The Sphinx Organization is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of young

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

and

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

classical musicians. Based in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, it was founded by the American violinist

Aaron Dworkin Aaron Paul Dworkin (born September 11, 1970) is an American violinist and music educator. Early life Dworkin was born on September 11, 1970, in Monticello, New York, to Vaughn and Audeen Moore, but they were forced to give their son up for adopt ...

. The

Sphinx A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon. In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of ...

was chosen to represent this organization because of what it symbolizes: "the power, wisdom and persistence" that the organization hopes to instill in its participants.

History

At age 25, Aaron P. Dworkin began the Sphinx Competition. While he was immediately met with skepticism from his violin teacher and the dean of the

University of Michigan School of Music The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance is an undergraduate and graduate institution for the performing arts in the United States. It is part of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. The school was founded by Calvin Brainerd ...

, his passion about the endeavor won them over. He was allotted $40,000 over the course of three years from the dean, Dr. Paul Boylan and gained grant money from other organizations including Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Ford Motor Co., Masco Corp., and the Wolfensohn Family Foundation. In January 2010 the Sphinx Competition celebrated its 13th year. Since the start of the first annual competition, Sphinx has also begun a number of other programs to help the growth of minority involvement in classical music.

Music ensembles

The Sphinx Organization has supported the formation of six ensembles. The organization itself has an

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

known as the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, composed of Black and Latinx professionals from around the U.S. The other groups formed are the Catalyst Quartet,

Harlem Quartet Harlem Quartet is a string quartet that was originally composed of first-place laureates of the Sphinx Competition for Black and Latino string players. They were formed in 2006. The members are first violinist Ilmar Gavilán, second violinist Meli ...

, Sphinx Honors Orchestra, Sphinx Virtuosi, and most recently, the Exigence Vocal Ensemble. The Sphinx Virtuosi is a professional chamber orchestra, and Exigence is a professional vocal ensemble highlighting Black and Latinx artistry. The Catalyst Quartet comprises Sphinx Competition laureates and alumni, and the

comprises first-place competition winners.

Annual Sphinx Competition

The Annual Sphinx Competition began in 1997. The Sphinx Competition give Black and Latino classical string players a chance to compete, work with an internationally renowned panel of judges and to perform with professional musicians.McKeough, Kevin
"Cover Story: The Sphinx Stands Alone"
''Strings'', No. 107 ( January 2003). Retrieved 6 December 2010. Prizes include over $100,000 in scholarships and cash prizes, as well as solo performances with major orchestras across the United States. Many of the past laureates have gone on to either study at very prestigious schools or began careers in solo or orchestra playing. Notable judges include Anthony Elliot,

Sanford Allen Sanford Allen (born 1939) is an American classical violinist. At the age of 10, he began studying violin at the Juilliard School of Music and continued at the Mannes School of Music under Vera Fonaroff. He was the first African-American regular mem ...

Atar Arad Atar Arad (Hebrew: עתר ארד; born 8 March 1945) is an Israeli American violist, professor of music, essayist and composer. Biography Arad and his brother, architect Ron Arad, were born in Tel Aviv, Israel. Arad began his training on the vio ...

Paul Katz Paul Katz is an American cellist, who was a member of the Cleveland Quartet from 1969 to 1995.Katherine Millett "Cellist Paul Katz Puts His Students on Equal Footing" ''Strings'' August/Sept, 2007 He and his wife, pianist Pei-Shan Lee, reside in B ...

, and

Kim Kashkashian Kim Kashkashian (born August 31, 1952) is an American violist. She is recognized as one of the world's top violists. She has spent her career in the US and Europe and collaborated with many major contemporary composers. In 2013 she won a Grammy A ...

