I have been keeping half an eye on the 2025 Van Cliburn piano competition in Texas, partly because when I was writing Women and the Piano I did a fair amount of research into the gender disparity one can see in the lists of piano competition prizewinners around the world. (Yes: men predominate.)
I’ve stopped doing that research now, but was still disappointed to learn that all six finalists at the 2025 Van Cliburn competition were male. As I didn’t hear all the competitors I can’t say whether that was a just result or not, but it certainly raises the usual questions. Were women disadvantaged? Did they simply stay away because they knew what was likely to happen?
Leaving that issue aside, I was pleased to find that I was able to pick out the Gold Medal winner, Aristo Sham, at the semi-final stage. I was mesmerised by his beautiful piano technique in his performance of Rachmaninov’s Suite from the Bach E major Violin Partita. What lovely hands Aristo Sham has! One can learn a lot about balance and poise by watching this clip. An especial pleasure for me is the combination of precision, speed, and lack of physical strain – a difficult amalgam to achieve.
Later I enjoyed a video in which Aristo Sham gives his younger self (as evidenced through old videos) a piano lesson. A sense of humour too!
I did not see any coverage of the Van Cliburn competition here in the UK. It feels a long time since Van Cliburn himself was welcomed back from winning the 1958 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow with a ticker-tape parade through New York. Who can imagine that happening now? We can dream …
Thank you so much for posting links to the clip of Aristo Sham’s performance at the Van Cliburn competition, and the video of his piano lesson to his younger self! I just watched them, and enjoyed them very much. I now regret having missed his recital here in New York earlier this year, but after the Cliburn win it shouldn’t be long before he’s back.
Thank you Betsy, I’m glad you enjoyed those video clips.
What I find interesting is that five of the nine judges were women—and there were still no women finalists. Whatever critéria détermined the results gender was not one of them.
Thank you Edward – I didn’t know about five of the judges being female. But I am not sure that the jury’s selection of six male finalists shows that gender is not a factor. I suspect that the much-admired playing of generations of male concert pianists has imprinted a certain way of playing on all of our imaginations, such that it remains a kind of blueprint whether we realise it or not.
I think that is very true. Perhaps smaller hand size prejudices against women too in the spectacular showpieces which often make a splash at competitions. And no doubt there is a subconscious bias towards male winners In a world where broadly speaking male soloists are still seen as more marketable. There are many factors here, certainly…
Thank you, James. I agree.
By the way, your initial ‘J’ seems to have disappeared, making you ‘ames’. Perhaps you should investigate?
J restored, hopefully!
Just ordered your latest book, I have all your books and find them all special reading.
I am 74 yrs old now and have played every day since 1990 when I went back to the piano. I prefer listening to women pianists(they tend not to knock eight bells out of the piano) Hoping to see your Ambleside recital, a real treat for my wife and I. Keep up the great work.
Steve, thank you for your kind comments. I hope we do cross paths in Ambleside!
Thank you for your article I read with interest. (along with your new book!). I had sent a note earlier to you on a brilliant 2010 doctoral dissertation by Lemy Sungyoun Lim entitled “The Reception of Women Pianists in London, 1950-1960”. (City of London University Institutional Repository). He too notes (barring the likes of Hess, Bachauer, Scharer etc.) an imbalance then too. Adele Marcus at the Cliburn Competition noted a number of years ago, when one hears pianists with repertoire and a style similar to the style of a Horowitz or Van Cliburn, should less consideration be given to one similar to a Myra Hess or Clara Haskil? Definitely not. The late Menaheim Pressler and Claude Frank made similar comments at the Cliburn more recently. (Impeccable tecnique and choice of some of the most difficult repertoire makes the decisions difficult). Yes there were women finalists at the recent Bachauer, Leeds, and Queen Elizabeth competitions (5 of 12). Women won a bronze, bronze, yet no women medalists of the 5 at the Queen Elizabeth. Perhaps, as you note, there may still be a bit of a male predominance? Food for thought! Thanks again.
Thank you John, I have noted these competition results too. It’s very difficult to analyse how women pianists are viewed when some of our attitudes towards them were probably unconsciously imbibed from our parents’ and grandparents’ attitudes and opinions. As time goes on and more people become aware of the hurdles faced by some women musicians, these attitudes will hopefully shift.