The ivories shall be tickled this weekend at Ent Center for the Arts.

During the two-day, mostly free UCCS Piano Festival, you can hear a multitude of professional and student pianists, including Aristo Sham, the newest gold medalist in the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Sham, a native of Hong Kong and the son of a piano teacher, began lessons at age 3 and was competing and performing concerts by age 10. His education includes a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s at New England Conservatory and an artist diploma from Juilliard School. He was featured in the 2009 documentary “The World’s Greatest Musical Prodigies on Channel 4 (UK).”

Sham will perform with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $43.50-$102.75; entcenterforthearts.org.

The rest of the festival’s events are free, including Friday evening’s Pikes Peak Piano Stars show with faculty pianists from across the region: Susan Grace and Moses Swedberg from Colorado College, Abe Minzer from Pikes Peak State College, Zahari Metchkov from Colorado State University Pueblo, and Kelly Zuercher from UCCS.

Observers can watch as Sham offers a masterclass for three local pianists at 10 a.m. Saturday, then listen as young pianists from across Southern Colorado have a recital at 1 p.m.

Educators Zuercher and John Rot will discuss teaching and composing for the piano during the Talks on Piano Pedagogy and Contemporary Literature program at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Register for events online at entcenterforthearts.org.