Pianist

2025 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Aristo Sham brings his "lucid and gripping" artistry to the intimate Music Room for a program centered on the transformative transcriptions of Ferruccio Busoni. This afternoon recital highlights Sham’s technical mastery through a curated selection of Brahms character pieces, including the soulful Intermezzo in A Major and the spirited Capriccio in C Major. The second half of the performance focuses on Busoni's iconic arrangements, featuring the monumental Bach Chaconne and Chopin’s Variations on Prelude in C minor. As the newest Cliburn winner, Sham continues the competition's legacy of elite pianism with a performance that balances late-Romantic introspection with towering virtuosity.

Aristo Sham, piano

The Rosen House at Caramoor

Winner of the Gold Medal at the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Aristo Sham is a laureate of international competitions, with first-prize wins at Ettlingen, Gina Bachauer, and the Monte Carlo Music Masters, Sham has played across Asia, Europe, and the United States with the likes of the London Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne. The son of a piano teacher, Sham began lessons at age 3 and was competing and concertizing by age 10. Soon after, he was featured in the UK Channel 4 documentary The World’s Greatest Musical Prodigies. Balancing piano with other interests, Sham earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Harvard University and a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory. He proceeded to study at the Ingesund School of Music in Sweden and earn an artist diploma from the Juilliard School. While pursuing a career as a pianist, Sham continues to enjoy other interests such as travel, aviation, gastronomy, oenology, and language.

EPSG:4326

Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall

Aristo Sham, the Gold Medalist and “Audience Favorite” of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will join Maestro Loh and the Waco Symphony in playing the first piano concerto of Johannes Brahms. This competition was named for American pianist Van Cliburn who, in 1958 during the Cold War, won the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. In tribute to that monumental feat in artistic diplomacy, the WSO will perform Tchaikovsky’s final 6th Symphony. We open this concert with music by American composer Jessie Montgomery. She wrote Starburst in 2012 for The Sphinx Virtuosi, the flagship ensemble of the Sphinx Organization. Montgomery writes the following to describe this work: “Exploding gestures are juxtaposed with gentle fleeting melodies in an attempt to create a multidimensional soundscape.”

2025 Cliburn Gold Medalist

Baylor University

Aristo Sham, Piano 2025

The Juilliard School

Join us for an enchanting afternoon with the prodigious pianist Aristo Sham at the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music. This much-anticipated concert is scheduled for Sunday, March 30, 2025, at 3:00 pm, set to take place in the intimate ambiance of the Leo Rich Theater.

Aristo Sham, known for his breathtaking performances and a repertoire that spans the classics to contemporary pieces, promises an unforgettable musical journey. While the program details are to be announced, attendees can expect a showcase of Sham's virtuosity and his deep connection to the music.

Tickets are available for both in-person attendance and online streaming, ensuring that all music lovers have the opportunity to experience this event. In-person concert tickets are priced at $45, with a special rate of $12 for students, making it accessible for everyone to enjoy this world-class performance. For those who prefer to watch from the comfort of their own home, streaming access is also offered at $45, allowing you to be part of the magic no matter where you are.

Don't miss this opportunity to witness Aristo Sham's spellbinding talent at the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music. Reserve your tickets now and prepare for an afternoon filled with exquisite piano music that will touch your soul and lift your spirits.

Aristo Sham

Tucson Convention Center

Works by Frédéric Chopin, Kaija Saariaho, Johannes Brahms and John Ireland
Hailed by as a pianist “whose playing combines clarity, elegance and abundant technique” (The New York Times) and a young artist with “boundless potential” who can “already hold his own with the best” (The Washington Post), pianist Aristo Sham has dazzled audiences on five continents. First prize winner at many international competitions, Sham has collaborated with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under Edo de Waart, English Chamber Orchestra under the late Sir Raymond Leppard, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and the Minnesota Orchestra.

Kaufman Music Center

Student and Senior Discount Tickets Available at the Box Office

2024 Young Concert Artists Season Finale

Carnegie Hall

Hailed by the Washington Post as a young artist with “boundless potential” who can “already hold his own with the best,” pianist Aristo Sham has dazzled audiences on five continents in countries ranging from Singapore and Argentina to Slovenia, Morocco, and throughout the United States. Mr. Sham has performed as soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Edo de Waart, the London Symphony Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle, the English Chamber Orchestra under Raymond Leppard, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra.

Miami International Piano Festival: Aristo Sham (Hong Kong)

Aventura Arts & Cultural Center

Aristo Sham, Piano

Join us for our Young Concert Artist Series master class and performance with pianist Aristo Sham! This artistic collaboration with Young Concert Artists fosters creativity and inspires students and admirers of all ages.

Young Concert Artist Series: Aristo Sham, piano

DC Campus: NW

The opening four notes of Beethoven’s famous Fifth Symphony etched a permanent rhythm onto humanity’s consciousness. After those stormy opening notes, Beethoven leads listeners from a struggle with fate to a radiant victory through his music in one of classical music’s most triumphant works. To open the program, FWSO Music Director Robert Spano conducts another dramatic work by Beethoven, the Egmont Overture, before the 2025 Van Cliburn Piano Competition winner Aristo Sham plays Mozart’s delightful Piano Concerto No. 23.

Opening Weekend: Beethoven's Fifth

Sundance Square

Extoled by The New York Times as a pianist “whose playing combines clarity, elegance, and abundant technique,” Aristo Sham rocketed to prominence upon receipt of the gold medal and audience favorite award at the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. His first-ever Eastman outing will feature works by Bach, Chopin, and Brahms (whose Second Concerto he played in the final round of the Van Cliburn).

Eastman Presents: Aristo Sham: A Star Ascendant

University of Rochester

A kaleidoscope of dazzling orchestral colors, Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra celebrates the musical traditions of the composer’s native Poland. But rather than using Polish folk tunes as a springboard for nostalgia or nationalism, Lutosławski weaves them together into a modernist tapestry of explosive emotion — from the sinister drumbeats that drive the opening dance to a finale of electrifying joy.

Pianist

Aristo Sham

Events

Upcoming events

11 - 13 Sep, 2026

Opening Weekend: Beethoven's Fifth · Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

Dec 8, 2026

Eastman Presents: Aristo Sham: A Star Ascendant · Eastman School of Music

9 - 11 Apr, 2027

Elim Chan Conducts Prokofiev · Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Past events

Jul 11, 2026

Aristo Sham, piano · Caramoor

Apr 26, 2026

Aristo Sham, piano · Northwestern Bienen School of Music

Future and recently performed repertoire

Piano in Piano Concerto No. 1 by Brahms

Waco Symphony Orchestra

Piano in Piano Concerto No. 23 by Mozart

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

Piano in 4 Klavierstücke by Brahms

Caramoor

Piano in Piano Concerto No. 2 by Prokofiev

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Piano in Piano Sonata No. 1 by Brahms

Northwestern Bienen School of Music

Piano in Variations on a Theme of Chopin by Rachmaninoff

Caramoor

Piano in Partita No. 2 by Bach

Caramoor

Piano in 7 Fantasien by Brahms

Caramoor

Piano in Intermezzo in A Major by Brahms

Caramoor

Piano in Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major by Brahms

Eastman School of Music

Piano in 6 Chorale Preludes by Brahms

Caramoor

Piano in Chaconne in D minor by Busoni

Eastman School of Music

Piano in Six Organ Chorale Preludes by Busoni

Eastman School of Music

Piano in Capriccio in F Sharp Minor by Brahms

Caramoor

Piano in Capriccio in C Major by Brahms

Caramoor

About

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