Top Hong Kong pianist encourages learners to be creative
發佈日期: 2025-07-21 21:17
TVB News
Hong Kong's international competition-winning pianist, Aristo Sham, believes Asian music learners possess solid skill sets.
He encourages them to experiment and "make mistakes" to fully embrace the creativity of music.
Strong, exhilarating passages in Beethoven's Sonata, and tender, heart-stirring notes in Chopin's Ballade,
are brought to life by Aristo Sham.
In June, Sham became the first Hong Konger to win at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
He noted that his experiences in Hong Kong, particularly at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts,
provided him with a solid foundation in both skill set and mindset.
"I think in Hong Kong, we pride ourselves on our cosmopolitan and open energy.
And as a Hong Konger, we're always curious to discover new things, new places, new ideas.
This is a very important asset that I've taken with me all the time."
Sham made his mark at just ten years old, becoming the winner in the under-15 category at the Ettlingen International Piano Competition.
"I would say music students in Asia and also in Hong Kong usually have a great technical foundation, and also great foundation in the working style and working discipline, and I would just encourage everyone to experiment
and be open to all sorts of possibilities."
"And often in Hong Kong, we're afraid of making mistakes or being wrong or having a wrong opinion even. And I think in music and in art, the important thing is to make these mistakes and really feel what's natural to yourself."
Being a musician allowed him to travel the world, fulfilling one of his childhood dreams. It turned out that he nearly became a professional in something else.
"When I was young I would be an architect, and I really enjoyed, you know, I mean, Hong Kong is a great place for that, right? You have so much architecture to marvel and to analyse, almost. And so I did a lot of that when I was younger, but then I discovered I was terrible at drawing, so I had no chance."
Aristo Sham also said that he hopes to perform more in Hong Kong, aiming to inspire a greater appreciation for classical music among the Hong Kong public.
