The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious classical music contests, is set to crown its new winner this weekend in Fort Worth. Held every four years, the competition highlights young pianists regarded as some of the finest emerging talents globally.
This year’s event began with 28 pianists selected from a pool of 340 applicants representing 45 countries and regions. The six finalists, aged between 22 and 30, come from diverse backgrounds including Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Russia, and the United States. Their final performances are scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights at Bass Performance Hall, with the concluding concert taking place on Saturday.
Among the finalists is Angel Stanislav Wang, the youngest competitor at 22, born in Los Angeles to a family of musicians, who began piano lessons at the age of five. Vitaly Starikov, 30, representing both Russia and Israel, also hails from a musical family and has toured extensively as a recitalist and chamber musician. Aristo Sham, 29, has been featured in a U.K. documentary about the world’s greatest musical prodigies and has performed for King Charles.
Other finalists include Philipp Lynov, 26, who studied at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory before continuing his training in Germany; Carter Johnson, 28, who grew up in Canada and is known for championing lesser-known works by Polish composers; and Evren Ozel, 26, who made his debut at age 11 with the Minnesota Orchestra and has since been a soloist with several U.S. orchestras.
The competition’s stakes are high: the gold medalist will receive $100,000 and a three-year career management package that includes concert tours, an album, and performance attire from Neiman Marcus. The silver and bronze medalists will be awarded $50,000 and $25,000 respectively.
