The Quarter Note - Sphinx Organization

q The Quarter Note
Vol. 11, No. 3
Summer 2010
Sphinx Prep Students Find Success
W
hen the Sphinx Preparatory
Music Institute began in
2004, it was held at the Detroit
Public Library in a basement space
they generously provided free
of charge. From those humble
beginnings, Sphinx Prep has grown
and achieved great things. Among
the students that first year was a
young pianist named BreAnna
Lockhart.
In the last six years, BreAnna
saw the program come out of the
basement to a new home at Wayne
State University and the student
body grow, all while her piano skills
improved with each passing year.
At her final Sphinx Prep recital
this spring, BreAnna dazzled the
audience and her fellow students
with a moving performance of a
challenging Rachmaninoff prelude.
This fall, BreAnna will begin college
at the University of Michigan double
majoring in piano performance and
architecture.
Prep piano student David
Valentine graduated this spring
from Renaissance High School in
Detroit. With a calendar full of
extracurricular activities, David’s
personal motto is, “Tiredness is
laziness.” If piano was not enough
to keep him busy, David also
developed an interest in writing his
own music. One of his compositions
won an NAACP competition earlier
this year, and he performed his own
jazzy adaptation of Bach’s Air on the
G String at a Prep recital this year.
David was among the Prep students
who traveled to the White House in
November for the Classical Music
Student Workshop hosted by First
Lady Michelle Obama. This fall
he’ll study business administration
at Northwood University.
David and BreAnna were among
several Sphinx Prep students
who were awarded SmartEdge
Scholarships by GMAC Financial
Services in recognition of their
academic and artistic success.
These students are just a sample of
the success stories that have come
out of Sphinx Prep.
“Among our seniors, we have a 100
percent high school graduation
rate,” said Afa Sadykhly, who is
Artistic Director and Vice President
of Programming at Sphinx. “Our
students are winning competitions,
going on to college, and doing
great things.” This all in a city with
a graduation rate that languishes
below 50 percent.
As these graduates and many others
begin new chapters in life this fall,
so does Sphinx Prep. After five
successful years at Wayne State
University, Sphinx Prep will expand
to Max M. Fisher Music Center,
home of the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra. This expanded
partnership between Sphinx and the
DSO will mean students have access
to state-of-the-art resources and
facilities, in addition to continued
opportunities at Wayne State.
Sadykhly is looking forward to the
new possibilities this expansion
will bring. “The Max is really
one of the important centers of
classical music in Detroit, and now
our students will be right there,”
she says. “This expansion of our
partnership allows us to give our
students new opportunities and
bring many families closer to the
DSO.”
Sphinx Prep is enrolling string, brass,
woodwind, percussion, and piano students
from Detroit for the fall. More information
is available at www.SphinxMusic.org.
Sphinx Prep is generously supported by
the Ford Motor Company Fund, Erb Family
Foundation, and The Bingham Trust.
L to R: David Valentine, Sphinx Prep student; JoyAnne Amani, Sphinx Prep piano faculty;
BreAnna Lockhart, Sphinx Prep student. Photo: Julie Renfro.
We met the Challenge Thanks to You
At the Sphinx Competition in February, we announced a challenge from the Erb Family Foundation to raise $25,000 from
individuals by the end of April. It was indeed a challenge. We
not only met the challenge, but exceeded it!
Thanks to many of our generous supporters,
we raised over $31,000 in qualifying gifts—
more than enough to secure the Erb Family
Foundation’s $50,000 challenge grant. This
support will ensure our programs continue to
serve young people around the country.
Thank you to everyone who made a gift
during the “Triple My Gift” challenge!
Contributions of any amount are always appreciated. You can
make a gift anytime at www.SphinxMusic.org.
The Sphinx Laureates
at Carnegie Hall
Featuring
Sphinx Chamber Orchestra
Catalyst Quartet
Elena Urioste & Melissa White
Maestro Damon Gupton
SAVE THE DATE! OCTOBER 5, 2010
6:00 p.m. Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
Tickets $20
Discount for groups of 10 or more. For ticket information please
call 646-429-1987 x715 or email [email protected]
Box Seats & VIP Reception
646-429-1987 x713
[email protected]
Editor: Stephan Bobalik
Contributors: Stephan Bobalik, Aaron Dworkin
Design & Layout: Julie Renfro
PRESIDENT’S NOTE
Dear Friends,
Founder/President
I hope you have been well and are having an enjoyable summer! As
you can see from the other articles in this current issue, things are
quite busy here at Sphinx. However, I did want to take this opportunity
to share the exciting news that this year’s Carnegie Hall performance,
“The Sphinx Laureates at Carnegie Hall” will take place at 6:00pm
on Tuesday, October 5th, 2010!
