Congratulations to all of the participants at the 19th Annual Sphinx Competition! This year, Sphinx brought 20 of the most talented young Black and Latino string players, representing 13 states, to Detroit for the Competition. It was an exciting weekend filled with terrific performances by our semi-finalists and laureates as well as workshops and career sessions led by our critically acclaimed jury panel.

25-year-old cellist Thomas Mesa (Manhattan School of Music) gave an astonishing performance of the finale of Elgar’s Concerto in E minor. Thomas took home 1st place and the Robert Frederick Smith Prize of $50,000 in the senior division and opportunities to be featured with Sphinx Soloist Program partners performing as a soloist with major orchestras across the country.

Other recipients of the senior division prizes included Annelle K. Gregory (violin), who placed 2nd and received a $20,000 cash prize. Annelle was also the recipient of Sphinx’s Audience Choice Award sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Guilherme Nardelli

Monegatto (cello) placed 3rd and received a $10,000 cash prize, and Rubén Rengel placed 4th and received a $5,000 cash prize.

17-year-old violinist Maria Sanderson, from Morgantown, IN, won 1st place in the junior division with a performance of Mozart’s Concerto No 4, Movement I. Maria received a $10,000 cash prize and will have the opportunity to be featured with Sphinx Soloist Program partners. Other recipients of the junior division prizes included Ifetayo Ali (cello), who placed 2nd and received a $5,000 cash prize, and Nicholas Arredondo (double bass), who placed 3rd and received a $3,000 cash prize.

The laureates performed with the professional all Black and Latino Sphinx Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Guest Conductor Andrew Grams. Featured Guest Artists Brasil Guitar Duo gave a very special performance of the 3rd movement from Concerto for Two Guitars and Orchestra. The piece, written by Paulo Bellinati, was commissioned and written for the Brasil Guitar Duo.

Dazzling Musicians Take First Place in the Junior and Senior Division at the 19th Annual Sphinx Competition

presented by the DTE Energy Foundationwith additional support provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Vol. 17, No. 2

The Quarter NoteSpring 2016

q

Aaron P. Dworkin Founder

Photos: Glenn Triest

Sphinx Announces the Transformative

Robert Frederick Smith Prize

Sphinx recently received a major boost in support of its work to promote opportunities and excellence among underrepresented classical musicians of color. This generous gift was made by Robert F. Smith, the founder, chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. His $250,000 commitment follows a history of support for young musicians and establishes the “Robert Frederick Smith Prize,” an award that will be bestowed annually to an emerging string musician of color through the senior division of the national Sphinx Competition.

“Music is at the core of the African-American and Latino cultural experience, and provides us with a language to inspire, uplift and empower our young people. I partnered with Sphinx to give this prize because Sphinx understands how music transforms lives and through its competition can recognize the very best musicians in the world,” said Smith about the partnership.

The Robert Frederick Smith Prize, a highly prestigious award recognizing excellence in musicianship, will provide $50,000 of support each year to help create on-ramps to careers in the classical music field by providing access to professional development and other vital resources, including: access to a fine instrument; resources to take professional auditions and attend competitions, conferences and other professional development activities; resources for expert instruction and high level coaching; and funds to help offset the burden of tuition.

The partnership was announced on March 16th at the Sphinx Medals of Excellence celebration held at the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. The inaugural winner, 2016 senior division first place laureate of the Sphinx Competition cellist Thomas Mesa, was on hand to be recognized. “These artists truly excellence, achievement and most of all, promise to transform our field and our society. Robert’s gift will also ensure the future of Sphinx’s flagship initiative, the ‘motherboard’ of our programming: the Sphinx Competition,” said Afa Dworkin, President & Artistic Director of Sphinx.

Recipients of the Robert Frederick Smith Prize will continue the tradition of excellence while embodying the primary goals of the Sphinx Competition, to develop and recognize classical music talent in Black and Latino communities. Awardees will possess exceptional artistic integrity, leadership, a capacity to develop an entrepreneurial spirit, trailblazer qualities, and a spirit of community ambassadorship.

