Clayton Stephenson wins inaugural Nina Simone Piano Competition

Three of the most talented young pianists in the world recently took the Music Hall stage to showcase their respective talent and to highlight the potential of Black performing artists across the globe.

But in the end, it was Clayton Stephenson, 23, who took home the title as the inaugural winner of the Nina Simone Piano Competition.

The Brooklyn, N.Y. standout thrilled audiences in June throughout the early rounds of competition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, with sterling performances of pieces composed by names like Beethoven, Bach, Gershwin and Godowsky.

On Friday, Oct. 6, an appreciative audience in Over-the-Rhine experienced Stephenson’s rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor accompanied by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Louis Langrée.

For his success, Stephenson won the contest’s $50,000 overall top prize and a first-place finish in the Artists Division. He also received admittance into the 2024 Art of the Piano Festival and other performance opportunities. Art of the Piano, a Cincinnati-based organization, founded the competition.

A product of Juilliard, Stephenson now studies in the Harvard-NEC Dual Degree Program, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in economics at Harvard University and a master’s degree in piano performance at the New England Conservatory under Wha Kyung Byun.

“I am so thrilled to take home the Grand Prize of the inaugural Nina Simone Piano Competition,” wrote Stephenson following his Cincinnati win. He described playing with “the amazing Maestro Langrée” and the “world-class Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra” as a “surreal experience.” He went on to thank Art of the Piano founder Awadagin Pratt and the Sphinx Organization for creating a platform to showcase young, diverse talent.

“I am so grateful to all of the jury members, the whole Art of the Piano team, and I am indebted to my teacher, Wha Kyung Byun, for all of her guidance to foster my artistic growth,” Stephenson said.

Following the performance, the CSO congratulated all three performers for their “exceptional concerto performances.” The other two finalists were current Juilliard student Joshua Mhoon and 16-year-old Kayden Kelly.

A contest jury of eight accomplished musicians awarded Mhoon, 19, the runner-up spot for performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. He earned $20,000 for his second-place finish.

Kelly, currently studying with Fabio Bidini at the Colburn Academy in Los Angeles, won $10,000. He earned his trip to Music Hall by winning the Seniors Division, which is open to mostly high school students.

Creating new opportunities, bigger audiences

The Nina Simone Piano Competition came about as a way to give young Black American pianists, ages 10 to 35, a chance to shine in front of a distinguished audience of potential mentors, fellow musicians and concert presenters.

Pratt named the contest in honor of Nina Simone, a trailblazing American singer, songwriter, pianist and civil rights activist. The former CCM professor said he did so to send a message to young artists that they’re not alone.

Now a world-renown performer, Pratt got his big break in 1992 when he won the prestigious Naumburg International Piano Competition. At just 26, he became the first African American instrumentalist to win the award.

“I realized I had this really great support system growing up, but many young pianists don’t have that,” Pratt told Spectrum News Ohio when he announced the contest in March 2022. “We decided to step in and provide a platform for these young African American pianists to get both the exposure and mentoring they deserve.”

A key component of the Nina Simona Competition is exposure – both to large audiences, but also music directors, coaches and also concert promoters. That will make it easier to find professional opportunities, Pratt said. However, it will also offer needed support to performers as they move through the various stages of their playing careers.

“(We’re providing) a tremendous platform for the competitors,” Pratt said in June.

Nina Simone Piano Competition