Aristo Sham, a recent graduate of The Juilliard School’s Artist Diploma program, has won the gold medal at the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The event, held over two and a half weeks at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and Bass Performance Hall, attracted more than 20 million broadcast views from 145 countries.
Sham’s development as an artist has been influenced by his studies at Juilliard. He holds additional degrees in economics from Harvard University and piano performance from New England Conservatory. The Van Cliburn gold medal is considered both a significant recognition and an opportunity for future career growth.
Reflecting on his experience, Sham stated: “I can safely say that the two years spent in the Artist Diploma program at Juilliard constitutes one of the most important periods in my life—[allowing me to gather] all the pieces of my life and my abilities into something I can understand and harness.”
He added: “I am still experiencing significant changes in my process and artistry. The current moment is one of the first times I can assert myself as an artist with integrity. A major catalyst for this was the work with my [Juilliard] professors Robert McDonald and Orli Shaham [preparing for] the Van Cliburn Competition.”
Discussing his time at Juilliard, Sham said: “The Artist Diploma program has been a quietly reassuring platform for me and others to develop and thrive, and having a sense of community with a high degree of freedom has been invaluable for this phase of my development; with guidance from our professors, flexible scheduling, and access to the opportunities and resources, the program has been a perfect fit for me at the perfect time, even if I did not know it for a while.”
Sham also noted opportunities to learn from leading musicians during his studies: “I was also able to play for Sir Stephen Hough, who provided interesting insight through his lens of music-making, and I had the opportunity for conductors David Robertson and Ruth Reinhardt to be acquainted with my playing, in addition to conductor Ken Lam, who I performed with in Illinois in February. I have also enjoyed reconnecting with Edna Landau, who first heard me [play] 16 years ago, and has provided me with excellent advice and support with industry connections.”
He concluded: “I will miss the sense of camaraderie that comes with studying at the school, but I will also appreciate the education and preparation that these two years have provided me in order to forge my place in the world.”
