The grand prize went to Stephenson, who is currently studying for a master’s degree with Wha Kyung Byun at the New England Conservatory while he earns a degree in economics at Harvard. He was the first Black finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition last year. (The other winners are listed below.)
Music director Louis Langrée conducted the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the event. A distinguished jury of eight observed from the balcony.
It was inspiring to witness the high caliber of talent of these competitors. For the audience, it was a crowd-pleasing evening of blockbuster romantic concertos by Tchaikovsky, Liszt and Rachmaninoff. Some listeners had picked their winner by the evening’s end. But many likely didn’t know that the pianists were also being judged for their performances in multiple grueling competitive rounds that took place in June at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
In many ways, the pianists performed as if they were already seasoned artists. Indeed, even though their ages range from just 16 to 23, they each have many years of competition experience, public performances, and even orchestra engagements behind them.
The evening opened with Stephenson, who performed Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, known for its monumental, keyboard-spanning chords and sweeping themes. The pianist was confident and utterly convincing as he soared through powerful double octaves, glittering scherzo (playful) passages and treacherous virtuosities. He moved little as he played, and communicated with a full-blooded touch that was never harsh.
Besides power and effortless virtuosity, Stephenson also projected elegance, balancing the big, overblown moments with moments of sheer poetry. The slow movement was magical, and its scherzo passages were lighter than air. The finale was as thrilling as any I’ve ever heard, ending with a dazzling blur of double octaves.
Next, 16-year-old Kelly was soloist in Liszt’s Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major. He began playing at age 5, and currently studies with Fabio Bidini at the Pre-college Music Academy of the Colburn School in Los Angeles.
Kelly performed with musicality and technique far beyond his years. He also impressed with his poise and his clear joy of performing. He tossed off technical feats confidently, whether leaping through octaves, trills or sweeping arpeggios. One of the highlights was his lightness of touch in the duo with triangle in the scherzo section. He’s already performed around the world and starred on NPR’s show, “From the Top.” A young artist with great promise, Kelly is someone to watch.
Each pianist was composed and even seemed to relish the spotlight. No one so much as Mhoon, though, who riveted in his interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. He was the most original and most spontaneous artist, a pianist who wielded a big technique and a larger-than-life personality. It was not surprising to learn that he’s been mentored by superstar Lang Lang and excels in jazz and composition.
The first movement was lush, romantic and freely expressive. I enjoyed the velvety sound of his chords and his singing tone. He rarely looked down at his hands, even as he played the most treacherous passages, preferring instead to commune with the orchestra or throw back his head and sway along with the music. The Adagio movement was enthralling, and he turned to communicate with the solo clarinetist (Joseph Morris) as if they were playing chamber music. The finale, with its big opening cadenza, was electric. He leaped into its virtuosities fearlessly and pushed tempos ahead. It was thrilling.
Luminaries he’s worked with include renowned clarinetist Anthony McGill and his current teacher at Juilliard, Emanuel Ax.
There could not have been a better champion than Langrée, who was supportive and in tune with each artist. The orchestra and its soloists played wonderfully.
As the judges deliberated, Cincinnati and Mercantile Library poet laureate Yalie Saweda Kamara read her poem, “Listening to Nina Simone Sing,” an evocative work inspired after hearing a recording of Simone sing a song by Bob Dylan.
The jury: The jury included Aaron Dworkin, founder of the internationally recognized Sphinx Organization that promotes diversity in the arts and a 2005 MacArthur Fellow; star composer Jessie Montgomery; acclaimed Jamaican-born concert pianist Paul Shaw, who mentors the next generation of pianists at the University of Minnesota School of Music; David H. Stull, president of the San Francisco Conservatory and a Cincinnati native; Pierre van der Westhuizen, director of the International Gilmore Keyboard Festival and Awards in Michigan; Israeli-born pianist Yaron Kohlberg, president and CEO of the Cleveland International Piano Competition; artist manager Monica Felkel, who has more than 30 years of experience in the classical music industry; and Bonnie Barrett, director of Yamaha Artist Services in New York.
The finalists were winnowed from eight who competed in the artists division and five in the seniors division. The winners:
Artists division
- First prize/gold and grand prize ($50,000): Clayton Stephenson
- Second prize/silver ($20,000): Joshua Mhoon
- Third prize/bronze ($10,000): Bailey-Michelle Collins
Seniors division
- First prize/gold ($10,000): Kayden Kelly
- Second prize/silver ($5,000): Patrick Flythe
- Third prize/bronze ($3,000): Kené Obiaya
The sole competitor of the junior division, Alani Gibson, won a gold medal ($5,000).
