Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Announces 2025 Finalists

The competition has selected six finalists to compete in Fort Worth, Texas, from June 3–7, 2025 — to be streamed LIVE on The Violin Channel

Founded in 1962 in honor of the American pianist Van Cliburn, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities and is currently in its 17th edition. 

Six candidates for the final round have now been selected from 18 quarterfinalists. Tune in to all the performances here! 

The 2025 finalists are: 

• Aristo Sham, 29 | Hong Kong/China
• Angel Stanislav Wang, 22 | US
• Evren Ozel, 26 | US
• Vitaly Starikov, 30 | Israel/Russia
• Carter Johnson, 28 | Canada/US
• Philipp Lynov, 26 | Russia

They will be performing two concertos with Marin Alsop and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra from June 3 to 7, 2025. 

Prizes include a $100,000 gold medal, $50,000 silver medal, and $25,000 bronze medal. The Cliburn medalists will also receive comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the next three years. 

Chaired by Paul Lewis, the jury will comprise Rico Gulda, Mari Kodama, Anne-Marie McDermott, Gabriela Montero, Jon Nakamatsu, Lise de la Salle, Yevgeny Sudbin, and Wu Han.

Past Cliburn winners include Yunchan Lim, Yekwon Sunwoo, and Vadym Kholodenko.

The Violin Channel recently caught up with pianist Haochen Zhang, The Cliburn's 2009 winner. "Winning the Cliburn opened the door and launched my career," he told us. "It also taught me so much about what the life of a concert pianist could be. I remember having a concerto rehearsal in the morning and performing a recital that same afternoon.

"I learned how to manage a demanding schedule and tackle the massive repertoire the Cliburn is known for. I also gained so much from hearing and meeting all the wonderful musicians there."