'Make Music with Sphinx: Donate Today'

[Randall Goosby]

Dear Sphinx Family,

Throughout Sphinx's 15 years, your support has played a significant role in helping us reach this important milestone and I am so grateful for your belief in our work.

Your support gives young Sphinx musicians like violinist Randall Goosby once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Without your dedication and belief in the future of classical music, we simply could not do the work that we do.

Since winning the Sphinx Competition, Randall has:

* Attended the Perlman Summer Music Program and begun studies with the legendary Itzhak Perlman

* Debuted with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Harris Theater, among many others

* Received the 2011 Isaac Stern Award

* Performed on the stage of Carnegie Hall- twice!

During this special holiday season and as we prepare for our 15th Anniversary, give a young musician the gift of music and help us continue to make dreams possible.

Yours in Music,

Aaron P. Dworkin

Founder and President

The Sphinx Organization

[Aaron Dworkin (b. 1970) is profiled at AfriClassical.com and has a personal website, http://www.AaronDworkin.com]

Patrick D. McCoy is pleased to announce a special interview with AARON DWORKIN Monday, Aug. 8 at Noon

[Aaron Dworkin]

Patrick D. McCoy

The African American Voice in Classical Music

is pleased to announce a special interview with

AARON DWORKIN

President and Founder of the Sphinx Organization

and newly appointed member of the National Council on Arts

Monday, August 8, 2011 at 12 Noon EDT

READ MARK STRYKER'S ARTICLE IN THE DETROIT FREE PRESS HERE

Listen to the show and share with your colleagues:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/patrickdmccoy/2011/08/15/interview-aaron-dworkin-president-sphinx-organization

Press Release from Patrick D. McCoy, The African American Voice in Classical Music:

http://www.prlog.org/11612833-aaron-dworkin-interviewed-by-patrick-mccoy-about-his-appointment-to-the-national-council-on-arts.html

Freep.com: 'Aaron Dworkin of Sphinx named to National Council on Arts'

[Aaron Dworkin is photographed in the garden of his home in Ypsilanti on Monday, Sept. 19, 2005. / ROMAIN BLANQUART/Detroit Free Press]

Freep.com

The Detroit Free Press

August 3, 2011

“Aaron Dworkin, founder and president of the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization that promotes minorities in classical music, was confirmed Tuesday by the U.S. Senate to serve a six-year term on the National Council on the Arts. Dworkin, 40, who was nominated for the post in late 2010 by President Barack Obama, started the Sphinx Organization on a shoestring in 1996. It has since grown into a major success story, addressing historical inequities by significantly increasing the pool and visibility of minority classical musicians.

“Dworkin, a graduate of the University of Michigan, has been widely honored for his work with Sphinx, including receiving a prestigious and lucrative $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship in 2005. 'I am deeply honored that I was considered and selected by the President and confirmed by the Senate,' Dworkin said Wednesday. 'It is my hope that I can play a role in advocating for the arts in our society and access for all young people.' [Aaron P. Dworkin (b. 1970) is profiled at AfriClassical.com and has a personal website, http://www.AaronDworkin.com]

WBUR: 'Changing The Stereotype Of Classical Music'; Hear Interview With Aaron Dworkin

[Violinist Aaron Dworkin in WBUR's Studio 4 (Kirk Carapezza for WBUR)]

WBUR.org [Click for link to audio of radio interview (4:12)]

BOSTON — Aaron Dworkin is a rarity in the classical music world: he’s a black violinist.

Fifteen years ago, he founded the Sphinx Organization, a Detroit-based nonprofit group that tries to increase racial and ethnic diversity in classical music. It especially wants to encourage African-Americans and Latinos to get into the field, and to develop musical talent in children.

Since its founding, the Sphinx Organization has worked with more than 85,000 students in about 175 schools nationwide, and the number of minority musicians in U.S. orchestras has doubled — an increase Dworkin believes is due in part to his group’s work.

Dworkin visited Boston Friday to receive a teaching award from Harvard, and WBUR’s All Things Considered host Sacha Pfeiffer spoke with him about his efforts to change the perception of classical music. [Aaron Dworkin (b. 1970) is profiled at AfriClassical.com and has a personal website, http://www.AaronDworkin.com]

Observer & Eccentric: 'Sphinx founder talks at art lunch'

[Aaron Dworkin]

Observer & Eccentric

Mar 10, 2011

Aaron Dworkin, founder and president of Sphinx and a man of monumental achievements, is coming to the Plymouth Community Arts Council March 15.

