Six Finalists Named as the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Enters Concertos Round

A large crowd at Bass Performance Hall and thousands of online viewers watched the final performance of the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition’s semifinal round last night as pianist Yangrui Cai dazzled viewers with picturesque renditions of Prokofiev’s Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet and a masterful performance of Ravel’s devilishly difficult Gaspard de la Nuit.

The Van Cliburn is now in the final rounds with the announcement of six finalists: Carter Johnson (Canada/United States), Philipp Lynov (Russia), Evren Ozel, (United States), Aristo Sham (Hong Kong/China), Vitaly Starikov (Israel/Russia) and Angel Stanislav Wang, United States. 

The competition that spans over two weeks of performances at TCU and Bass Performance Hall saw 28 competitors from 16 countries visit Fort Worth to compete for gold at the world’s most prestigious piano competition. After multiple solo piano recitals and a semi-final Mozart concert round, the final six competitors will each play two piano concertos backed by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra before Saturday’s award ceremony.

The previous 2022 competition saw a record 60 million online viewers tune in to watch the Fort Worth competition. In a recent interview with PaperCity Fort Worth, Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis told us that Cliburn’s roster of past winners, including recent gold medalist Yunchan Lim, continues to grow the Cliburn’s reputation for launching the careers of the world’s greatest pianists.

You can have the best orchestras and conductors,” Marquis says. “But it’s the quality of the winners that sets us apart.” 

Meet the Six Finalists Competing for Gold

Carter Johnson, 28, of Canada and the U.S., began piano at age five on Vancouver Island and now studies at Yale while living in New Haven with his wife and two kids. A Juilliard and UBC graduate, he’s performed with major orchestras across North America and Europe and recently earned silver at the 2024 Gina Bachauer Competition. He performs Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on June 4 and Ravel’s Left Hand Concerto on June 7.

Philipp Lynov, 26, of Russia, began piano at age six after an early childhood fascination with the instrument. He trained at Moscow’s Central Music School and Conservatory before moving to Germany, where he now studies in Cologne. A winner of top prizes in Xiamen, Takamatsu, and Paderewski competitions, he’s performed worldwide. He plays Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on June 4 and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on June 7.

Evren Ozel, 26, of the United States, started piano at age 3. He’s earned three degrees at New England Conservatory, won the 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, and performed with major orchestras including the Cleveland and Boston Pops. A rising chamber musician and soloist, he plays Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto on June 3 and Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto on June 6.

Aristo Sham, 29, of Hong Kong, grew up surrounded by a piano in his family’s home and began lessons at age 3. A dual-degree graduate of Harvard and NEC, he later studied in Sweden and at Juilliard. A laureate of major competitions and featured in the UK documentary The World’s Greatest Musical Prodigies, he has performed with top orchestras under Sir Simon Rattle and others. He plays Mendelssohn’s First Piano Concerto on June 3 and Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto on June 6.

Vitaly Starikov, 30, of Israel and Russia, began performing as a child in Yekaterinburg and trained at the Moscow Conservatory with Vera Gornostayeva and Eliso Virsaladze. A laureate of the Queen Elisabeth and Sydney competitions, he’s now at Yale studying under Boris Berman. He plays Bartók’s Second Piano Concerto on June 4 and Schumann’s Piano Concerto on June 7.

Angel Stanislav Wang, 22, of the United States, grew up in a musical family in Los Angeles before moving to Moscow at age 10 to study piano in the Russian tradition. A prodigy trained at the Gnessin School, Central Music School, and now the Moscow Conservatory, he has won over 35 international competitions. He plays Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto on June 3 and Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto on June 6.

Final Round to be Simulcast at Sundance Square

You can watch the final round of the 2025 Cliburn Competition live from Fort Worth’s Sundance Square during a two-day public celebration on June 6 and 7. The Cliburn is hosting a free Watch Party in Sundance Square Plaza, where the last two concerts and the Awards Ceremony will be broadcast on a large outdoor screen. 

The event coincides with Sundance Square’s monthly First Saturday, featuring local vendors and food trucks, creating a festive atmosphere in the heart of Fort Worth. On Saturday night, the celebration will conclude with a special appearance by Mayor Mattie Parker, who will honor the 2025 medalists as honorary Fort Worthians, followed by a Van Cliburn-themed fireworks show.