Aristo Sham Wins Van Cliburn Gold and Audience Awards

Aristo Sham, a 29-year-old pianist from Hong Kong, became the first from his city to win the Gold Medal at the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. He outperformed five other finalists with acclaimed performances of Mendelssohn’s and Brahms’s piano concertos, earning both the main prize and the audience award. Sham receives a $100,000 cash prize, three years of individualized career management, international concert tours, and a live album recording. The Silver and Bronze medals went to Vitaly Starikov (Israel/Russia) and Evren Ozel (United States), respectively. This year, 28 pianists from over 15 countries participated, selected from 340 applicants, and the event drew a global audience via livestream. The Van Cliburn Competition, held every four years, is recognized as one of the world's leading classical music events.