Photos: Glenn Triest

Vol. 18, No. 3

The Quarter NoteSummer 2017

q SPHINX 20

the epicenter for artists and leaders in diversityFebruary 1 - 4, 2018 u Detroit, MI

SAQA: January 31, 2018Get inspired. Network. Lead.

We are excited to launch SphinxConnect 2018! This transformative initiative, made possible through key partnerships with The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, provides opportunities and resources year round, culminating in the second annual epicenter for artists and leaders in diversity, Feb. 1-4, 2018 in Detroit, MI. Join hundreds of musicians, industry leaders, educators, funders, diversity advocates, and more for this transformative event! The convening will include over 30 sessions dedicated to diversity, featuring more than 60 speakers, and numerous special events. Those in attendance will connect to establish an important network to further diversity in our field. SphinxConnect also includes a curated showcase featuring some of the nation’s top Black and Latino musicians, mentor/mentee opportunities with leaders in the field, keynote addresses by luminaries and trailblazers, a series of webinars, and much more.SphinxConnect will also include the Sphinx Artists Qualifying Auditions (SAQA), which provide qualified musicians of color with the unique opportunity to play an audition for a panel of orchestra representatives from across the country. A pioneering event in the industry, SAQA provides training, mentorship, and resources to participating musicians, who are also known as Bank of America Fellows. The immediate aim of the initiative is to identify qualified talent for invitation to auditions, pre-advancement at auditions and/or placement on substitute player lists. Additionally, the auditions will align participating musicians with needed support, with the ultimate goal of job placement for musicians of color in American orchestras. With the support of Bank of America, Sphinx plans to welcome 25 partner orchestras to participate, along with the League of American Orchestras, to expand the impact of this important program. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in the global conversation of diversity in the arts – learn more about this exciting program and register now at www.SphinxConnect.org!

2018

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In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Sphinx Organization, Concerti per Venti offers a collection of concerti through the ages performed by the 18-piece self-conducted Sphinx Virtuosi. The tour will include the newly commissioned Guardian of the Horizon: Concerto Grosso for Violin, Cello, and Strings, by award-winning composer Jimmy Lopez. This work was co-commissioned by the Sphinx Organization, with the support of Linda and Stuart Nelson, Carnegie Hall, and New World Center in honor of Sphinx’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. The program will also feature Delights and Dances by Michael Abels, a three-movement work for string quartet and string orchestra (commissioned by Sphinx in 2012), Concerto Grosso by Vaughan Williams andBeethoven’s timeless Grosse Fugue.

Sphinx Virtuosi Tour Schedule (subject to change)9/28 New World Symphony, Performance Hall; 7:30pm - Miami, FL9/29 Detroit Institute of Arts; 7:00pm - Detroit, MI10/3 University of North Carolina, Kenan Auditorium; 7:30pm - Wilmington, NC10/4 Mint Museum Uptown; 6:00pm - Charlotte, NC 10/13 Carnegie Hall, Stern Hall; 7:00pm - New York, NY10/15 Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater; 2:00pm - Washington, DC10/20 Hope College, Miller Center for Musical Arts; 7:30pm - Holland, MI 10/22 Ordway Center, Concert Hall; 3:00pm - St. Paul, Minnesota10/25 University of Chicago, Logan Center for the Arts; 10:00am - Chicago, IL10/27 WilsonCenterfortheArts,HarrisTheatre;8:00pm-Brookfield,WI10/29 University of Michigan, Rackham Auditorium; 4:00pm - Ann Arbor, MI10/31 Grantmakers in the Arts, GM Renaissance Center; 10:00am - Detroit, MI

Sphinx Virtuosi at Carnegie HallOctober 13, 2017 at 7:00 pm

Gala level sponsors of Sphinx Virtuosi at Carnegie Hall receive access to box seats as well as the exclusive afterglow reception, which includes cocktails, a strolling dinner, a photo station, and an opportunity to meet the artists. Sponsorships support Sphinx’s music education and outreach programs, as do any donations made in lieu of purchasing a ticket package.To reserve your Carnegie Gala tickets now or for more information, contact Therese Goussy at Therese@SphinxMusic.org or 734-255-7623

Join Us for the 2017 SPHINX VIRTUOSI TOUR

www.sphinxmusic.org/sphinx-virtuosi-tour/

A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Dear Friends,

We have reached the halfway point of our anniversary year! It has already been full of tremendous opportunity, honor, and growth.