Aaron P. Dworkin
Board of Directors
Deidre Bounds, Chair
Howard Hertz, Vice-Chair
Anthony Glover, Treasurer
Kurtis T. Wilder, Secretary
Ruben Acosta Martha Darling
Sally Stegeman DiCarlo Aaron P. Dworkin
Kenneth C. Fischer Jenice Mitchell Ford
Carl Herstein
Al McDonough Daedra McGhee
Juan Ramirez
David Rudolph
Anne Taylor
Kathy Weaver
Beverly Willis
Board of Advisors
Rachel Barton Pine, Chair
Michael Abels
Sanford Allen
David Cerone
Mark Clague
Ronald A. Crutcher Dominique de Lerma
Matthew Derr
Roberto Diaz
Anthony Elliott
Guillermo Figueroa
Sandra Gibson
Kelly Hall-Tompkins
Juanita Jackson
Polly Kahn
Christopher Kendall Margaret M. Lioi Christian Matjias
Lolita Mayadas
Charlene J. Mitchell Lester Monts
Daniel Roumain
Anne Parsons
Willis Patterson Sebastian Ruth Stephen Shipps
George Taylor
George Trudeau Albert Webster
Honorary Committee
Branford Marsalis, Chair
Nikki Giovanni
Ida Kavafian
Ani Kavafian
Nigel Kennedy
Jaime Laredo
Tania Leon
Yo-Yo E. Ma Mark O’Connor
Christopher O’Riley Itzhak Perlman
André Previn
Awadagin Pratt
Bright Sheng Leonard Slatkin Arnold Steinhardt
Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg Michael Tilson Thomas George Walker
In addition to featuring our incredible artists performing standard repertoire alongside the rarely performed masterpieces by composers of
color, I am pleased to share that acclaimed actor and director, Delroy
Lindo will chair this year’s performance, which is presented with support from Sheila C. Johnson
and Bloomberg. They are joined by our generous supporters, Sander Buchman and Norma K.
Buchman, Dr. James M. and Jaclyn P. Fox, Carl and Charlene Herstein, John Morning, Nordstrom,
Inc., Victoria Sharp, Paul and Kathy Weaver and Vanessa L. Williams.
I want to express my sincere thanks to them for their incredible leadership of this signature Sphinx
event, which also supports our educational activities year-round in New York, Detroit, Chicago and
many other communities across the country. I encourage you to consider attending or supporting
this unique opportunity. Your attendance not only helps us create life-changing experiences for
young people, but also supports our efforts that are leading the evolution of classical music. You
will find additional event details on the first page of this newsletter.
As always, thank you for your passion and commitment to young people, as well your understanding
of the valuable role that music plays in their lives.
With Gratitude,
Aaron Dworkin
Founder and President
© 2010 Sphinx Organization
400 Renaissance Center, Ste 2550
Detroit, MI 48243
313-877-9100
www.sphinxmusic.org [email protected]
Sphinx Presenter
I am
O R G A N I Z AT I O N
Gradoux-Matt
Rare Violins
The Bingham Trust
The Skillman Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Surdna Foundation
McGregor Fund
ASCAP Foundation
Erb Family Foundation
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
Ruth Mott Foundation
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
League of American Orchestras
The Kresge Foundation
Margaret A. Cargill Foundation
Claire Giannini Fund
The Irving Harris Foundation
The Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
“I plan to become
a huge asset to my
family, community,
people, and all
mankind.”
-David B. Valentine II
pianist, composer, Sphinx Prep student
In memoriam…
Brazeal Dennard, founder of the Brazeal
Dennard Choral Ensembles, educator,
and nationally recognized leader in vocal
music circles passed in early July. He
was 81. The Brazeal Dennard Choral
Ensembles were featured in the 2002 world
premiere performance of Coleridge-Taylor
Perkinson’s The Symphony of the Sphinx,
the first work commissioned by Sphinx.
“We have lost not only a visionary and leader for the arts in
Detroit, but also a dear friend to Sphinx,” said Aaron Dworkin.
“The lifetime of commitment and talent of this courageous man
paved the way for Sphinx and many others. We salute Brazeal
Dennard’s legacy and contributions to our community.”
Sphinx Journeys Airs Again
The second season of Sphinx Journeys
has begun airing on WRCJ 90.9 FM in
Detroit and online to the world. The
one-hour weekly program highlights
the often-overlooked lives and works
of Black and Latino composers and
performers. Aaron Dworkin, Sphinx
founder and president, hosts the
program. It is curated and researched
by Afa Sadykhly and written by Jimmy
Rhodes. This season features women
composers, spirituals, chamber music,
and contemporary composers.
Sphinx Journeys can be heard on
Sunday afternoons at 5:00 PM in Metro Detroit at 90.9 FM or
worldwide on WRCJ’s live stream at www.WRCJ.org. The website
also has archived episodes available for free listening.
Q.
Q &A
What prestigious conservatory of music was
awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack
Obama in 2009?
A.
