Prokofiev & Shostakovich

Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM in The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts & Sciences

Come early at 6:00 PM for a pre-concert performance in the lobby by the John Sprott Blues Band!

PRESENTED BY UNITED SUPERMARKETS AND THE REA CHARITABLE TRUST:

Shostakovich’s compositions faced pressure from the totalitarian Stalin regime, but he remained defiant and courageous. His piece Festive Overture, driven by thrilling brass fanfare, was written in three days to celebrate the anniversary of the October 1917 Russian Revolution. It is speculated that the work was influenced by the composer’s sense of relief and celebration after Stalin’s death. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, written for the same anniversary years prior, focuses on the transformation from emotional darkness to light, reflecting his struggles with the regime’s critics. The piece won massive praise, with a standing ovation for over thirty minutes after its premiere.

Prokofiev, another famed Soviet composer, premiered his third piano concerto in the United States. Piano Concerto No. 3 is fiery and percussive, with contrasting languid lyrical passages. Clayton Stephenson, a finalist of the renowned Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, brings an exciting rendition of this concerto to The Buddy Holly Hall that you will not want to miss!

Shostakovich – Festive Overture, op. 96

Prokofiev – Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, op. 26

Shostakovich – Symphony No. 5 in D minor, op. 47

Clayton Stephenson, Cliburn Laureate, pianist

David Cho, conductor

This performance is also made possible in part by The CH Foundation; Helen Jones Foundation, Inc.; the Lubbock Symphony Guild; the Texas Commission on the Arts; the National Endowment for the Arts, and a grant by the City of Lubbock as recommended by Civic Lubbock, Inc.

This performance takes place in the Lubbock Cultural District.

Artist Bios

Clayton Stephenson started taking piano lessons at age seven and was accepted into the Juilliard Music Advancement Program at age eight. With the support of Juilliard and other community music programs in New York City, he blossomed into an outstanding pianist and artist. He graduated from the Harvard-New England Conservatory dual-degree program in 2023 with a BA in Economics and a Master's in Piano Performance. In 2022, he became the first African-American finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He is a decorated pianist who has performed with prestigious symphonies, festivals, and concert halls across the United States and Europe.

John Sprott is a legendary local artist who has opened for Culture Club, Billy Idol, and Jimmy Paige after winning the semifinals of the MTV Basement tapes as a part of the “punkabilly” band The Nelsons in the 1980s. He has gone on to be a prolific member of the Blues scene in West Texas, as a recording artist and band member. The John Sprott Blues band consists of John Sprott (guitar and vocals), JT Paz (drums), Sean Frankhouser (bass), and Ron Riley (harmonica). They are known for playing Chicago-style blues with a West Texas twist.