Review: Van Cliburn Champion Aristo Sham Homecoming Recital

Aristo Sham’s victory at the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition signifies a landmark achievement in Hong Kong’s classical music history. Unsurprisingly, tickets to his homecoming concerts at the University of Hong Kong were snapped up within minutes. Once lauded as a child prodigy, he has proven himself to be more than a mere prodigy but a musician through years of devotion and commitment. In this first stop of his Asian tour, Sham presented an ambitious programme drawn from his competition repertoire, featuring Bach/Rachmaninoff Violin Partita No. 3 in E major, Bach/Busoni Chaconne in D minor, Ravel Gaspard de la nuit, and Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux, Op. 39.

Aristo Sham’s Homecoming Concerts at HKU MUSE © cemwi / HKU MUSE

The recital opened with the Bach/Rachmaninoff, delivered with effervescence, flair and an apt wit. His playing possessed a dance-like quality, with meticulous phrasing and a clear characterisation of voices within the intertwining lines. However, it occasionally bordered on the mechanical, particularly in the Prelude and Gigue, where there was room to let the music breathe more.

In contrast, Sham’s Bach/Busoni Chaconne showcased more of his strength in narrative prowess and his ability to build tension across long, sustained lines. Often reduced to a virtuosic showpiece, Busoni’s arrangement was instead rendered with imagination on a grand scale, massive, organ-like sonorities, and an overarching sense of continuity. While the bariolage and fleeting scales were nothing short of astounding, and the delicate voicing was admirable, what’s truly impressive was how he told a coherent and compelling story, culminating in an imposing conclusion.

Aristo Sham – Bach/Busoni: Chaconne in D minor

Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit was the real deal, nevertheless. An immediate shift in soundscape marked the beginning of Ondine, which shimmered with alluringly pellucid colours and immaculately layered dynamics that depicted the seductive water nymph. Here, the precision of construction of the music per se was matched with precision in its execution – the glistening textures and the eventual eruption at Un peu plus lent were just otherworldly. Le Gibet effectively evoked the distressing scene of a man hanged at dusk, its tolling B-flat minor ostinato played with haunting, bell-like sonorities, notwithstanding minor blemishes in the voicing of chords. Scarbo was taken at a blistering pace, with the notorious technical hurdles – repeated notes, rapid figurations and hand-crossing – tackled effortlessly. A few mishaps didn’t really matter here – there was such an electrifying energy that kept one on the edge of the seat, all while his sensitivity to tonal colours remained undiminished.

Aristo Sham – Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit

Sham’s Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux, Op. 39 proved less convincing. The set was, without question, executed at a very high level – his technical wizardry and impeccable control over the keyboard were undoubtedly evident, but at times the works felt more like études than tableaux. His reading was intelligent and controlled, but its very polish seemed to seal off the elemental passion and Romanticism central to Rachmaninoff’s music. The result was a performance that, despite moments of beguiling subtlety and deftly captured poetry, felt more sterile than stirring. For example, the sense of utter tragedy and despair in No. 5 in E-flat minor, the emotional apex of the set, was somewhat missing. In a similar vein, No. 2 in A minor yearned for deeper melancholy, whereas No. 8 in D minor could’ve had more lyrical tenderness. Yet, No. 6 in A minor, also known as “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf”, was a thrilling display of ferocious velocity and stark contrasts.

In response to the rapturous applause, Sham generously offered three encores: Brahms’ Intermezzo in E-flat major, Op. 117 No. 1, Praeludium from Grieg’s Holberg Suite, and Handel’s The Harmonious Blacksmith.

By the way, dear Aristo, please consider getting a new pair of leather shoes (especially given your exquisite choice of socks) – they made quite some noise as you stamped your feet on the pedals.

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