A luncheon will be served at 11:30 a.m., with Dworkin's presentation to follow. Tickets are $20, which includes a $5 donation to the Sphinx Organization. Sphinx Organization envisions a world in which classical music reflects cultural diversity and plays a role in the everyday lives of youth. The Sphinx Organization increases the participation of blacks and Latinos in classical music both in the concert hall as well as in the classroom.

In October 2008, the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra comprised of top alumni of the Sphinx Competition, embarked on its first-ever tour, which culminated in a Carnegie Hall Concert. On Feb. 19, the Sphinx Organization presented its 14th annual competition at Orchestra Hall.

As founder and president, Aaron Dworkin has been recognized and honored widely for his vision and success in achieving his goal. He is a MacArthur Fellow, Michiganian of the Year, People Magazine Hero, and one of Newsweek Magazine's People Who Make America Great. He has recently been nominated by President Obama to serve on the National Council for the Arts. [Aaron Dworkin (b. 1970) is profiled at AfriClassical.com and has a personal website at http://www.AaronDworkin.com]

Violist Paul Laraia and Violinist Alexandra Switala Win 14th Annual Sphinx Competition, Will Solo with Orchestras

[Violist Paul Laraia and Violinist Alexandra Switala]

Alison Piech
Sphinx Organization

Press Release

February 10, 2011

“Sphinx Organization Laureates to solo with orchestras nationwide, earn scholarships and prizes

"Concert broadcast on Sunday Feb. 27 at 4:30PM on Detroit Public Television, 56.1

"(Detroit, MI) With a sold out crowd looking on, three young musicians of the Sphinx Competition Junior Division showcased their musical excellence and competed with one another at Sunday’s Sphinx Competition Finals Concert. The performances at Orchestra Hall were the exciting culmination of the 14th Annual Sphinx Competition presented by the DTE Energy Foundation.

“It was only one musician who could be named Junior Division First Place Laureate and it was Alexandra Switala, a 16-year old violinist from Grapevine, Texas. Her performance of the first movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major won her the top honors and a cash prize of $5,000. Second and Third Place went to Xavier Foley and Annelle Gregory respectively. Foley, 16, a bassist from Marietta, Georgia, won a prize of $3,500 and Gregory, 15, a violinist from San Diego, California won a prize of $2,500. Karla Hall, Vice President of the DTE Energy Foundation presented trophies to both Switala and Foley on stage.

“Senior Division 1st Place Laureate, Paul Laraia also performed Walton’s Concerto for Viola. Laraia, 21, is studying at the New England Conservatory of Music and won the top prize of $10,000 as well as solo performances with orchestras across the country during the next year. Also a violist, Michael Casimir, 19, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania received the Gold Achievement Award in the Senior Division and a prize of $3,500.

"All 18 Sphinx Competition semi-finalists receive Sphinx Music Assistance Fund scholarships to help support their musical development, and are eligible for full scholarships to summer and higher education programs.

"The Finals Concert also featured the unique all Black and Latino Sphinx Symphony Orchestra with special guest artists the Catalyst Quartet, a Sphinx Ensemble. The Catalyst Quartet hailed by The New York Times, comprises top Laureates and Alumni from the Sphinx Competition. The Catalyst Quartet seeks to inspire new and young audiences with dynamic performances of cutting-edge repertoire by a wide range of composers.

"The Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, which includes professional musicians from around the country, performed under the direction of prominent conductor and music director of the Oakland East Bay Symphony, Michael Morgan. The Sphinx Symphony also performed Roberto Sierra’s Sinfonia No.4, the inaugural work from the Sphinx Commissioning Consortium at the Finals Concert.

"The Finals Concert was recorded by Detroit Public Television for broadcast in HD, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank. The Concert will air on DPTV Channel 56.1 on Sunday February 27, at 4:30PM and again on Thursday, March 3, at 10PM. Hear the concert in Detroit on WRCJ 90.9 FM Radio on Saturday, February 26 at 6PM.

