Vol. 10, No. 3

The Quarter NoteDBR Selected for Commission

The Sphinx Commissioning Consortium has selected

recent American Idol guest and accomplished musician, Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) for the 2009 commission. Roumain was chosen f rom among many composers nominated for the commission by Sphinx and 9 partnering orchestras.

Currently, works by Black and Latino composers account for less than one percent of the classical music performed by American orchestras each year. Sphinx has established partnerships with major orchestras across the country to build the repertoire of works by Black and Latino composers with the addition of contemporary compositions.

The new work will be scored for full orchestra and will premiere during the 2010-2011 music season with performances at each of the partnering Consortium Orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Richmond

Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and the New World Symphony.

“We are thrilled to commission a new piece by the unbelievably talented Daniel Bernard Roumain,” said Aaron Dworkin. “Daniel’s vibrant blend of musical styles and cultures will be a dynamic addition to the repertory of the Sphinx Commissioning Consortium.” “As an American composer, one performance of a new work is considered a blessing. That the Sphinx Commissioning Consortium provides several performances of a new work, by several major American orchestras, is a miracle and a reflection of the trust and bond shared between those ensembles, the Sphinx Organization, and the ever-adventurous spirit of the American musical landscape,” said Roumain.

H a i t i a n - A m e r i c a n D a n i e l Roumain’s previous works range from orchestral scores and chamber pieces to music for film, the theater,

Summer 2009q

modern dance, and electronica. R o u m a i n h a s c o l l a b o r a t e d with an array of orchestras and chamber ensembles nationwide having completed his Master’s and Doctoral work locally at the University of Michigan School of Music under the tutelage of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom.

Daniel ’s recent performances and commissions have included a commissioned work for Imani Winds premiering at Carnegie Hall in 2009; WE MARCH!, a guitar concerto that premiered with Eliot Fisk and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; a work commissioned for the University of Alabama composed in honor of Vivian Malone Jones; newly commissioned works for the Florida Youth Orchestra, Ahn Trio and Claremont Trio, as well as the recent collaboration with pop sensation Lady GaGa on an arrangement of her hit single “Poker Face” for her American Idol performance in April.

DTE Energy Foundation to Present2010 Sphinx Competition

Since the first Sphinx Competition in 1998, the annual event has become the Sphinx Organization’s signature program and one of the highlights in Detroit’s cultural landscape. Building on its years of supporting Sphinx and its commitment to young people and diversity, the DTE Energy Foundation will be the Presenter of the Sphinx Competition in 2010. The DTE Energy Foundation’s remarkable commitment to Sphinx helps to create learning opportunities for young people, highlights the importance of diversity, and allows Sphinx to showcase world-class artistry into a Detroit audience. Since 2003, DTE Energy Foundation has supported the Sphinx Preparatory Music Institute at Wayne State University. As the presenting sponsor of the Sphinx Competition, DTE Energy Foundation has further demonstrated DTE’s commitment to diversity in our community. “The DTE Energy Foundation’s support ensures that the Sphinx Competition will continue to be a special event both in our home community of Detroit and nationally,” said Sphinx Founder and President Aaron Dworkin. “DTE Energy Foundation is a leader in our community, and we’re honored to be among the organizations they support.”

Continued, page 2Khari Joyner, Jr. Division 1st Place Laureate of the 2009 Sphinx Competition. Photo: Glenn Triest.

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PRESIDENT’S NoTEEditor: Stephan BobalikContributors: Stephan Bobalik, Alison Piech, Aaron DworkinDesign & Layout: Julie Renfro

Founder/PresidentAaron P. Dworkin

Board of DirectorsRuben Acosta, ChairJenice Mitchell Ford, Vice-ChairAnthony Glover, TreasurerKurtis T. Wilder, SecretaryDeidre Bounds Martha Darling Aaron P. Dworkin Kenneth C. Fischer Howard Hertz Al McDonough Daedra McGhee David Rudolph Beverly Willis

