Nearly four months after his win, the golden pianist returns for a two-night engagement<\/a> at Kimbell Art Museum Renzo Piano Pavilion on Oct. 1 and 2.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Cliburn has a long-standing tradition of bringing its most recent winner back to Panther City to perform as the opener of the organization\u2019s concert season.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFort Worth is the place where my life sort of changed overnight,\u201d Sham said. \u201cI came out of Fort Worth a completely different person, so I\u2019m glad to revisit it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Jacques Marquis, president and CEO of the Cliburn, said organizers are looking forward to having Sham back for his \u201cCliburn Concerts\u201d debut since his career has taken off in a strong way with concerts all over the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe are proud of his success and all the upcoming opportunities for him, and are really happy to welcome him back to Fort Worth, home of the Cliburn,\u201d Marquis said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Eric Lee, director of Kimbell Art Museum, said Sham will perform on a piano selected by former Cliburn gold medalist Olga Kern for the Renzo Piano Pavilion\u2019s opening in 2013.<\/p>\n Only 10 tickets remained available across the two \u201cAristo Sham, 2025 Cliburn Gold Medalist\u201d concerts at the Kimbell at publication time. Call the box office at 817-212-4280 to purchase.<\/p>\n Reflecting on golden win<\/strong><\/p>\n The Cliburn, established in Fort Worth in 1962, is held every four years and considered one of the most prestigious classical music competitions in the world. The competition was founded to celebrate Fort Worth musical legend Van Cliburn\u2019s victory<\/a> at the 1958 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.<\/p>\n The 2025 Cliburn kicked off May 21 with 28 of the world\u2019s best young pianists<\/a>. Over 18 days and four rounds, the number of competitors dwindled until Sham took home the top $100,000 prize.<\/p>\n Sham\u2019s live performance recordings from the competition have been streamed more than 1.5 million times, according to the Cliburn.<\/p>\n When Sham thinks back to that moment he was named the winner at Bass Performance Hall, it feels like a blur.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThose 10 seconds when I walked up to the stage, it\u2019s really a black hole in my memory,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n As a result of his win, Sham\u2019s career will be managed through the Cliburn for three years, including a range of services from booking concerts to mentorship and media training. Earlier this month, he signed with Intermusica New York<\/a>, known for its worldwide management of classical music and opera artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the past two months, Sham has performed more than 15 concerts in several countries, including Poland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis prize is really the ticket to doing a lot of these things, which I am so grateful for and so happy about,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Glimpse into Fort Worth return<\/strong><\/p>\n For his Kimbell concerts, Sham wants to excite audiences with music from his upcoming album, scheduled for release at the beginning of November. He declined to share more details about his musical release.\u00a0<\/p>\n He will perform repertoire from his recent tours, which includes composers Johann Sebastian Bach, Ferrucio Busoni and Edvard Grieg.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is really a kaleidoscopic insight that is deeply interesting to listen to,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sham never likes to dictate the types of emotions he hopes his audience will feel, but he strives to ensure they \u201cfeel something.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe arts and music exist because we want to have experiences that are outside of our daily routine,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m so lucky to be a conduit for people to get something soul nourishing out of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n After his two-night stay in Fort Worth, Sham will spend November through April finishing his tour<\/a> with long-term goals of establishing himself as a significant figure in the music world beyond his competition win.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThese three years will be a bridge for me to be a self-standing entity,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Cliburn was the door to open for a career that is meaningful and hopefully will have a long-standing impact.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1758784997_224_hqdefault.jpg\")
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Hong Kong-based pianist Aristo Sham performs during the quarterfinal round in the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in the Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU May 24, 2025. (Courtesy photo | Ralph Lauer, The Cliburn)<\/p>\n
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