The Harlem Quartet: A Sphinx Ensemble, has been closely identified with the Sphinx Concerts at Carnegie Hall, such as the Sphinx Laureates Concert Sept. 25, 2007. Its website, www.harlemquartet.org/, points out that its members are all first-place winners in the Sphinx Competition. The group has a very challenging and forward-looking mission: “...to advance diversity in classical music while engaging young and new audiences through the discovery and presentation of varied repertoire, highlighting works by minority composers.”
The all-Black and Latino quartet comprises the Principal Faculty of the Sphinx Performance Academy, which is located at Walnut Hill School, an independent prep school for the arts in Massachusetts. The members also serve as Visiting Faculty for the Sphinx Preparatory Music Institute at Detroit's Wayne State University.
The website continues:
“The Harlem Quartet made their acclaimed debut in the fall of 2006 at the Sphinx Organization’s Gala Concert at Carnegie Hall, earning rave reviews from The New York Times, as well as at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem.“
Each member of the chamber music ensemble has also performed as a soloist with major orchestras.
“Ilmar Gavilan, a native of Havana, Cuba has had a remarkable and fascinating career which has taken him all over the world. His studies began at the Havana Conservatory of Music in his native country. At the age of 14, Ilmar Gavilan was selected for advanced studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. Later studies took him to the Reina Sofia School of Music in Spain, and the Manhattan School of Music in New York.” Ilmar is now a candidate for a Doctor in Music degree from Rutgers University.
“Melissa White is a recent graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music where she studied under the direction of Ida Kavafian.”
“Melissa recently made a solo appearance with the New York Symphonic Ensemble at the legendary Apollo Theater and was named the 2006 Harmony Scholar by the Panasonic Corporation.”
“Juan-Miguel Hernandez is the Gold Achievement Award Winner of the 9th National Sphinx Competition 2006 presented by JPMorgan Chase. In addition to winning the Sphinx Competition, Mr. Hernandez was a first and second prize winner in the National Canadian Music Competitions, as well as a winner in the Sillery Music Competition and Clermont-Pepin Music Competition.
As a Sphinx artist, Mr. Hernandez gave stellar performances with the Atlanta and Colorado Symphonies, and Rochester Philharmonic, among others.”
“Desmond Neysmith received his Bachelors at the Royal College of Music with Prof. Steven Doane and went on to further his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Karine Georgian.”
“He has also made concerto appearances with La Orquesta Sinaloa Sinfonica de las Artes in Culiacan, Mexico where he currently holds the co-principal chair.
Further afield, Desmond has always been interested in other genres of performance and with his Music Theatre company, "The Gogmagogs", has toured Asia, Europe and the United States.
minority+composers" rel="tag">minority composers
Harlem+Quartet" rel="tag">Harlem Quartet
Sphinx+Laureates" rel="tag">Sphinx Laureates
Carnegie+Hall" rel="tag">Carnegie Hall
September+25" rel="tag">September 25classical+music" rel="tag">classical music
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