Vitaly Starikov


Aristo Sham is a Russian pianist. A graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, he has won prizes in several international piano competitions performing as a soloist with orchestras internationally. In 2025, he gained recognition after winning the Silver Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Early life and career

Vitaly Starikov was born in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 1995. His parents were both musicians, and he began to sing in a children's music group at age 3, and began attending the Ural Musical School for Gifted Children at 7. At age 10, he made his concerto debut with the Ural State Russian Folk Orchestra, and performed his first solo recital at 13. He committed his life to music a year later. He went on to attend the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, studying with Vera Gornostayeva and Eliso Virsaladze. It was there that he received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. He is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma in the United States, at the Yale School of Music under Boris Berman.
Starikov has given recitals in Austria, Australia, Slovakia, Israel, Cyprus, Italy, France, Belgium, and Malaysia in recital halls like the Sydney Opera House, Queen Elisabeth Hall, and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. As a soloist, he has performed with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Belarusian State Philharmonic, and Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and toured with the Orchestre national de Metz Grand Est. He has also performed with conductor Hugh Wolff, Frank Braley, and cellist Li-Wei Qin. He released a recording of Mozart's Piano Concerto No.23 with the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie.
At the Van Cliburn, he performed concertos by Schumann and Bartók with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under conductor Robert Spano. He added the Bravo! Vail and Sunriver Music Festivals and his concert season includes engagements with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and Pacific, Topeka, and Springfield Symphonies.

Awards