"The annual Sphinx Competition presented by the DTE Energy Foundation for young Black and Latino string players has identified, rewarded, and promoted talented young musicians for the past 14 years, awarding more than $1,000,000 in prizes and scholarships. Alumni of the competition have performed as soloists with many of the nation’s top orchestras including the Detroit Symphony, New York Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, and numerous others.

“This afternoon’s concert was a thrilling conclusion to the competition. Sphinx has brought the sound of change to classical music where diversity plays a crucial role and fosters a culture that makes classical music accessible for everyone,” said Aaron Dworkin, founder and president of the Sphinx Organization." [Aaron Dworkin (b. 1970) is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

CrainsDetroit.com: “'Idea: Detroit' conference is music to Sphinx creator's ears”

[Aaron Dworkin]

February 06, 2011 8:00 PM

CrainsDetroit.com

By Shawn Wright

“Aaron Dworkin, founder and president of the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, noticed 15 years ago that there was an absence of black and Latino classical musicians. While attending the University of Michigan in his early 20s, Dworkin, a violinist, decided to do something about the racial disparity. He took his idea of creating a classical music competition devoted to placing minority musicians in top orchestras and made it a reality.

“Since Sphinx's founding in 1996, Dworkin has established numerous classical music education programs for minority children, both in Detroit and in other large cities like New York. Sphinx has awarded more than $1 million in prizes and scholarships since 1998. Dworkin will share his thoughts and experiences at the first-ever Idea: Detroit conference March 23, where he will be a speaker, sponsored by Crain's Detroit Business and its New York-based sister publication, Advertising Age.”

"The conference, modeled after Ad Age's Idea conference held for the past five years in Manhattan, will feature 14 speakers talking about a specific product, innovation or trend. In addition to the speakers, Crain's is looking for the next crop of innovative entrepreneurs for its "Big Ideas" contest, to be highlighted during the March 23 conference. "A conference like this cannot only serve as a catalyst to ignite the efforts of those in the region, but also provide visibility to those around the country about the value of investing in Detroit," Dworkin said.

“In tandem with the Idea: Detroit conference, the Big Ideas competition asks entrants to submit their best ideas in the categories of arts and culture, entrepreneurship, education, environment and bringing people to live in Detroit.” “The deadline for submissions is Feb. 25. As of Feb. 4, 50 nominations had already been submitted. Finalists will be notified by March 11 and invited to present at the March 23 conference at the College for Creative Studies' A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design in Detroit. For more information about the event or idea contest, visit http://www.crainsdetroit.com/2011ideas.

'CW50's Black History Month Snapshots': 'Aaron Dworkin: Sphinx Organization Founder'

[Aaron Dworkin]

“CW50′s Black History Month Snapshots highlight people who have had a positive impact in African American past and present.

“Aaron Dworkin: Sphinx Organization Founder

When speaking with our producers about his history, Dworkin said, 'I’m a violinist. I started when I was five years old.'” “Dworkin went on to explain, 'Kids would often say, “You’re not really black … because ‘black’ wouldn’t be playing the violin.”

“Describing The Sphinx Organization, Dworkin said, '[We're] focused on diversity in classical music.' He explained the importance of his work by stating, 'Blacks and Latinos combined represent less than 4% of America’s orchestras.' Aaron concluded by declaring, 'Without music I really can’t imagine where I would be.'” [Aaron Dworkin (b. 1970) is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

AaronDworkin.com: “my personal web site has now gone 'live!,'" links to 'Sphinx,' 'Battle of the Blox' & 'Serafina Arts' Performances

[Aaron Dworkin]

Aaron Dworkin (b. 1970) is profiled at AfriClassical.com and is frequently featured on AfriClassical. Today we post a message from him about a personal website:

"Dear Bill,

I am pleased to share with you that my personal web site has now gone 'live!' The site includes links and references to my work as a social entrepreneur through Sphinx and Battle of the Blox. It also shares my work as an artist through Serafina Arts, including my multi-media performance art/upcoming performances, as well as my visual art, books, CDs and other activities. I hope you enjoy:

http://www.AaronDworkin.com

Allan Kozinn in New York Times: 'Fledgling Musicians Spread Their Wings'

[Bottom Photo: Randall Goosby (Daniel Barry for The New York Times). Top 3 Photos by Nan Melville: Catalyst Quartet; Melissa White and Elena Urioste; Sphinx Chamber Orchestra with Damon Gupton, Conductor]

New York Times

NYTimes.com

Music Review

By Allan Kozinn

Published: October 6, 2010

“The annual Carnegie Hall performances by the young musicians from the Sphinx Organization are always illuminating, not only because they are the fruits of an inspiring program, but also because the performances are invariably energetic and finely burnished. Sphinx, which is based in Detroit and was started in 1996 by Aaron P. Dworkin, a violinist, is dedicated to getting black and Hispanic students involved in classical music, mainly by training them to play and compose but also through music history courses that help produce informed listeners.”