Board of AdvisorsSanford Allen David Cerone Ronald A. Crutcher Dominique de Lerma Matthew Derr Roberto Diaz Anthony Elliott Sandra Gibson Juanita Jackson Polly Kahn Christopher Kendall Christian Matjias Lolita Mayadas Charlene J. Mitchell Lester Monts Willis Patterson Juan Ramirez Stephen Shipps Albert Webster

Honorary CommitteeNikki Giovanni Ida KavafianNigel Kennedy Jaime Laredo Yo-Yo E. Ma Branford Marsalis Mark O’Connor Christopher O’Riley Itzhak Perlman André Previn Leonard Slatkin Michael Tilson Thomas George Walker

© 2009 Sphinx Organization400 Renaissance Center, Ste 2550Detroit, MI 48243 313-877-9100www.sphinxmusic.org info@sphinxmusic.org

Lula C. Wilson Trust

Bingham Trust

Leo Guthman Fund

Aaron Copland Fund

Claire Giannini Fund

Mr. David Rockefeller

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Scherman Foundation

Dorothy Richard StarlingFoundation

The Loraine & Melinese ReuterFoundation

The Kresge Foundation

Max & Victoria DreyfusFoundation

C.S. Mott Foundation

“The Sphinx Competition provides an important spotlight for gifted young Black and Latino musicians to share their talents with an audience of thousands who might not otherwise have the opportunity to hear and appreciate their artistry,” said Fred Shell, DTE Energy vice president of corporate and government affairs and president of the DTE Energy Foundation. “Supporting programs like the Sphinx Competition that promote diversity and enhance awareness of the contributions of diverse cultures is a priority for the DTE Energy Foundation. We are very pleased to serve as its presenter next year.”

The 2010 Sphinx Competition presented by DTE Energy Foundation will culminate in the Finals Concert on February 7, 2010 in Detroit’s Orchestra Hall. Each year, young Black and Latino string players from around the country audition for the competition, which has awarded more than $1 million in prizes and scholarships since 1998. The Competition will again feature the unique, all-Black and Lat ino Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and will be broadcast on PBS stations.

D T E E n e r g y i s a Detroit-based, diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide.

DTE Energy Foundation, cont.

Sphinx Presenter

Elena Urioste, 1st Place Laureate ‘03 and ‘07. Photo: Glenn Triest.

Dear Friends,

Much of the work we do at Sphinx, like the Competition and the Chamber Orchestra tour, make headlines. However, I felt that it was important to take this opportunity to tell a story of some of the equally important work we do in our communities—the work that doesn’t make it to the concert hall or the next day’s newspaper.

While visiting one of our Overture sites a few months ago, I was deeply moved by the story of Alivia, a charming young violinist. Last fall, her parents signed her up for Overture, our free grassroots music education program that provides group violin instruction to young people in some of Detroit’s key communities. As many young people do, Alivia grew increasingly impatient with her early studies: the long sessions

on hand positions and correct posture quickly became frustrating. She then wanted to quit the program—twice. But Alivia showed potential, and her instructor, Leslie DeShazor Adams, as well as her Principal at Elmdale El-ementary, wouldn’t let her give up so easily. They were dedicated to her success, and worked with her teacher and parents to keep her coming back. By the end of the school year, Alivia was excelling and looked forward to Overture each week. During the summer, she will continue to study in private lessons subsidized by Sphinx.

Like many other non-profit organizations around the country, Sphinx is not immune from the economic downturn that is effecting the nation. In fact, here in Detroit, it seems we’re in the center of it. If there was ever a time to support Sphinx, that time is now. A gift of just $25 provides one subsidized private lesson for an aspiring young musician like Alivia. I hope you will consider the impact of our work and make a gift today at www.SphinxMusic.org.

Make this summer a memorable one!

Take care,

SPHINX NEWSSphinx has commissioned a new work by Tania León to be premiered by the Harlem Quartet during the 2010-2011 season.

Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Laureate ’06, won 4th prize in the Tokyo International Viola Competition in May and appeared as a soloist with the Tokyo Philharmonic. She was picked by Seiji Ozawa to perform in Geneva and Paris this summer with his International Music Academy - Switzerland.

Sphinx Prep and Sphinx Overture applications now being accepted for the 2009-2010 school year. For applications or more information on these tuition free programs, visit www.SphinxMusic.org or contact Jada Wright-Greene at 313-877-9100 x708, Jada@SphinxMusic.org.

Clayton Penrose-Whitmore, Laureate ‘08, returned to Michigan in April and performed as a soloist with the Detroit

Civic Orchestra, under the direction of Leonard Slatkin, and the Ypsilanti Symphony.

In May, Tony Rymer, 2009 1st Place Sr. Laureate, opened the Boston Pops’ season. He shared the program with conductor Keith Lockhart and vocalist Barbara Cook. Tony will perform Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Atlanta Symphony on August 2 as part of the National Black Arts Festival. The performance will be at Ebenezer

Baptist Church.

Danielle Belen, Laureate ‘08, recently performed as soloist with the Nashville, New Jersey and Colorado Symphonies.

Marie-Elise McNeeley, Alumna ‘04, was invited to become a member of the Chi Chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda, the only Music Honor Society for men and women that is recognized

by the Association of College Honor Societies. Marie-Elise has also been accepted to Indiana University Jacobs School of Music on full scholarship and will be attending as a Jacobs Fellow.

Jessie Montgomery, Silver Achievement Winner ’06, a composer and resident musician at Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI had her piece, ANTHEM, featured in a documentary of the same name. The piece was commissioned by CMW to commemorate the election of the first African American President of the United States.

Violinist Karla Donehew Perez, Laureate ’08, earned a position with the New World Symphony Orchestra, America’s orchestral academy.

Perry James, a Sphinx Prep student from Detroit, is attending hip-hop artist Usher’s Camp New Look in Georgia this summer.

The Harlem Quartet has been busy, performing this spring at the Interlochen Arts Festival, Ravinia, and Symphony Space. In July, they will perform at the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society.

Past Sphinx Symphony Orchestra member, oboist Shea Scruggs won the Assistant Principal position in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Send us your announcements, news, or updates…QuarterNote@SphinxMusic.org.

Q &AQ. What Afro-Cuban violinist was a soloist with the New York Philharmonic in 1875-1876?

A. José Silvestre White, aka José Silvestre White y Lafitte, was a composer, violinist and professor. He studied at the Paris Conservatory and after just one year of study, he won the Paris Conservatory’s highest award in violin, the coveted First Grand Prize. White appeared twice as guest soloist with the New York Philharmonic under Theodore Thomas during the 1875-1876 season and gave additional concerts in the greater New York area. He also gave concerts in Boston, Washington, and Philadelphia.

The Sphinx Laureates at Carnegie Hall

OCTOBER 7 2009 at 6:00 p.m. Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

Tickets $20Reserve your tickets now!www.sphinxmusic.org

Discount for groups of 10 or more: 646-429-1987 x708jada@sphinxmusic.org

Box Seats & VIP Reception646-429-1987 x713marshay@sphinxmusic.org

Featuring theSphinx Chamber OrchestraHarlem Quartetand Elena Uriosteall alumni of the prestigiousSphinx Competition for youngBlack & Latino string players

Sphinx Chamber Orchestra Tours AgainIn 2008, the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra left its mark on stages from Chicago to Boston during its first national tour. This year, the Orchestra will tour again stopping at 12 venues across the country. Check www.SphinxMusic.org for the latest SCO Tour news. The tour is made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The educational and community engagement performances during the tour are supported by Target.