PRESIDENT’S NOTE

Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you all in good spirits and enjoying the beginning of spring! The year has gotten off to a fantastic start for Sphinx, and we are eager for more excitement to come.

As you will read in this newsletter, our 19th annual Sphinx Competition and 4th annual SphinxCon took place in Detroit in February. We were thrilled to welcome incredible semifinalists, esteemed jury members, and a broad constituency of arts professionals to our home city for this transformative weekend of experiencing diversity in the arts firsthand, as well as discussing how to achieve it.

We are especially excited to announce the Robert Frederick Smith Prize, which will be bestowed upon the first place senior division Laureate for 5 years! The inaugural recipient, Thomas Mesa, was awarded the prestigious $50,000 Prize and had the opportunity to perform at the Supreme Court during our Medals of Excellence evening!

In the coming months, our educational programs will truly shine. Sphinx Overture, which has been running in Detroit and Flint elementary schools throughout the school year, will soon culminate in recitals where students will demonstrate all they have learned for friends, family and the community. We are also preparing for another season of our Sphinx Performance Academy, taking place this summer at Oberlin Conservatory and Roosevelt University.

As always, we thank you for making our work possible and for your continued enthusiasm and passion for our mission!

Warmly,Afa

Aaron P. Dworkin Founder

Sphinx CompetitionPresenter

Stella & Frederick LoebCharitable Trust

ADMINISTERED BY

www.53.com

Editor: Therese GoussyContributors: Andre Dowell, Afa Dworkin, Abigayl Venman, Xavier Verna

Design & Layout: Julie Renfro

Honorary CommitteeBranford Marsalis, ChairGlenn DicterowDavid FinckelNikki GiovanniWu HanIda KavafianAni KavafianNigel KennedyJaime LaredoTania LeonYo-Yo E. MaMark O’ConnorChristopher O’RileyItzhak PerlmanToby PerlmanAndré PrevinAwadagin PrattBright ShengLeonard SlatkinNadja Salerno-SonnenbergArnold SteinhardtMichael Tilson ThomasGeorge WalkerJeffrey Zeigler

Board of DirectorsWilliam H. Carson, ChairAnne L. Taylor, Vice ChairDeidre Lambert-Bounds, TreasurerMary Beth Halprin, SecretaryFaye Alexander NelsonDavid BarthwellRachel Barton PineAmy BurkholderMartha DarlingAfa S. DworkinKenneth FischerSandra GibsonAnthony GloverHoward HertzAndrea HoffmanMercedes MartinTynnetta McIntoshMajorie PearsallVivian PickardSally Stegeman DiCarloKathy WeaverBeverly WillisShaun Wilson

© 2016 Sphinx Organization400 Renaissance Center, Ste 2550Detroit, MI 48243 313-877-9100info@SphinxMusic.orgwww.SphinxMusic.org

Special Artistic AdvisorYo-Yo Ma

Bloomberg Philanthropies

I am“The fact that an organization such as Sphinx exists; that it exists in a city like Detroit; and that it stands for what it stands for, changing the complexion of classical music…is extraordinarily significant.”

Delroy Lindo, 2016 Arthur L. Johnson Memorial Series Honoree

Aaron P. Dworkin Founder

MELLONTHEANDREW W.

FOUNDATION

SAVE THE DATES!2016

Sphinx Performance Academy application deadline: April 13Overture Recitals: May 12 - 19

SPA at Roosevelt University: July 1-15SPA at Oberlin Conservatory: July 17-27

Sphinx Virtuosi National Tour: September 22 - October 31Sphinx Virtuosi at Carnegie Hall: October 13

Sphinx Competition application deadline: November 7

201720th Annual Sphinx Competition: February 8-12

20th Annual Sphinx Competition Honors Concert: February 1020th Annual Sphinx Competition Finals Concert: February 12