“The ensemble, conducted by Damon Gupton, opened its program with a shimmering, lovingly shaped reading of Sibelius’s Andante Festivo. All the hallmarks of a first-rate string ensemble were in place: its tone was warm and varied, it moved with unity and fluidity, and its textures were appealingly transparent. Those qualities, reconfigured to yield a trim, Classical sound, enlivened a brisk performance of Mendelssohn's youthful String Symphony No. 7. Mr. Gupton also led a lilting account of 'Coqueteos,' a seductively melodic movement from Gabriela Lena Frank's 'Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout,' and closed the program with the hard-driven finale of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's Sinfonietta No. 1.

“Solo and chamber performances were interspersed with the orchestral scores. The Catalyst Quartet, a new ensemble sponsored by Sphinx, played the Allegro Rustico movement from Ginastera’s Quartet No. 2 with an earthy vigor that made you wonder why whoever assembles Sphinx’s programs did not have them offer the complete work. Elena Urioste and Melissa White, two superb violinists whose performances were also highlights of last year's concert, returned to collaborate on a sizzling, acidic account of Prokofiev's Sonata for Two Solo Violins (Op. 56).

“A third violinist, Randall Goosby, the first-prize winner in the junior division of this year’s Sphinx Competition, exerted a masterly level of control and lavished an exquisite tone on Ysaÿe’s unaccompanied Sonata No. 3. Mr. Goosby does not yet have a fully developed sense of how to fill a phrase with drama, but that will come: he is only 13, and his performance won him a deserved standing ovation for its sheer virtuosity.” [Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a complete Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma of Lawrence University Conservatory]

'Listen Magazine': Aaron Dworkin Among 'Today's Top 15 Classical Music Ambassadors.'

[Illustrations of cover and of Aaron P. Dworkin by Yuko Shimizu, Listen, Vol. 2, No. 2, Summer 2010]

ListenMusicMag.com
Listen: Life With Classical Music is a relatively young magazine of Classical Music. The latest issue is Vol. 2, No. 2, Summer 2010. The magazine has made its presence felt like a breath of fresh air in the established media devoted to Classical Music. The current issue is 80 oversized pages of glossy photos, large pictures of CD cover art, and stories which blend the provocative and the informative. The just-released Summer 2010 issue has as its cover story: Most Inspiring: Today's Top 15 Classical Music Ambassadors.
“Aaron Dworkin founded the annual Sphinx Competition for black and Latino string players a dozen years ago to address the minuscule number of minorities in classical music. Personal experience drove home the point: As a violinist, he was almost always the only African-American in his school orchestras growing up in New York. As a graduate student at the University of Michigan he decided to act upon the isolation he felt. The impact has been swift and wide-ranging.

“Some Sphinx alums have been finalists in international competitions, and others have won spots at Juilliard, Curtis and other top conservatories. In recent months, the best and brightest Sphinx artists have appeared on The Today Show and Good Morning America and have been received at the White House.” [Aaron P. Dworkin (b. 1970) is an African American violinist who is profiled at AfriClassical.com. His creative interests are expressed at his website http://www.Ethnovibe.com, where the items offered include Aaron's autobiography, They Said I Wasn't Really Black.]

Chicago College of Performing Arts is proud 'to have a formal relationship with Sphinx'

[Photo of Aaron P. Dworkin by Bruce Giffin, Detroit Public Television]

On Dec. 26, 2009 AfriClassical posted “Henry Fogel: 'Musicians need to hear from people like Aaron Dworkin of the Sphinx Foundation.'” Henry Fogel is Dean of the Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University. In November, 2009, he addressed the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Schools of Music:

“Musicians need to be sensitive to, and supportive of, efforts to diversify our world—strong, proactive efforts that will help to overcome a century of actual, real discrimination. While that situation has improved dramatically in our lifetimes, it is a very important and real part of our field’s history. Musicians need to hear from people like Aaron Dworkin of the Sphinx Foundation whose organization does a terrific job promoting string playing among young musicians of color, on the need for greater change in this area.”

