Violinist Annelle Gregory, 17, of Escondido, Calif., was a finalist in the Sphinx Junior Division competition. / Rob Darmanin
[Aaron Dworkin, right, founder and president of the Sphinx
Organization, presents an award to actor Delroy Lindo on Feb. 17 at the
Bloomfield Hills home of Richard DeVore, left. DeVore is regional
president of PNC Bank of southeast Michigan. / Rob
Darmanin]
Detroit Free Press
Rochelle Riley
February 24, 2013
Rochelle Riley
February 24, 2013
Three virtuosos stroll into the parlor of Richard DeVore's spacious
Bloomfield Hills home and bring some in the room to tears with haunting
interpretations of Bach, Boccherini and Mozart.
...
The musicians are not just stellar. They are
flawless. Their mastery speaks to years of training. They are poised and
incredibly focused.
Oh, and they are 13, 16 and 17 years old.
...
The reception, or friend-raiser, is billed as a chance
to meet Lindo, an actor who has had roles in "The Cider House Rules" and
"Ransom," among others. But Lindo said he was playing a minor role, and
the event was about the children.
"On a very fundamental level,
Sphinx's mission has to do with creating opportunities where an
opportunity might not exist ... putting stringed instruments into the
hands of these young people. I believe in it wholeheartedly," he said.
"I believe in it intellectually. I believe in philosophically. I believe
in it emotionally because I have seen the effect of this work."
Sphinx
was founded in 1996 by two University of Michigan students -- future
violinist and MacArthur Fellow Aaron Dworkin and future teacher Carrie
Chester -- solely to destroy cultural stereotypes and encourage black
and Latino youths to embrace classical study, mostly strings.
The
organization has been embraced nationally -- Yo Yo Ma has taught some
students -- and has just expanded to London. But its heart and soul are
in Detroit. And what Motown did for "the sound of young America" 50
years ago, this Detroit-based group may do for classical music now.
That is partly why Dworkin keeps the annual competition in Detroit.
"Given
Detroit's historical standing in music and the arts, we feel it is
critically important to continue its legacy by uplifting and empowering
the next generation of artists," Dworkin said a week after the
competition. He said he wants to "honor the city as a cultural Mecca and
an artistic epicenter."
The organization's success shows what can
happen when a person dreams -- and their dreams not only beget other
dreams, but help make those other dreams come true.
This dream
began with Dworkin, who not only encourages diversity in music, but
diversity in education and composition. In addition to the national
competition Feb. 17, the organization also hosted SphinxCon, the
nation's first convention devoted to diversity in the arts, Dworkin
said.
...
It may sound simplistic, but it's true: Children carrying violins usually aren't carrying guns.
Contact Rochelle Riley: rriley99@freepress.com
More Details: Watch, listen
To hear the national Sphinx Competition Concert, tune into WRJC-FM
(90.9) at 5 p.m. today. To watch the concert, turn to Detroit Public
Television at 2 p.m. today. The broadcast also will be available on
demand at www.dptv.org.
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