Outreach programs

The Sphinx Organization is known not only for its annual competition, but also for the education it provides across the United States. Its outreach programs are free, non-profit programs aimed at developing interest and education towards classical music in urban underserved areas in the United States. These programs include: Musical Encounters, School Dayz, Sphinx Preparatory Institute, Sphinx Performance Academy, and Sphinx Journeys. Musical Encounters creates opportunities for children to encounter the instruments of the orchestra and learn more about them at school. School Dayz is a program in which the

visits schools in New York to provide exposure for

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

children to classical music through performance.The Sphinx Organization
Programs
Retrieved 6 December 2010. The Sphinx Preparatory Institute is a program offering Saturday classes to Detroit students in music history, theory, and instrumental performance. It serves string, woodwind, brass, percussion, and piano instrumentalists, ages 11–18 and is designed to address the needs of students in pursuit of music studies at beginning and intermediate levels who lack access to adequate training. The Sphinx Performance Academy is a music festival held by the Sphinx Organization in which Black and Latino students ages 12–17 study with the

and other Sphinx Competition alumni. During their time at the Academy, students receive both private and

masterclass Yanka Industries, Inc., doing business as MasterClass, is an American online education subscription platform on which students can access tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by experts in various fields. The concept for MasterClass was conceiv ...

instruction in

chamber Chamber or the chamber may refer to: In government and organizations * Chamber of commerce, an organization of business owners to promote commercial interests *Legislative chamber, in politics * Debate chamber, the space or room that houses delib ...

and solo music. Finally, Sphinx Journeys is a program that founder

hosts. It is a radio show that highlights classical music produced by Black and Latino musicians. The program is a co-production with

WRCJ-FM WRCJ-FM (90.9 MHz) is a classical/jazz radio station in Detroit, Michigan. The station is the only classical music station in Detroit. The Detroit Educational Television Foundation, owners of PBS member station WTVS, operates the public radio st ...

in Detroit. The Sphinx Organization also offers professional development programs and grants. Its annual SphinxConnect conference in Detroit, focused on diversity and inclusion in the arts, launched in 2017 and now attracts nearly a thousand attendees per year, including musicians; administrators; conductors; composers; funders; artist representatives; and students and parents. Major speakers have included Jade Simmons,

Martina Arroyo Martina Arroyo (born February 2, 1937) is an American operatic soprano who had a major international opera career from the 1960s through the 1980s. She was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve wide success. Arroyo first ...

, and

Daniel Bernard Roumain Daniel Bernard Roumain (known by his initials, DBR; born 1970) is a classically trained composer, performer, violinist, and band-leader, whose work combines classical music with jazz, hip-hop and rock. Composer In September 2010, ''Dancers, Drea ...

. The 2020 conference included the announcement of the first Sphinx Venture Fund grants, part of a $1.5 million investment to transform the future of cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts. The Sphinx Medal of Excellence is awarded annually to three artists, and includes a $50,000 career grant.

Finances

While the Sphinx Organization began with a modest start financially, it has since grown into a major organization. Between 2006-2008, 80% of the organization's expenses were related to the program itself, while only about 7% went to administrative costs and 10% to fundraising. Growth varied from year to year. While in 2006, primary revenue was 16.6% and rose to 34.2% the next year, in 2008 it fell dramatically to -15.2% due to $1 million lost in contributions while the organization's expenses rose from 27% in 2006 to 35.8% in 2008. Despite these ups and downs, Sphinx had accumulated net assets of over $3 million by 2008. By 2019, its total net assets were $13.9 million. As of 2016, Sphinx had provided over $1.5 million in artist grants, over $500,000 worth of instruments to students and musicians, over $2.5 million in scholarships to students and musicians, and had commissioned 16 musical works. Its 2019 income was $8.8 million, representing a 145% increase in budget from 2015. Of its $5.3 million in 2019 expenses, 90% went to programming, 2% of administration, and 8% to fundraising.

Notable alumni

* Danielle Belen, violinist * Joseph Conyers, double bassist *

(all members) * Ilmar Gavilán, violinist * Kelly Hall-Tompkins, violinist *

Jessie Montgomery Jessie Montgomery (born December 8, 1981, New York City) is an American composer, chamber musician, and music educator. Her compositions focus on the vernacular, improvisation, language, and social justice. Early life and education Jessie Mont ...

, violinist and composer * Marilyn de Oliveira, cellist * Elena Urioste, violinist * Francisco Vila, cellist

References

External links

Sphinxkids.org
{{Authority control Hispanic and Latino American culture in Michigan Organizations based in Detroit Charities based in Michigan Music organizations based in the United States Organizations established in 1996 Classical music in the United States