29-year-old Hong Kong pianist Shum King Tao recently won the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, becoming the first Hong Kong native to receive this honor. As part of his award, he will receive US$100,000 in prize money, three years of personalized career management, arrangements for concert tours in the U.S. and internationally, a recording contract, and promotional support. His first stop in Asia on his tour will be a performance in Hong Kong on August 30.
According to various media reports, the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was held from May 21 to June 7 in Texas, USA. Out of 340 applicants from 45 countries, 28 were selected to compete, including seven from mainland China and only one from Hong Kong—Shum King Tao. Other contestants hailed from the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, South Korea, and other countries.
Established in 1962, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is held every four years in Texas and is considered one of the top four classical piano competitions in the world. Participants must be aged between 18 and 31. Finalists can select repertoire that showcases their strengths, covering a wide range of musical periods, and are prohibited from repeating pieces from the preliminary rounds through to the finals.
Looking back on the three-week competition, Shum shared that he was physically and mentally exhausted to the point where he could no longer think or play effectively. He could only rest for a day in order to continue. Fortunately, his perseverance paid off. He expressed gratitude for the attention and support from the people of Hong Kong and revealed that he would return to Hong Kong on August 30 to launch his Asia tour.
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Born and raised in Hong Kong, Shum began learning the piano at age three, composed his first piece at six, and won an international piano competition at ten—breaking Chinese pianist Lang Lang’s record of winning at age twelve. He has even performed for British royalty, including King Charles III (then Prince of Wales).
Shum said he lived in Hong Kong until he was 14 and attended many high-quality concerts during that time. He believes that Hong Kong’s artistic and cultural atmosphere is becoming increasingly refined. He’s pleased that younger generations now have the opportunity to receive scholarships for overseas study and hopes they can bring more cultural richness back to Hong Kong. In his view, Hong Kong offers some of the best art infrastructure in Asia and he hopes this will attract more world-class musicians to the city, further advancing its musical development.
However, Shum’s musical journey has not been without challenges. He initially majored in economics at university and only decided to pursue a career in music at age 21. In the following years, he performed in 20 to 30 countries annually. But with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global and Hong Kong lockdowns, he lost all his work opportunities and could no longer perform on stage to express his “true self.” He described those two years as a time when he lost his sense of personal identity.
Shum also mentioned that Hong Kong offers various scholarships and opportunities for studying abroad. He hopes these can continue to support more local artists in pursuing international training. He encouraged young Hong Kong musicians to stay passionate about music—even down to each note—and to find a teacher who suits them. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of balancing rest. He advised parents to nurture their children’s interest in music with encouragement, rather than pressure, to avoid making them resent it.
