MUSIC

Pianist Van Cliburn, who two weeks ago ended his 11-year hiatus from the stage with a concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra, was in the Soviet Union over the weekend to perform at the invitation of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa. “Any time I get to go to Moscow it is very special because of the great musical heritage it has,” said Cliburn, 54, who rocketed to fame after winning the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958. “I think classical music is so universal, and when you have classical art that is for people everywhere, that truly is a bridge between all peoples.”