Aristo Sham has been awarded the Gold Medal at the 2025 Cliburn International Piano Competition, one of the most prestigious contests in the piano world. Representing Hong Kong, the 29-year-old pianist impressed the jury in the final round with his performances of Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Held every four years in Fort Worth, Texas, the Cliburn is named after the American pianist Van Cliburn, and has helped launch major careers since its founding in 1962. The last winner, Yunchan Lim, made history in 2022 at just 18 years old and has since become one of the most sought-after classical musicians of his generation.
This year’s edition featured 28 pianists, after two withdrew before the start. In the final round, six competitors each performed two concertos with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the batons of Marin Alsop and Carlos Miguel Prieto.
The Silver Medal went to Vitaly Starikov (Israel / Russia), who performed Schumann and Bartók. The Bronze Medal was awarded to Evren Ozel (United States), whose final performances included Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s First.
Aristo Sham studied at Harvard, the New England Conservatory, and The Juilliard School, and has appeared with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra (under Sir Simon Rattle) and the Hong Kong Philharmonic (under Edo de Waart). Known for his broad artistic interests and international background, Sham describes his playing as shaped by “expressive, emotional, and intellectual capacity” and aims to create “unique experiences that resonate with our audiences of today.”
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