Three comments have been made. The first was from Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, who said: “I know Henry. He is a superb human being in every regard.” Aaron Dworkin then added: “Wow:)... I didn't know... He is fantastic!” Today we heard from Dean Henry Fogel: “Thank you for promoting the wonderful work of Aaron Dworkin, and for the kind words. I appreciate them very much. I am proud that the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University will now have a formal relationship with Sphinx.” [Aaron P. Dworkin is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Comment by email
Hi Henry, First, I just wanted to thank you again for OVERLY kind words mentioning me:)... Needless to say, given the experience, wisdom and leadership you have brought to bear in our field and your advocacy for diversity, it meant a great deal! We are so proud of our budding partnership on the Sphinx Performance Academy and look forward to seeing you soon! Aaron Dworkin
*****************************************
Aaron, It is impossible to be OVERLY kind about what you have done and what you have meant to our field. I too am proud of our budding partnership. Henry Fogel

RealAmericanStories.com: Video of Aaron Dworkin, Founder of the Sphinx Organization

[Photo of Aaron P. Dworkin by Bruce Giffin, Detroit Public Television]

On a compelling new video at RealAmericanStories.com, violinist and Harlem Quartet member Melissa White joins in articulating the vision and unparalleled accomplishments in Classical Music Diversity of Aaron P. Dworkin, Winner of a MacArthur Genius Fellowship and countless other honors, who is Founder and President of the Sphinx Organization, headquartered in Detroit and serving the country. [Aaron P. Dworkin (b. 1970) is profiled at AfriClassical.com as a Musician of African Descent]

Aaron Dworkin Discusses Sphinx Organization With DiversityInc In Carnegie Hall Video

[Aaron Dworkin (b. 1970) is profiled at AfriClassical.com as a Musician of African Descent]

AfriClassical has received this press release from SphinxMusic.org:
“Don’t miss this great interview with Sphinx Founder and President, Aaron Dworkin as he discusses Sphinx with Daryl Hannah of DiversityInc magazine backstage in the Carnegie Hall dressing room during the 2008 Sphinx Artist Series at Carnegie Hall”:
“Where Are the Black, Latino Composers? (VIDEO)"
By the DiversityInc staff
“It's rare that young people are interested in classical music. The Sphinx Organization is trying to change that. The group's president recently spoke to DiversityInc about all that Sphinx has to offer. Watch video” (5:14)

Sphinx Laureates Return to Carnegie Hall October 7, 2009

[Featuring the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra, Harlem Quartet and solo performances by Laureates of the prestigious Sphinx Competition for young Black & Latino string players.]

The Sphinx Organization, celebrating 12 years of building diversity in classical music, returns to Carnegie Hall on Wednesday, October 7, 2009. Under the baton of Maestro Chelsea Tipton II, the concert will feature the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra, the Harlem Quartet, and other top Sphinx Competition alumni performing as soloists.

This annual celebration of diversity and classical music embraces the Sphinx Organization’s artistic mission offering standard repertoire and masterpieces by Black and Latino composers. Please join us on October 7th as we celebrate the extraordinary talents of these young musicians of color.  The mission of the Sphinx Organization is to increase the participation of Blacks and Latinos in music schools as professional musicians, as classical music audiences, and to administer youth development initiatives in underserved communities through music education. [Sphinx Founder/President Aaron P. Dworkin (b. 1970)  is profiled at AfriClassical.com] 

The Birmingham News: 'Harlem Quartet: At the Heart of Diversity'

[The Harlem Quartet, from left, Ilmar Gavilan, Desmond Neysmith, Melissa White and Juan-Miguel Hernandez, was organized in 2006. Each has won the Sphinx Competition for young Black & Latino string players and they are about to release their second CD. They perform Thursday in a concert presented by the Birmingham Chamber Music Society.] 

blog.al.com

Posted by Michael Huebner – Birmingham News February 1, 2009 5:30 AM

“In its mission to involve more Latinos and African-Americans in classical music, the Sphinx Organization has spawned a string quartet that's quickly gaining respect in the competitive chamber music market. The Harlem Quartet, a group of 23- to 30-year-olds that plays in Birmingham on Thursday [details below], was assembled in 2006 by Sphinx founder Aaron Dworkin. Unlike most string quartets, who link up through educational, professional or family ties or through auditions, the Harlem was assembled from first place solo winners in the annual Sphinx Competition for young Black and Latino string players.

