19-Year Old Cellist Tony Rymer is 1st Place Sphinx Laureate

[Tony Rymer performs with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra. Photo: Glenn Triest]

Sphinx Organization
(Detroit, MI) “As crowds lined up outside the Max M. Fisher Music center on Sunday, three young musicians prepared for a performance that could land them on stages across the country. Sunday’s Sphinx Competition Finals Concert was the exciting culmination of the 12^th Annual Sphinx Competition presented by Chase. In the end, only one could be named First Place Laureate and it was Tony Rymer, a 19-year old cellist from Boston, Massachusetts. His performance of the fourth movement of Elgar’s Concerto for Cello in E Minor won him top honors. Anthony S. Glover, Senior Vice President of Chase presented a trophy to Rymer on stage.

“Second and third place honors went to Benjamin Harris and John Sanderson respectively. Harris is a 20-year old double bassist from New York, New York. Third place Laureate John Sanderson is a 19-year old violinist from Morgantown, Indiana. The concert also featured the unique all Black and Latino Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and guest artists Elena Urioste and Melissa White, both first-place Laureates of the Sphinx Competition. The Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, which includes professional musicians from around the country, performed under the direction of Damon Gupton, a Detroit native.

“During the Junior Division Honors Concert, held at Ann Arbor’s Rackham Auditorium on Friday, Khari Joyner was named the First Place Junior Division Laureate. Joyner, a 17-year old cellist from Atlanta, Georgia was awarded prizes and scholarships including opportunities for solo appearances with major orchestras, and a performance on NPR’s From the Top.” “The jury panel for the 12^th Annual Sphinx Competition Presented by Chase was comprised of professional musicians from around the country including Andres Diaz, Pamela Frank, Kim Kashkashian, Patinka Kopec and Awadagin Pratt. [The Founder/President of The Sphinx Organization is violinist Aaron P. Dworkin (b. 1970), who is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Tony Rymer
Cellist Wins Sphinx Competition
Benjamin Harris
John Sanderson
Sphinx Symphony Orchestra
Damon Gupton