Aristo Sham takes top prize at 2025 Cliburn Competition
Aristo Sham has won the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal at the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, emerging as one of the three top medalists after nearly three weeks of performances broadcast to over 20 million viewers in more than 145 countries.
The 29-year-old pianist from Hong Kong also took home the Carla and Kelly Thompson Audience Award. Along with the Van Cliburn Winner’s Cup and a $100,000 cash prize, Sham will receive three years of international career management, a live album on Platoon Records, and a promotional package including performance attire provided by Neiman Marcus.
The silver medal was awarded to 30-year-old Vitaly Starikov of Israel/Russia, while bronze went to Evren Ozel of the United States, who also received the award for Best Performance of the Mozart Concerto. Each medalist will receive a live album, three years of career management, and a promotional support package, in addition to their cash awards of $50,000 and $25,000 respectively.
The remaining finalists, Carter Johnson, Philipp Lynov and Angel Stanislav Wang, each received $10,000. Yangrui Cai won the award for Best Performance of a New Work, and discretionary jury awards went to Mikhail Kambarov, Jonas Aumiller and Alice Burla.
Widely regarded as one of the most prestigious contests in classical music, the Cliburn was founded in 1962 and remains dedicated to launching the careers of emerging artists aged between 18 and 30. The 2025 competition jury included Paul Lewis (Chairman), Till Fellner, Mari Kodama, Anne-Marie McDermott, Gabriela Montero, Jon Nakamatsu, Lise de la Salle, Yevgeny Sudbin and Wu Han.
In total, over $265,000 in cash prizes were awarded this year. Beyond the monetary awards, the Cliburn continues to offer a global platform for young pianists, combining tradition with an expansive digital reach that connects new artists with international audiences.