I am proud to say that Sphinx’s voice and our message is being heard loud and clear, in our hometown of Detroit as well as nationally and globally. We recently had the opportunity to participate as a key player at the League of American Orchestras conference in Detroit, with sessions facilitated by our Chief ProgrammingOfficerAndreDowellandmyself,featuringSphinxalumni.Iwasalso thrilled to join the opening of the sixth edition of Classical:NEXT, the world’s

largest classical music meeting, in Rotterdam. It was an honor to learn from and with colleagues around the globe and explore the immense power of the arts to unite, connect, and erase barriers.

Summer is an exciting time for us as this is when our education programs, which lay the foundation of the pipeline that we work to create for musicians of color, truly shine. We enjoyed seeing the spring recitals of our Overture elementary violin lessons, and are excited to embark on the second annual Overture summer camp which has been expanded to two weeks thanks to the generous lead support of the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation. Our Sphinx Performance Academy programs will open their doors soon as well and, in this very special year, Sphinx is proud to have the Cleveland Institute of Music join Roosevelt University Chicago College of Performing Arts as a new home to SPA.

Keep an eye out in this newsletter for opportunities to get involved and stay informed during this exciting milestone year. It would not be a celebration without you, our dear friends and Sphinx familia! I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer, and I hope to see you soon at a Sphinx Virtuosi tour stop or SPA recital.

Warmly,

Afa

Aaron P. Dworkin Founder

Sphinx CompetitionPresenter

Editor: Therese GoussyContributors: Andre Dowell, Afa Dworkin, Jacqueline Jove, Stephanie Matthews, Abigayl Venman

Design & Layout: Julie Renfro

Honorary CommitteeBranford Marsalis, ChairGlenn DicterowDavid FinckelNikki GiovanniWu HanIdaKavafianAniKavafianNigel KennedyJaime LaredoTania LeonYo-Yo E. MaMark O’ConnorChristopher O’RileyItzhak PerlmanToby PerlmanAndré PrevinAwadagin PrattBright ShengLeonard SlatkinNadja Salerno-SonnenbergArnold SteinhardtMichael Tilson ThomasGeorge WalkerJeffrey Zeigler

Board of DirectorsWilliam H. Carson, ChairTynnetta McIntosh, Vice ChairDeidre Lambert-Bounds, TreasurerMary Beth Halprin, SecretaryFaye Alexander NelsonRachel Barton PineDanielle BelenAmy BurkholderAfa S. DworkinKenneth FischerSandra GibsonAnthony GloverHoward HertzMercedes MartinMajorie PearsallVivian PickardMarcelo Santos RemizovBeverly WillisShaun Wilson

© 2017 Sphinx Organization400 Renaissance Center, Ste 2550Detroit, MI 48243 313-877-9100info@SphinxMusic.orgwww.SphinxMusic.org

Special Artistic AdvisorYo-Yo Ma

Stella & Frederick LoebCharitable Trust

ADMINISTERED BY

Bloomberg Philanthropies

MELLONTHEANDREW W.

