Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Clayton Stephenson, piano

Nathalie Joachim: Cocoon
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5

Pianist Clayton Stephenson brings his joyous charisma, expressive power, and natural ease to the romantic showstopper, Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto.  Continuing the season’s celebration of fifth symphonies, Music Director Eric Jacobsen conducts Prokofiev’s Fifth, a hymn to the purest and noblest of spirits that emphasizes the musical power of lyricism and accessibility. 

Celebrating his fifth season, Eric Jacobsen serves as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s twelfth Music Director, the Macon & Joan Brock Chair. He is also artistic director and co-founder of The Knights, the uniquely adventurous NYC-based chamber orchestra, and Music Director of the Orlando Philharmonic. In addition to conducting, Eric is a dedicated chamber musician (cello) and is a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble.

American pianist Clayton Stephenson’s love for music is immediately apparent in his joyous charisma onstage, expressive power, and natural ease at the instrument. Hailed for interpretations that are “fresh, incisive and characterfully alive” (Gramophone), he is committed to making an impact on the world through his music-making. Growing up in New York City, Clayton found musical inspiration in community programs. As he describes it, the “Third Street Music School jump-started my music education; the Young People’s Choir taught me phrasing and voicing; Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program introduced me to formal and rigorous piano training, which enabled me to get into Juilliard Pre-College; the Morningside Music Bridge validated my talent and elevated my self-confidence; and the Boy’s Club of New York exposed me to jazz.” He received an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2024 and is a 2025 Sphinx Medal of Excellence honoree. Recent and upcoming highlights include the New York Philharmonic and Houston and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestras; and Grant Park, Washington Performing Arts at the Kennedy Center, Fondation Louis Vuitton, and 92NY.

GRAMMY®-nominated performer and composer, Haitian-American Nathalie Joachim is hailed for being “a fresh and invigorating cross-cultural voice” (The Nation). Her creative practice centers an authentic commitment to storytelling and human connectivity while advocating for social change and cultural awareness, gaining her the reputation of being “powerful and unpretentious.” (The New York Times). Joachim is a United States Artist Fellow and co-founder of the critically acclaimed duo Flutronix. She is an alumnus of The Juilliard School and The New School.