Experiencing Interruptions?

Crescendo

Set amongst the unlikely backdrop of cowboy boots, rodeos, and global geopolitics, thirty of the world's most promising musicians travel to Fort Worth, Texas to compete in the renowned Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Vying for gold and their shot at classical piano stardom, the contestants must endure six grueling performances, multiple elimination rounds, and a discerning panel of jurists. Behind the scenes, we uncover the stories of adversity, sacrifice, and heartbreak driving the pianists to perform at the highest level. As fan favorites and early contenders are eliminated, one unassuming genius rises to the top.

  • Heather Wilk
    Director
    Show Business Is My Life, But I Can't Prove It (A Film About Gary Mule Deer)
  • Heather Wilk
    Producer
    Show Business Is My Life, But I Can't Prove It (A Film About Gary Mule Deer), Crescendo
  • Red Sanders
    Producer
    A Bad Idea Gone Wrong, Intramural,
  • Yunchan Lim
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    music, documentary, competition, piano
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 36 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    550,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Korean
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Jecheon International Music and Film Festival
    Jecheon
    Korea, Republic of
    August 12, 2023
    World Premiere
    Landscape of Music
Distribution Information
  • AUD
    Distributor
    Country: Korea, Republic of
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Heather Wilk

Heather is a creative producer and director who has created works for film and tv. Most recently, Heather created and produced Self Employed, a tv series for Discovery +, a docu-series about amateur rodeo competitors for Great American Family (formerly Great American Country), and a feature documentary about comedy legend Gary Mule Deer featuring Steve Martin, Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Conan O'Brien.

She is currently producing an unscripted docu-series with Texas Monthly based in the world of BBQ and RTM a scripted feature film set to begin production in 2022 with Josh Hutcherson and Rainn Wilson attached as the leads with Universal distributing internationally.

Heather spent the summer of 2022 directing Crescendo, her directorial debut. This feature-length documentary followed thirty of the world's most gifted musical talents from all over the globe as they compete in Ft. Worth, Texas for the world-renowned Van Cliburn International Piano Competition - the Olympics of classical piano. Along the way, we see what pushes the competitors, what causes them to unravel and break down, and most importantly how the select few grapples with and ultimately confronts the increasing pressure of the final round — which will either launch and make their careers in classical piano, their chosen profession, or send them back to their disappointed families to figure out some other path on their own.

Her proudest accomplishments are being listed as one of the "100 Reasons to Love Hollywood" by E! Network and a "Top Reason to have Pride" by the Advocate for her work in the non-profit space, however, her father's proudest moment is when she snagged the Jewish Journal cover for being a "mensch"

Add Director Biography