If you ever doubted the power and majesty of Beethoven, pianist Stephen Hough puts those thoughts to rest with his brilliant performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor,” with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on May 8 in Music Hall.

The British pianist joined returning guest conductor Roderick Cox for the CSO’s season finale that, besides the “Emperor,” included Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 and an upbeat opener by Jennifer Higdon, “Fanfare Ritmico.” Whether because of these fine artists or the crowd-pleasing repertoire on the program, a large audience attended the Friday morning concert, and a sellout was expected on Saturday night.

Hough has visited Cincinnati a number of times, including a memorable recital for the Xavier Piano Series in 2021 during his 60^th birthday tour, when he performed one of his own compositions. The pianist is regarded by media such as the Economist and the BBC as a “polymath,” with a distinguished concert and recording career of more than four decades, as well as success as a writer and a composer. Among his many accomplishments, he was the first classical performer to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, and was awarded a Knighthood for Services to Music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2022. He is now Sir Stephen Hough.

Beethoven wrote his fifth piano concerto in 1809, as Vienna was under siege by Napoleon, and in his distress, the composer pondered even leaving Austria. Despite the sunny key of E-flat Major, one senses perhaps some notes of defiance, and in the words of Alfred Brendel, “a noble vision of freedom.”

Hough’s performance of Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto was both noble and muscular – so much so that Hough mopped his brow between movements from the exertion. In the outer movements, he attacked Beethoven’s sudden dynamic changes in energized bursts. The first movement’s opening cascades were powerfully executed, displaying his crystal-clear technical prowess, a hallmark of his playing. Yet, besides virtuosity, there were also glowing chamber-music like moments as the pianist traded phrases with the winds, and provided soft filigree to accompany the horns in the first movement.

Then, of course, there was Beethoven’s profoundly beautiful slow movement, which began with muted strings and pizzicato basses. Hough’s entrance at the piano was so soft, it was like a dream.

Cox was an excellent partner, matching Hough’s powerful reading, from the orchestra’s lengthy exposition to the concerto’s electrifying conclusion.

Hough seemed almost surprised at the audience’s extended ovations, until finally, he sat down for an encore, turned to listeners and admitted, “I don’t know what to play.” Indeed, how do you follow Beethoven’s “Emperor”?  It had to be something intimate, so he played a small gem from Robert Schumann’s “Fantasiestücke,” (Fantasy Pieces) Op. 12, No. 3, “Warum?” – “Why?”

Cox, a native of Macon, GA, is making a name for himself since he made his debut with the CSO as a “rising star” in 2021. The recipient of the 2018 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, one of the most prestigious honors for young conductors, is now music director of the Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier Occitanie, in France. He is making the rounds as a guest conductor of international orchestras and made his debut with the English National Opera in 2024. Cox was previously an associate conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä. He gave his local NPR station a fascinating interview about teaching himself to play an instrument (the horn) and his journey to becoming a conductor.

He opened the program with Higdon’s “Fanfare Ritmico,” first performed by the CSO in 2005 under Paavo Järvi. The Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning composer wrote it on the eve of the new Millennium in 2000 for the Women’s Philharmonic, saying it celebrates “the rhythm and speed of life.”

The work opened vigorously, with drumming by four percussionists and principal timpanist Patrick Schleker, an episode that repeated during the short work. As it continued through busy, rhythmic tapestries, the well-crafted piece painted a vibrant picture of the U.S. at the turn of the last century. The CSO’s performance under Cox sparkled with life and optimism.

(The noted composer recently held a residency at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.)

The morning concert concluded with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F Minor. The “Fate” motif that opens showed the brass section in excellent form. Cox, who conducted from memory, led the forces with momentum through the work’s arch-romantic, somewhat brooding, waltz-like themes. The winds performed wonderfully, and special mention must go to principal bassoonist Christopher Sales in the first movement.

Oboist Titus Underwood, who is principal oboe of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and a faculty member at CCM, delivered a ravishing account of the famous oboe theme in the songful Andante. The scherzo, with its fleet pizzicatos in the strings, sparkled. The finale was colored by spectacular cymbal crashes, the drama of the “Fate” motif, and the little Russian tune, “A Birch Stood in the Meadow.” It all unfolded crisply, and I enjoyed Cox’s ability to make seamless transitions between disparate moods so that momentum never sagged. The ending delivered plenty of thrill factor, and listeners were once again on their feet.

At the concert’s opening, President and CEO Robert McGrath announced that the families of Carolyn Baker Miller and her late husband, G. Franklin Miller, have endowed the chair for Bass Trombone, now occupied by Noah Roper. It is now the G. Franklin Miller and Carolyn Baker Miller Family Chair for Bass Trombone.

The CSO is currently selling subscriptions for next season. Tickets: 513-381-3300, cincinnatisymphony.org.