FOUNDATION

#SphinxStories i Anne Lambright“[For] my birthday, I wanted to do something meaningful. Both of my children have participated in the Sphinx Performance Academy, and the experience has been transformational beyond words.My son, Guillermo Irizarry Lambright, says that it was in SPA that he began to believe that becoming a musician was an achievable goal. He is now a sophomore, with a merit scholarship, at Oberlin. Guillermo also attended the recent SphinxConnect on one of your generous scholarships, and texted me throughout the weekend about what an inspiring experience that was.My daughter, Maya Irizarry Lambright, is looking forward to her 3rd SPA this summer. Maya is a freshman in high school and looking forward to studying violin in college. Again, Sphinx has been fundamental in her progress towards this goal.I held a Facebook fundraiser for Sphinx to celebrate my birthday. I am so happy to be able to support your many good works in this way, and we will continue to support you as we can in the future.”A huge thank-you, and happy birthday, to Anne!To hold a facebook fundraiser for Sphinx, visit facebook.com/fundraisers

Announcing Sphinx Performance Academy 2017Following a competitive audition process, Sphinx Performance Academy (SPA) has once again invited 64 talented Black and Latino string players, ages 12-17, to hone their musical skills this summer. Hosted by Roosevelt University in Chicago and the Cleveland Institute of Music, the full-scholarship program features an intensive schedule that includes private lessons, quartet coachings and rehearsals, music theory, masterclasses, and performances. This summer’s programming includes masterclasses with violinist Rachel Barton Pine and cellist Melissa Kraut, explorations into Recording Technology, and seminars on the college audition and application processes. Additionally, students will have an opportunity to hear SPA’s faculty in concert and to attend a Cleveland Orchestra concert in Severance Hall. SPA programming takes place from June 30 through July 14 at Roosevelt University and July 23 through August 6 at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Please join us in supporting our students at their culminating recitals, which are free and open to the public. Friday, July 14 from 12-2pm CDT at Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University: 430 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605. Sunday, August 6 from 12-2pm EST at Mixon Hall at the Cleveland Institute of Music: 11021 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106.

SPHINX NEWS

Sphinx Founder Aaron P. Dworkin and President Afa S. Dworkin received the Human Spirit Award at the Kennedy Center 2017 Spring Gala. They were recognized as Citizen Artists for founding and leading Sphinx, along with fellow award recipients Sanford and Joan Weill.Sphinx received the Distinguished Achievement Award at the 26th Annual Detroit Music Awards. Sphinx artist KDJ Trio also performed at the event.

Past Sphinx Board Member Judge Kurtis Wilder was recently named to the Michigan Supreme Court.Sphinx MPower recipient and 2017 Sphinx Competition SeniorDivisionfirstplaceLaureateAnnelle Gregory’s Rachmaninoff CD won USC’s $10,000 Discovery Scholar Prize.

Sphinx Performance Academy 2013 and 2014 student, Brandon Foster, is attending Carnegie Mellon University and majoring in biology and viola performance. His flute,viola,andharptrio,theTartan Trio, won the 2017 Pittsburgh Concert Society Major Auditions and will be performing in the Major Winner’s Recital on October 8th.

Sphinx Special Artistic Advisor Yo-Yo Ma, Sphinx Founder Aaron Dworkin, and Sphinx Medals of Excellence recipient Lara Downes collaborated on a piece entitled “The Arts Wall.” The video of their performance has reached more than 110k views.

Sphinx Medals of Excellence recipient Lara Downes received the 2017 UC Davis Innovator of the Year award for her Sono Luminus recording “America Again”, inspired by the words of Langston Hughes and a vision for equality, diversity and unity, expressed through the blended history of American music.

Sphinx Competition Senior Division Laureate Santiago Cañón-Valencia won third prize in the Queen Elisabeth Competition.

Sphinx Competition Junior Division Laureate Joshua McClendon performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as a guest soloist at a performance for the League of American Orchestras conference in Detroit.

Sphinx Virtuosi member Meredith Riley will join the Richmond Symphony Orchestra in Richmond, Virginia.

Sphinx artists Hannah White and Kayla Cabrera’s quartet, Astera, received 2nd Place at the Fischoff National CompetitionandfirstprizeintheInternational M-Prize Competition.

Send us your news and performance updates: QuarterNote@SphinxMusic.org

Congratulations to the 2016-17 Overture Students!

