Aristo Sham Ching-tao, the first pianist from Hong Kong to win the gold medal in the Van Cliburn Piano Competition, has expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming support he received from the city following his victory in one of the world’s toughest and most prestigious music competitions.

Born in Hong Kong, he left to study overseas at the age of 14, but remains closely connected to the city despite spending much of his time abroad.

“Nowadays, I am mostly based in New York and spend time in Sweden, where I studied with a professor since 2017, and come back to Hong Kong three to four times a year because my parents are [t]here,” he said at a news conference.

Sham said he had a tough time during the Covid-19 pandemic when concerts were cancelled and he had visa issues because of to different countries’ border restrictions. He credits his decision to study at The Juilliard School in New York 2023 for the career restart that made him feel he was ready for the Van Cliburn competition.