SphinxCon: February 10-12

SPHINX NEWSSphinx is thrilled to announce six new members to its Board of Directors: David Barthwell, M.D., co-founder and medical director of Encounter Medical Group, PC; Amy Burkholder, Emmy-award winning network news producer; Mary Beth Halprin, director of communications & corporate marketing for Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA, LLC; Mercedes Martin, associate director, diversity and inclusion and executive coaching at Ernst and Young; Tynnetta McIntosh, managing director and head of corporate firm-wide employee communications at JPMorgan Chase & Co; and Faye Alexander Nelson, vice president of public affairs for DTE Energy and president of the DTE Energy Foundation.

Violinist and Sphinx alum Brendon Elliott has been chosen to premiere a nationally co-commissioned sonata in the state of Virginia.

Violist Kevonna Shuford, 2015 Sphinx Competition junior semi-finalist, has been accepted to the NYO 2016 European Tour.

Violist Kayla Cabrera, 2015 SPA student and 2016 Sphinx Competition junior semi-finalist, has been accepted to the NYO 2016 European Tour.

Congratulations to Sphinx alum Jessie Montgomery! The premier of her piece, “Records from a Vanishing City,” commissioned by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, will be performed at the start of their 44th season on October 27, 2016 at Carnegie Hall.

Cameren Anai Williams, violist and SPA alum, is a Finalist at the 2016 New World Competition.

Sheena Gutierrez, semi-finalist of the 2011 Sphinx Competition, will give the Florida premiere of composer Stephanie Ann Boyd’s new work for violin and piano Amerigo this year as part of the 50 State Sonata Project.

Violinist Gwen Laster, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra alum, has been awarded a 2016 Individual Artist Commission for “Black Lives Matter Suite” by Arts Mid-Hudson.

Linton Robinson, SPA alum, has been accepted to the California Institute of the Arts for the Fall 2016 Semester.

Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins, past Sphinx Symphony Orchestra concertmaster, currently shines as the “Fiddler” and concertmaster in Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof.

Congratulations to Douglas Cardwell, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra timpanist and 2015 MPower Recipient, who is now officially endorsed with Pearl/Adams Concert Percussion.

The Catalyst Quartet announces violinist Suliman Tekali as their newest member.

Steven Baloue, SPA alum, has been accepted into the NYO2 program, a new program led by Carnegie Hall and its Weill Music Institute.

Bethany Bunch, SPA 2016 alum, has been accepted to James Madison University.

Thank you to Berg Bows International and Michael F. Duff, who made a custom-made gold cello bow for our 2016 Sphinx Competition senior division winner, Thomas Mesa.

Send us your news and performance updates: QuarterNote@SphinxMusic.org

Industry Leaders Meet in Detroitto Engage at SphinxCon

Arts advocates recently converged in Detroit for SphinxCon: Ignite to Action, our 4th national conference on diversity in the arts. From February 5-7, 2016, the historic Westin Book Cadillac Hotel was home to this convening of passionate and dedicated presenters, respondents, facilitators, and attendees. The conversation throughout the weekend consisted of fourteen sessions in a variety of formats: attendees enjoyed presentations, panel discussions, question and answer sessions, and live performances. The three key areas of focus during the conference included:

u Ignite Philanthropy: Conversations on the current trends in philanthropy in the area of diversityu Arts to Drive Social Change: Arts through the lens of relevance to societyu Action Steps: Leaders who set trends through action

SphinxCon is unique in that attendees from all over the world engage with industry leaders and key influencers. We were honored to welcome over 40 speakers to the conference stage, including:

u Delroy Lindo (actor, NAACP Image Award nominee, director) received the Arthur L. Johnson Memorial Series Awardu Mike Muse (CEO: Muse Recordings) provided a thought provoking closing plenaryu Jamie Bennett brought his incredible energy and knowledge to the role of conference facilitator; he drove meaningful conversations on stage while also engaging those in the audience!