Over $180,000 in Sphinx MPower Grants Transformed the Careers of 15 Recipients

Launched to empower alumni of several Sphinx programs, the MPower Artist Grants help recipients achieve their career objectives in classical music through granting competitive scholarships. To learn more about the 2017 recipients and their projects, please visit:

www.SphinxMusic.org/mpower-artist-grants

Sphinx CompetitionCALL FOR ENTRIES!

Apply NOW for the 21st annual Sphinx Competition for young Black and Latino string players, presented by the DTE Energy Foundation! Enter for a chance to win cash prizes of up to $50,000 and the opportunity to solo with major orchestras throughout the United States. Registration fee is $35.

Visit Sphinx.MyReviewRoom.com for more info

This spring wrapped up another successful school year for the Sphinx Overture program. Students from 3 Detroit elementary schools and 9 Flint elementary schools performed in a series of recitals from May 10 through May 18. Sphinx is thrilled to continue our programming this summer with a two week Overture Summer Camp at Brightmoor Community Center in Detroit. Overture summer students will perform in recital on Saturday, July 8 at 12pm: 14451 Burt Rd, Detroit, MI 48223. We extend a heartfelt thank you to the Brightmoor Community Center for hosting the camp and to the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation and Ford Motor Company for their generosity in funding this program.

ENGAGE WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

u Search #SphinxStories to read testimonials from our artists, alumni, friends and family – or share your own to join the 20 years, 2 million stories movement!

FIND A SPHINX VIRTUOSI CONCERT NEAR YOU u Our 2017 tour program is all about celebrating our 20th anniversary: Concerti per Venti offers a collection of concerti through the ages. u The national tour schedule can be found in this newsletter or at SphinxVirtuosi.org

REQUEST A COPY OF OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR IN REVIEW u Email Therese@SphinxMusic.org with your mailing address to receive the special anniversary edition of our Year in Review, featuring a letter from our President, 20-year impact report, alumni testimonials, rare photos, and more!

BECOME A SPHINX20 AMBASSADOR u Support Sphinx’s mission with a gift in a multiple of $20 ($20, $40, $60, etc) this summer and receive a Sphinx sticker u Post a picture of where you put your sticker with the hashtag #Sphinx20 and encourage your friends and family to get involved!

You can make donations at www.SphinxMusic.org/donate or by mailing a check to 400 Renaissance Center Suite 2550Detroit, MI 48243

Halfway Through Sphinx20!How Can You Get Involved Today?

Sphinx Organization @SphinxOrg @SphinxMusic

400 Renaissance CenterSuite 2550Detroit MI 48243

Somethingto Ponder:

“We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”

-- Jimmy Carter

Q & A with Ifetayo Ali-Landing

Aaron P. Dworkin Founder

14-year-old cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing is the first place Laureate of the 20th annual Sphinx Competition Junior Division. Ifetayo has also recently been featured by The Root (www.TheRoot.com) and Positive News (www.positive.news).

Quarter Note: What inspired you to start playing the cello?Ifetayo Ali-Landing: My mother is a violinist and we are a musical family so I was definitely going to play an instrument. I started violin as soon as I could walk. When I was 4, I started on cello because I loved the sounds it could make and the fact that you could sit down the whole time. When I was 5, I dropped the violin. QN: What do you like to do when you’re not performing?IAL: I love hanging out with friends, dancing, playing sports, computer coding, cooking, baking, acting, makeup, and trying new activities. QN: If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?IAL: This is a hard one because I have many favorites! I would have to say Chance the Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, xxxtentacion, TWENTY ØNE PILØTS, Young the Giant, TOMMY CASH, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, or Beyoncé because I really like their music. QN: How has the Sphinx Competition impacted your life?IAL: The Sphinx Competition has had a huge impact on my life and my career as well. I now have the opportunity to perform with many orchestras and travel around the world, and become a better musician and all-around person. Not only has the Sphinx Competition helped me, but my time spent at the Sphinx Performance Academy has greatly improved my playing level.

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