Feature: Prestigious piano contest winner from China cherishes heritage, pressure in artistic journey

The Star

12-06-2025

by Qin Mingwei
NEW YORK, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Aristo Sham, the newly crowned winner of the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, attaches high importance to the heritage he represents as well as the extreme pressure in the marathon piano contest.
The 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition concluded on June 7 in Texas, the United States, featuring outstanding performances by 340 pianists from 45 countries and regions. Sham, 29, became the first pianist from Hong Kong, China, to win this 63-year-old competition.
Sham was educated in Hong Kong, and then in Britain and the United States. He recently obtained an artist diploma from The Juilliard School in New York, and lives in the city currently.
Sham began learning piano at the age of three and has won numerous international awards.
Looking back on his artistic journey, Sham said that his childhood and his early piano training in Hong Kong nurtured his music expertise, allowing him to better understand the music he plays from different perspectives.
"I'm very happy to be representing a part of the world which is part of my heritage. And I think it's great that music is such a universal language that we have artists and competitors from all over the world who are on the largest stages of the world," Sham said at a themed press briefing in Manhattan on Wednesday.
Sham said that the biggest challenge in preparing for the competition was that the Cliburn was "a real marathon," requiring him to play six different repertoires in two and a half weeks.
"The fact of having to prepare this program to such a high quality that we have to present both to the audience and jury there and also to audiences worldwide who are watching, is definitely something that pushes us to the extreme," said Sham.
But Sham also appreciates the pressure, "because without this kind of pressure, we would not be able to sort of achieve the level that we have. And I like to see this in a positive way, and it's what really pushes the boundaries of what we can do and what we can do with art," Sham said.
As the first Hong Kong pianist to win the Cliburn, Sham admitted that his artistic journey has faced prejudice against his Asian identity.
"Even though it's much less than 20 or 30 years ago, there are still viewpoints out there that are loaded with prejudice and racism," Sham said.
Sham considers his award as an opportunity to help consolidate and truly affirm the status of Asian artists on the world stage.
"I think it's also up to us to try to break down these barriers and really just make everyone understand that we're all the same and we're all equally worthy of presenting art and being great artists," Sham said.
Maisie Ho, director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (New York ETO), attended the press briefing to congratulate on Sham's achievement.
"It is really such great news for a lot of Hong Kong people... and we can't wait to see how he would bring his own heritage and also his talent into the world stage, and we are prepared to support him along his journey," Ho told Xinhua on the sidelines of the event on Wednesday.
The New York ETO, as the official representative of the Hong Kong government, will continue to support and promote more Asian artists to the world stage, such as hosting various cultural activities, according to Ho.
"We could all learn and we could all exchange, and through people exchange, that's how our really treasurable friendship and artistic relationship could flourish," Ho added.
While Chinese artists have gained greater global influence, an increasing number of Chinese pianists have made their mark on the international stage. Seven of the 30 finalists in this year's Cliburn hailed from China, setting a new record.
Held every four years, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious contests in classical music. The gold medalist will receive a comprehensive and personalized career development plan lasting three years, including concert bookings, artistic support and publicity.