Hollywood star and jazz pianist Jeff Goldblum is to narrate Exit Stage Right, a new five-part documentary series following the fortunes of six young musicians competing in the prestigious 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
Directed by Steven Pierce, it charts the journey from the competition’s opening draw and preliminary rounds through to the quarterfinals, semifinals and final.
Goldblum, best known for films including Jurassic Park, Independence Day and Wicked, is also an accomplished pianist who tours internationally with his band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.
Reflecting on the pressure facing the competitors, he says in the series: “The only thing standing between them and the career they all dream of is what they do on that stage.”
The 2025 competition took place in Fort Worth, Texas, between 21 May and 7 June. Held every four years for pianists aged 18 to 30, the Cliburn has helped launch international concert careers since its foundation in 1962. Its latest edition attracted more than 20 million broadcast views across over 145 countries.
Exit Stage Right features finalists Aristo Sham, Vitaly Starikov, Carter Johnson, Angel Stanislav Wang, Chaeyoung Park and Yanjun Chen. Each performed two concertos with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop.
The series aims to bring the high-stakes world of classical music to audiences through the accessible, competition-led format popularised by documentaries such as Drive to Survive, Cheer and Last Chance U.
Created by James Allerdyce and Pierce, the five episodes have a combined running time of four hours and two minutes. The series is picture-locked, with delivery expected in early 2027. Cliburn Media holds the rights, with Framework Productions handling production.
Goldblum said: “I’ve loved the piano since I was a boy, so being a part of this was a delight. 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 project also has a longer-term future, with Framework holding exclusive documentary access to the Cliburn’s 2027 and 2028 competitions.
A second season will follow the organisation’s young pianist competition in 2027, featuring performers under the age of 18. The third instalment, planned for 2028, will focus on a new conducting competition launching in Houston, chaired by Alsop.
