Aristo Sham

Aristo Sham (Chinese: 沈靖韜; born 12 March 1996) is a Hong Kong pianist. He is the winner of numerous international prizes and has performed as a soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras.^[1] In 2025, he gained recognition after winning the Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.^[2][3][4]

Aristo Sham
沈靖韜
Born	(1996-03-12) March 12, 1996 (age 29) British Hong Kong
Alma mater	Harvard University (BA) New England Conservatory (MM) Juilliard School (AD)
Occupation	Musician
Years active	2007–present
Musical career
Genres	Classical
Instrument	Piano
Website	aristosham.net

Early life and education

Born in Hong Kong, Sham began piano lessons with his mother at the age of three.^[5] His father, C.W. Sham, is a physics teacher at tutoring school Beacon College.^[6] He attended Diocesan Boys' School for primary education and was a student of Eleanor Wong at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, before moving to London for studies at Harrow School.^[7][8]

Sham first came to attention as the winner of the Ettlingen International Piano Competition in 2006, the Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition in 2008, and the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition in 2011.^[9][10][11] In 2009, he was featured in the TV series, The World’s Greatest Musical Prodigies, broadcast by Channel 4 in the UK.^[12] In 2011, he earned an FRSM in Piano Performance with distinction, and was appointed a Steinway Young Artist the following year.^[13]

After completing secondary education, Sham enrolled in a dual-degree program, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard University and a Master of Music from New England Conservatory, where he learned with Victor Rosenbaum.^[14][15] He has since graduated with an Artist Diploma from the Juilliard School under the guidance of Robert McDonald and Orli Shaham.^[16] His other principal teachers include Colin Stone and Julia Mustonen-Dahlkvist.^[17]

Career

Since his Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra debut with Edo de Waart at age eleven, Sham has collaborated with the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, English Chamber Orchestra under Raymond Leppard, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Minnesota Orchestra, Utah Symphony Orchestra, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, among others.^{[18][19][20][21][22]} He has also performed for royalty and dignitaries such as King Charles III, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, and former President of China, Hu Jintao.^[23]

Building on his earlier achievements, Sham received further recognition after winning the 2018 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York, followed by the Grand Prix at the 2023 Monte Carlo Music Masters.^[24][25] He is also a top prize-winner at the Gina Bachauer, Clara Haskil, Vendome Prize at Verbier Festival, New York, Viotti, Dublin, Casagrande, Viseu, and Saint-Priest International Piano Competitions.^[26]

In June 2025, Sham won the Gold Medal and Audience Award at the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas.^[27][28][29] The prize came with $100,000 USD, a live album, international concert tours, and three years of career management.^[30][31]

Discography

Title	Album details
Voyage[32]	Released: June 3, 2020 Label: KNS Classical Format: CD, digital download, streaming

Awards

• 2006: Ettlingen International Piano Competition – First Prize and Bärenreiter Urtext Special Prize
• 2008: Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition – First Prize
• 2008: Hong Kong Top 10 Outstanding Teens^[13]
• 2011: Minnesota International Junior Piano-e-Competition – First Prize and Schubert Prize
• 2015: Viseu International Piano Competition – First Prize^[33]
• 2016: New York International Piano Competition – First Prize and Best Performance of Commissioned Work
• 2017: Vendome Prize at the Verbier Festival – Third Prize^[34]
• 2017: Clara Haskil International Piano Competition – Finalist
• 2017: Viotti International Music Competition – Second Prize
• 2017: Saint-Priest International Music Competition – Second Prize^[35]
• 2018: Dublin International Piano Competition – Fourth Prize^[36]
• 2018: Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition – Second Prize and Audience Prize^[37]
• 2018: Young Concert Artists International Auditions – First Prize
• 2019: Alessandro Casagrande International Piano Competition – First Prize^[38]
• 2023: Monte Carlo Music Masters – Winner and Prince Rainier III Prize
• 2025: Van Cliburn International Piano Competition – Gold Medal and Audience Award