburn plans to hold screenings in Fort Worth, he says.
2025 Cliburn gold medalist Aristo Sham is one of the featured artists in 'Exit Stage Right.' Photo by Brandon Wade
Why, of all people, would Jeff Goldblum narrate the series? The actor, whose credits also include Independence Day and Wicked, is an accomplished jazz pianist who tours internationally with his band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. (They played at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas in 2025.) That musical background enticed him to join the project, he says.
“I’ve loved the piano since I was a boy, so being a part of this was a delight," Goldblum says in a statement. "The work these young musicians put in, the discipline, the devotion, is just staggering. And then to watch them walk out on that stage with the whole world listening and take their shot at a real career? Thrilling. Truly inspiring stuff.”
The 2025 competition unfolded over three weeks at Texas Christian University and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, beginning May 21 with 28 pianists. Six advanced to the finals.
Pianist Aristo Sham, then 29, of Hong Kong, ultimately claimed the gold medal, along with a $100,000 cash prize, international concert bookings and management for three years, and a live album recording. Vitaly Starikov, 30, took silver, and American pianist Evren Ozel, 26, won bronze.
Carter Johnson, of Canada/United States, was a favorite of fans and camera crews during the 2025 Cliburn competition. Photo by Ralph Lauer
Exit Stage Right follows several of those competitors, including Sham and Starikov, along with fan favorites Carter Johnson, Angel Stanislav Wang, Chaeyoung Park, and Yanjun Chen. It also catches up with past Cliburn laureates who have gone on to build international careers, including Beatrice Rana, Haochen Zhang, Yekwon Sunwoo, Olga Kern, Jon Nakamatsu, and Anna Geniushene.
The series brings in some impressive musical star power, too. Interviews and commentary come from Alsop, Sir Stephen Hough, Leonard Slatkin, Wu Han, and Anne-Marie McDermott, as well as Carnegie Hall executive and artistic director Clive Gillinson and Wigmore Hall director John Gilhooly.
Backstage after a quarterfinal performance. Photo by Brandon Wade for The Cliburn
The producers say that with Exit Stage Right, they hope to bring the excitement of a competition-focused series to the classical music world. They say the format has not previously been applied to classical music.
"Every four years, our goal is to launch and prepare exceptional pianists for the rigors of an international touring career while providing a global stage for them to share their art," says Jacques Marquis, president and CEO of the Cliburn, in a statement. "This series tells their stories, their struggles, and their aspirations, giving audiences a first-hand look beyond the stage at their passion, commitment, and drive."
Pierce says Goldblum's own experience as a pianist helped him connect with the competitors.
"Jeff is a pianist, he has a life-long love for music, and he cares about young performers," Pierce says. "He understood straight away what these artists put on the line, and his voice carries viewers into a world most people have never seen from the inside."
Established in Fort Worth in 1962, the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is widely considered one of the most prestigious events in classical music.
The next full competition, the 18th edition, is scheduled for May and June 2029.
Before then, the Cliburn will host its Fourth Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition & Festival in June 2027 in Dallas, featuring pianists ages 13 to 17. A Cliburn-sponsored international competition for conductors is also in the works for 2028 in Houston.