Tour ScheduleSeptember 13 - Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OHSeptember 15 - University of Akron, OH

Sept. 18 - August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Pittsburgh, PASeptember 20 - Oberlin College, Oberlin, OHSeptember 24 - Brevard College, Brevard, NCSeptember 27 - North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NCSeptember 29 - Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NYOctober 2 - Rockefeller University, New York, NYOctober 5 - Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VAOctober 7 - Carnegie Hall, New YorkOctober 21 - California State University, Chico, CAOctober 24 - Cerritos, CA

400 Renaissance CenterSuite 2550Detroit MI 48243

Something to Ponder:

There is no truer truth obtainableBy Man than comes of music.~Robert Browning

CENTER STAGEloud, strange noises at all hours of the day and night. Stil l , embedded within that noise and struggle was my imagination and eventually, my musical voice. After attending both Vanderbilt University and the University of Michigan, I was determined to succeed in New York City and found an apartment in Harlem. In my cramped studio apartment, the no i se and exper iments continued, and I think Margate, Nashv i l l e , Ann Arbor, and Harlem have all contributed, in their own unique ways, to my musical development. As I get older and am now married and anticipating the birth of my first son, my life and music are entwined, and that synergy is all a part of my artistry and my humanity---the facts and conditions of being alive and human.

Q N : W ha t mus i c a re you listening to these days?

DBR: I love the sound of nature and the sound of the streets, any street. I travel all the time so one day i t ’s L ex ington , Massachusetts, the next, Los Angeles. Specifically, I return to some composers every day, and Beethoven, Bach, Dunstable, and Cage are always there. At the same time, Grizzly Bear, Lady Gaga, and Bjork have my ears and my heart.

QN: How has the landscape changed for musicians of color since you began playing?

DBR: Aren’t we all “musicians of color”? If anything, the lessons of politics and politicians seems fitting here and provides valuable information and good examples of how to lead, fearlessly, by example. With little doubt, there are more opportunities for more musicians of every conceivable race, color, and ethnicity. The S phinx Compet i t ion i s an integral part of that change. But any recession, of perhaps the most liberating aspect of poverty or loss, is its ability to render everyone equal and the same in their desperation and need. Classical music continues to need a wide-range of voices, timbres, and sounds. I’m excited by all the big noises coming f rom all sides. There is an opportunity for musicians of color to complete this rainbow and add real, penetrating light to the histories and stories of those voices that are too often neglected, or worse, never heard. We have our spotlight; let it shine on those still in darkness.

QN: In performance and on recordings, you’ve collaborated with many other big name musicians and ensembles. Do any of those stand out to you as especial ly meaningful or exciting?

DBR: The most obvious recent collaboration I have is with Stephanie Germenotta (aka Lady GaGa). We performed together on American Idol. It was

Daniel Bernard Roumain

T h e Q u a r te r No te r e c en t l y caught up with Daniel Bernard Roumain, who has been selected by the Sphinx Commissioning Consortium for the group’s second commissioned work.

Q uar ter Note: Your mus ic combines so many mus ica l elements. How did you develop your voice as a composer and how is it still evolving?

DBR: My musical education was always a part of my total education. I come from Margate, Florida, a suburb of Pompano Beach, F lorida, and to me a very magical place. My parents were very supportive of not only me playing violin, but of my compositional interests and improvising. It certainly wasn’t easy on them (or our neighbors!) to have me constantly making

Photo: John Walder

an interesting week of rehearsals, recording, and performing, and I am grateful to her for that opportunity. Regardless of what one thinks of her, that particular show, or “pop music”, I find performing for an audience of 10 or 10 million to be a test, and I’ve always enjoyed tests and the challenges that come with them. At the same time, recording with Phil ip Glass remains a dream come true for me. I first heard his music when I was 10 years-old, and his career is one that I emulate for its scope, sophistication, and wide range. He will always be a hero to me and an important example for al l American composers and performers.

QN: Is there anyone with whom you hope to collaborate with in the future?

DBR: The New York Philharmonic Orchestra for more than obvious reasons.

QN: What advice do you have for young artists who may want to follow in your path as a composer and performer?

DBR: Never let small, private words s top you r b ig , open dreams.

QN: What’s next for you?

DBR: A new CD. A new tour. A new commiss ion. A new appreciation for life, career, and the differences between them.