[Damon Gupton conducts Sphinx Chamber Orchestra]
Posted: Oct. 21, 2010
By Mark Stryker
Free Press Columnist
“Detroit's Sphinx Organization has won national acclaim for its pioneering work to boost the number of minority musicians in classical music. Best known for its annual Sphinx Competition for black and Latino string players, the organization also oversees an empire of education programs, camps, residences, an instrument fund, two professional string quartets, an annual gala at Carnegie Hall and the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra.
Led by conductor Damon Gupton, the chamber orchestra includes some 25 previous Sphinx competition winners and alumni. On the road since early October, the group makes its final Michigan stop at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. The diverse program includes works by black and Latino composers, including contemporary pieces by Pulitzer Prize-winner George Walker (b. 1922), Gabriela Lena Frank and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004). The ensemble will also play pieces by Sibelius and Mendelssohn. Guest artists include the Harlem Quartet and violinist Elena Urioste.
7:30 p.m. p.m. Friday, Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, 44575 Garfield, Clinton Twp. 586-286-2222. macombcenter.com. $25-$30, $15 children 12 and under.” [The Sphinx Organization was founded in 1996 by violinist Aaron P. Dworkin (b. 1970), who is profiled at AfriClassical.com. Composers George Walker and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson are also featured at the website.]