“Every year since 1996, the Michigan-based Sphinx Organization has held the competition with the goal of breaking cultural stereotypes. First violinist Ilmar Galivan won in 2001. 'Everyone in the quartet has won the competition, in separate years,' said Galivan. 'When we won this competition, the thought of being in a quartet wasn't remotely in anyone's mind.' Brought up in Cuba, Galivan studied violin at the Havana Conservatory until he was 14, then studied in Moscow, Spain and New York, picking up pointers from such luminaries as Yehudi Menuhin, Ruggiero Ricci, Isaac Stern and Glenn Dichterow. Other quartet members have equally impressive solo credentials.”

“But the quartet's diversity goes beyond ethnicity. Its repertoire draws from classic quartet composers such as Brahms, Haydn, Mozart and Ravel, but sprinkles in modernists such as Walter Piston and Judith Lang Zaimont. More telling are quartets by Guido Galivan (Ilmar's father) and a Duke Ellington arrangement of Billy Strayhorn's 'Take the A Train' (the title track of the quartet's first CD). Wynton Marsalis' 'Octoroon Balls,' a work that explores the social and cultural contradictions of Creole life in New Orleans. Composed in 1995 for the Orion Quartet, it was the first classical composition by the jazz great, and it has taken on special significance for the group."  [Full Post]  [The Founder/President of The Sphinx Organization is violinist Aaron P. Dworkin, who is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Innovate2Uplift.net: 'Raisin' the Buzz: At the table with Aaron Dworkin'

Innovate2Uplift.net

Posted by Sidney on January 28, 2009

"Violinist Aaron Dworkin is on unique double mission - to enrich the classical music art form with diverse interpretation, fresh creativity, and artistic excellence and to use classical music education to improve the quality of life for young African Americans and Latinos. He lives this mission as the President and CEO of the Sphinx Organization, a non-profit he founded in 1996. I recently sat down with him to get to know more about him, his work, and his approach to changing our world for the good of all. After reading this interview, please show Aaron Dworkin and the Sphinx Organization some love by offering comments, viewing the Sphinx promotional video, and/or giving support for the impact they are achieving.

"Q: Why did you start The Sphinx Organization?
Dworkin: As a young person, I often found myself to be the only one or one of less than a handful of musicians of color. As a student at the Interlochen Arts Academy, and later, the University of Michigan, in various orchestras and as an audience member, I began to question why this was the case. I decided to do something about it by launching a national competition for young black and Latino string players to address the under representation of these groups in classical music."  [Full Post]  [Aaron P. Dworkin (b. 1970), is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

PBS.org Art Beat, Music: “Harlem Quartet, Strads 'Take the A Train'”

[Take the 'A' Train; The Harlem Quartet; White Pine Music (2007)]

PBS.org NewsHour: Art Beat – Music

Harlem Quartet, Strads 'Take the A Train'

Posted by Mike Melia, December 31, 2008

The Harlem Quartet continues to break new ground in the world of classical music, and at the group's recent performance at the Library of Congress, a bit of music history was made, too. "There's definitely been people who have played jazz on a Strad before, no doubt," first violin Ilmar Gavilan said, referring to the legendary instruments made by Antonio Stradivari and the jazz standard written by Billy Strayhorn for Duke Ellington's orchestra. "But a quartet playing jazz, and specifically this arrangement, which is pretty recent, I think I'm going to go out on a limb -- this is history!" [Continue Reading] [The Harlem Quartet is an ensemble of the Sphinx Organization, whose Founder/President, Aaron P. Dworkin (b. 1970), is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

New York Times: 'Rite of Strings, for Black and Latino Youth'

New York Times 

Music Review: 'Rite of Strings, for Black and Latino Youth'
By VIVIEN SCHWEITZER

Published: October 22, 2008
During a concert by the Sphinx Laureates on Tuesday evening, a girl sitting in a row of children behind me at Carnegie Hall wondered aloud why performers always exit the stage between bows. The formal traditions of classical concerts sometimes surprise newcomers. What may have surprised veterans, on the other hand, was seeing so many minority children and teenagers in the audience, and that kind of presence is something the Sphinx Organization — a nonprofit group dedicated to increasing the presence of blacks and Latinos in classical music as performers, composers and audience members — wants to encourage. Sphinx, founded in 1996, offers an annual competition for black and Latino string players, and laureates perform in the excellent Sphinx Chamber Orchestra, now midway through its inaugural national tour. Chelsea Tipton II, resident conductor of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, led a diverse program of works for strings on Tuesday, opening with the Fugue from Villa-Lobos’s “Bachiana Brasileira” No. 9.

