Clayton Stephenson, the first Black finalist in the 2022 Van Cliburn Piano Competition, is set to perform on Sunday, September 15, as part of the Fredericksburg Music Club’s 88th annual concert series.
The concert will be held at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary of Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, located at 1800 N. Llano St. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m., and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. While the event is free, goodwill donations are welcome.
Praised by Gramophone for his “extraordinary narrative and poetic gifts” and performances that are “fresh, incisive, and characterfully alive,” Stephenson will present a program featuring works by Beethoven, Bach, Scarlatti, Gershwin, and others.
Stephenson, a native of New York City, began his piano journey at age 7. A year later, he was accepted into The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program, which provides full scholarships to underrepresented students. It was there that he discovered his deep love for music, often staying after his own lessons to watch student recitals.
At home, Stephenson practiced on a synthesizer until he found an old upright piano discarded by a local elementary school, which he used for six years. When he was 17, the Lang Lang Foundation gifted him a new piano, which marked a significant moment in his musical development.
Stephenson credits numerous community programs for shaping his musical journey. “The Third Street Music School kick-started my music education, the Young People’s Choir taught me phrasing and voicing, and Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program gave me the formal training that led to my admission into Juilliard Pre-College,” he explained. He further highlighted the impact of the Morningside Music Bridge, the Boys’ Club of New York, and the Lang Lang Foundation, which provided him opportunities to perform globally and grow as an artist.
Stephenson graduated in 2023 from the Harvard-New England Conservatory dual degree program, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard and a master’s degree in piano performance from NEC, where he studied under Wha Kyung Byun.
In addition to being the first Black finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Stephenson’s accolades include the 2022 Gilmore Young Artist Award, 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist, Gheens Young Artist, and Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation.
The Sept. 15 concert is supported by freewill donations at the door, along with partial funding from the Texas Commission on the Arts and contributions from members of the Fredericksburg Music Club.
For those interested in supporting the club, membership cards for individuals and corporate sponsors will be available during the event.