After three days in Detroit, conference attendees left SphinxCon inspired, educated, and charged to engage in their communities and organizations.

Thanks to our partners at Detroit Public Television, every SphinxCon session is available to view online:

http://www.sphinxmusic.org/sphinxcon-video-archives.html

Sphinx Medals of ExcellencePresented at Kennedy Center

On March 16, 2016, Sphinx presented the 5th annual Sphinx Medals of Excellence celebration which honors extraordinary emerging classical artists of color, who, early in their professional career demonstrate the following qualities: artistic excellence, outstanding work ethic, a spirit of determination, and ongoing commitment to leadership. The 2016 honorees were Soprano Julia Bullock, Cellist Gabriel Cabezas, and Pianist and Arts Advocate Lara Downes. Each recipient was presented with the Sphinx Medal of Excellence and a $50,000 career grant at a luncheon hosted by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Aspen Institute. They were then honored at a black-tie dinner in Washington, D.C.

The 2016 Sphinx Medals of Excellence is generously underwritten by JPMorgan Chase & Co., William H. Carson, M.D., The John D. Evans Foundation, Victoria Robey, Anthony & Adela Glover, Korn Ferry and R. Lucia Riddle

Photo: Kevin Kennedy.

The Quarter Note caught up with 2016 Sphinx Competition senior division first place Laureate, cellist Thomas Mesa.

Quarter Note: When did you start playing the cello and was there something that initially inspired you?

Thomas Mesa: I started playing cello when I was 11 years old after I accidentally picked the orchestra class in middle school. I thought that I could play drums, because at that time, I figured playing the

400 Renaissance CenterSuite 2550Detroit MI 48243

Somethingto Ponder:

“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.”

-- Kahlil Gibran

drums was the most exciting idea. On the first day of class, I realized that there were no drums in an orchestra, but I couldn’t switch because the band class was full. I stayed in the orchestra class reluctantly and squeaked on the violin for the first couple of months, then started making friends who all played the cello, so I switched. I had no idea at the time that I would love it and make a career out of it, but after listening to the CDs of Yo-Yo Ma and Jacqueline du Pré, I became obsessed with trying to imitate their sounds just to see how close I could come to sounding like them. I was a cello parrot. I think that this experimentation and curiosity for sound ended up being one big reason why I progressed quickly in those early years, but the inspiration came from everywhere - my teachers, my parents, my fellow students - and I’m lucky to have parents that say “Do what you love to do.” So I took their advice.

QN: What was your experience like at the Sphinx Competition?

TM: The Sphinx Competition did

not feel like a competition in some ways because of how familial and welcoming everyone was in the process. Everyone ate together, read chamber music, roomed together - it was a really good time. In a high-pressure situation, getting to know everyone made everything less stressful and I felt open to just making music and not worrying about the outcome as much. It really felt like an experience bigger than just a competition. There is real warmth; walking into the first rehearsal evoked a similar feeling to walking into your best friend’s apartment for dinner. These are people whom I feel close to now especially after such a rewarding musical experience. I am looking forward to seeing them in the near future.

QN: What kinds of exciting prizes have you received from the Sphinx Competition?

TM: There were lots of things that came with first prize and all of which will undoubtedly help the career I’ve been trying to build - concerto engagements, $50,000,

Q & A with Thomas Mesaa gold mounted bow from Berg Bows, and of course, the benefit of being a part of a family of great musicians under the umbrella of a great organization!

QN: What are some of your favorite orchestras that you hope to perform with some day?

TM: I can’t say I have a favorite orchestra because honestly, I don’t. I want to play with any orchestra I can because that means making music with (and for) as many people as possible, and this is the goal. I am definitely a huge fan of the chamber orchestra setting, and I’m hoping to have the privilege of being in that situation as a soloist. It’s just incredible that Sphinx offers these opportunities, and I’m looking forward to working hard for them.

To learn more about Thomas, visitwww.sphinxmusic.org/bio-thomas-mesa.html

Aaron P. Dworkin Founder