The violinist Elena Urioste, the 2007 winner of the Sphinx Competition senior division, offered a passionate, virtuosic rendition of the “Ballade” from Ysaÿe’s Sonata No. 3 for solo violin. She also performed the solo part in the Ponce-Heifetz “Estrellita,” played here in a languid arrangement for violin and string orchestra by Geoffrey McDonald. The concert, presented by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, also included a lively rendition of the jazzy “Alla Burletta” from Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s “Generations” Sinfonietta and an elegant performance of George Walker’s romantic “Lyric for Strings.” The Harlem Quartet, consisting entirely of first-place laureates of the Sphinx Competition, was joined by the guest artist Paul Katz, the former cellist of the Cleveland Quartet, for the first movement of Schubert’s String Quintet in C.

In a video presentation about the organization’s goals, Melissa White — the second violinist of the Harlem Quartet, a Sphinx laureate and a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia — discussed the isolation she felt growing up and encountering so few black and Latino classical musicians. The violinist Aaron P. Dworkin, Sphinx’s founder and president, said from the stage that as a biracial classical musician he had also experienced isolation, and that classical music would benefit from the involvement of a wider section of society. The program also included the presentation of a new prize created in honor of the violinist Isaac Stern, which the organization hopes will be awarded annually to one particularly gifted Sphinx musician. The inaugural recipient was the violinist Clayton Penrose-Whitmore, 15, who demonstrated his skills during a buoyant performance of Vivaldi’s Concerto in B minor for Four Violins, which concluded the concert. [Sphinx President Aaron P. Dworkin (b. 1970) and Composer George Walker (b. 1922) are profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Sphinx Brings Message of Diversity to Carnegie Hall

PR.com

The Sphinx Laureates at Carnegie Hall presented by Chase--October 21.

New York, NY, September 27, 2008 -- The Sphinx Organization, the national organization dedicated to building diversity in classical music, will return to Carnegie Hall for a performance on October 21. The concert will feature the acclaimed Sphinx Chamber Orchestra and the Harlem Quartet. The Sphinx Laureates at Carnegie Hall is presented with generous support from Chase.

The concert at Carnegie Hall is just one performance on the orchestra’s first national tour. The tour will take the orchestra to eight cities from the Midwest to New England.

The Sphinx Chamber Orchestra will take the stage at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, October 21 at 6:00. Tickets are $20, and available through the Carnegie Hall Box Office at (212) 247-7800 or www.CarnegieHall.org. VIP and Box Seat tickets are available through Sphinx by calling (646) 429-1987 ext 713.

The Sphinx Chamber Orchestra comprises top alumni of the Sphinx Competition for young Black and Latino string players. Conductor Chelsea Tipton II will lead the orchestra. Tipton is Resident Conductor of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared as a guest conductor with the Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, and New World Symphony Orchestras and the Boston Pops Orchestra.

The Harlem Quartet, comprising first-place Laureates of the Sphinx Competition, has a unique and challenging 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 Quartet has performed around the country, including three performances at Carnegie Hall.

Inspired by Sphinx’s artistic mission, the concert will offer standard repertoire along with masterpieces by Black and Latino composers. Pieces by Schubert, George Walker, Vivaldi, Villa-Lobos, and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson will be featured.

“Ten years ago, I could only dream about an orchestra of Black and Latino musicians touring the country, said Aaron Dworkin, Founder and President of Sphinx. “This year, that dream becomes a reality. The Sphinx Chamber Orchestra is part of the new face of classical music that will shape the way young people connect with classical music.” Dworkin founded Sphinx in 1996 while a student at the University of Michigan. His work with the organization has been recognized around the world. In 2005, he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for his pioneering work. [Full Post]