Press
“Stephenson owns a natural charisma and ability to connect with the audience that can guarantee a foothold in the concert world ...”
“…Stephenson is not just a remarkable virtuoso, but a poet, a dramatist and a master story-teller… [His] extraordinary narrative and poetic gifts, his sense of proportion and genius for scaling dynamics characterized his captivating and original conception of Liszt’s B minor Ballade… Stephenson’s intelligent virtuosity should not go unnoticed.”
“Clayton Stephenson also chose music of Haydn to open his set — this time the Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI: 37. The pianist set a spirited tempo in the Allegro con brio. Never rushed, his handling of the movement’s technical demands was impressive, especially his left hand scale passages. His playing was expressive and full of life. The brief, sorrowful Largo wonderfully set up the joyful conversational motifs and sudden changes of character in the Presto, all of which Stephenson tossed off with aplomb.”
“Clayton Stephenson, a 23-year-old American, charmed the audience with a suave, Ellington-esque take on Gershwin’s Concerto in F. In his performance, Stephenson proved he could paint on this much larger canvas with technical assurance and a rich tonal palette … he showed how a sensitive pianist with good timing and tonal range can mine beauty and meaning from a comparatively simple score.”
“One knew Stephenson meant business from the powerful opening chords, but his performance rose far above pure bombast. He maintained a sense of line even in the most virtuosic passages, and shifted among the work’s mercurial moods—playful, somber, demonic—with intelligence and poise.”