Aristo Sham, Gold Medalist and “Audience Favorite” of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will join Maestro Fakhouri and the WFSO to perform Beethoven’s expressive Piano Concerto No. 4, bringing both grace and drama to the stage. The evening builds to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, a vibrant work that bursts with energy and sweeping musical momentum. This all-Beethoven concert will capture the full range of human emotion, moving effortlessly between fiery intensity and lyrical beauty.
BEETHOVEN – Prometheus Overture
BEETHOVEN – Piano Concerto No. 4
Intermission
BEETHOVEN – Symphony No. 2
Pianist Aristo Sham exudes astounding intellect and a deep emotional resonance; a cultivated sophistication and an immediately engaging presence; a penchant to take on the great monuments of the piano repertoire and a natural, infectious spontaneity. This makeup is fueled by a fascination with the world and its rich cultures: he was an international prodigy, is a voracious student of wide-ranging interests, and currently splits his time between three continents.
At the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Aristo found his breakthrough moment, taking home both the gold medal and the audience award at “one of the most prestigious contests in classical music” (The New York Times, June 2022). And the critics showered him with imaginative praise, calling him “a marvel of deft characterization,” “consistently authoritative,” “a card-carrying risk taker,” “a dapper, aristocratic figure on stage,” “a pianist I look forward to hearing again” (The Dallas Morning News, Gramophone, Texas Classical Voice). In just two months’ time, he was mentioned in more than 800 news articles, and his Cliburn performance videos were streamed 2 million times across 125 countries.