President Obama recognized the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music as one of the foremost professional
training institutions in the world and the oldest continuously
operating conservatory in the United States. Among
Oberlin’s distinguished list of alumni is George Walker, the
first African-American composer to win the Pulitzer Prize.
In addition, several Sphinx alumni have attended Oberlin,
and it hosts the annual Sphinx Performance Academy on
campus.
SPHINX NEWS
Sphinx Prep and Overture applications are now being
accepted for the 2010-2011 school year. For applications
or more information on these tuition-free programs, visit
SphinxMusic.org or contact Jada Wright-Greene at 313-8779100 x708, [email protected].
2004 Laureate Joseph Conyers recently won the
Associate Principal Double Bass position in the
Philadelphia Orchestra. Congratulations!
Randall Goosby, first-place junior division
Laureate of the 2010 Competition was a soloist
with the New York Philharmonic in March.
Patrice Jackson recently joined the roster of
Columbia Artist Management International
(CAMI). Patrice was the first-place Laureate in
the 2002 Sphinx Competition.
In May, the Harlem Quartet travelled to
Venezuela at the invitation of the US Embassy
to perform at two jazz festivals: Ciclo de Jazz y
Nuevas Propuestas Venezolana and Festival
Internacional de Naguanagua. While in
Caracas, they also performed in a private concert
in the home of Ambassador Patrick Duddy.
The Harlem Quartet is managed by Sciolino Artist
Management.
Violist and 2006 Laureate Milena Pajaro-van
de Stadt and her Old City String Quartet won
the coveted grand prize of the 2010 Fischoff
National Chamber Music Competition. Other
Sphinx artists competing at Fischoff included
Emerald Quartet violinists Clayton PenroseWhitmore and Kenneth Jones-Madrid.
Congratulations to composer Tania León, who
was inducted to the American Academy of Arts
and Letters in May.
MaryAnn Ramos, a multi-year Sphinx
Competition alumnus, performed for Mexican
president Felipe Calderón at a luncheon hosted
by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton. MaryAnn shared the stage
with actress Salma Hayek.
The Chicago Tribune praised 2007 Laureate
Elena Urioste’s performance with the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra. She played the
1741 “Vieuxtemps” Guarneri del Gesu violin
on loan from the Stradivari Society. The
reviewer wrote, “The sweet yet refined sound
she drew from it was every violinist’s dream
come true.” Elena is managed by Sciolino Artist
Management.
The Quarter Note is always looking for your news…send it to us
at [email protected].
400 Renaissance Center
Suite 2550
Detroit MI 48243
Something to Ponder:
Were it not for music,
we might in these days
say, the Beautiful is dead.
~Benjamin Disraeli
Catalyst Quartet to Make Carnegie Hall Debut in October
York Philharmonic, Florida Grand
Opera Orchestra, Miami Symphony
Orchestra, and numerous Broadway
shows.
T
he members of the Sphinx
O r g a n i z a t i o n’s C a t a l y s t
Quartet all have their favorite
Sphinx moments. For cellist Karlos
Rodriguez, it was the inception
of the Q uartet. “It has been
a life goal of mine to play in a
professional quartet, so when this
opportunity arose I took it,” he
says as the Quartet is preparing for
its upcoming Carnegie Hall debut.
“It is a remarkable--and virtually
unheard of--gift to be given the
chance, through Sphinx, to make
a musical and social difference
through chamber music.” The
quartet will make its Carnegie Hall
debut on October 5.
The Catalyst Q uartet is the
newest Sphinx-founded ensemble.
Its members are accomplished
Black and Latino musicians,
Photo Credit: Win Lubin
and are all alumni of the Sphinx
Competition. The members are
violinists Bryan Hernandez-Luch
and Karla Donehew Perez, violist
Christopher Jenkins, and cellist
Karlos Rodriguez.
The group’s mission is ambitious: to
advance diversity in classical music
and inspire new and young audiences
with dynamic performances of
cutting-edge repertoire by a wide
range of composers. The members
are graduates of the New England
Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of
Music, Harvard, and the Manhattan
School of Music. They bring to
the group extensive professional
experience including solo
performances with the Cleveland
Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and
New World Symphony, as well as
orchestral experience with the New
In addition to a busy national
and international performance
schedule, the quartet is on the
faculty of the Sphinx Performance
Academy, a summer program held
annually at Oberlin Conservatory
and Roosevelt University’s Chicago
College of Performing Arts. This
summer, they will be in London
conducting educational residencies
through In Harmony England, a
program based on Venezuela’s El
Sistema. They will also be featured
in a forthcoming BBC documentary
on music education.
“I envision our quartet to be a
powerful ensemble helping to bridge
gaps in many different genres and
communities,” says Karla Donehew
Perez. She says her first Sphinx
experience was her most memorable.
“It was 2004, I was 17, and it was my
first encounter with Sphinx. It was
all so exciting, and I met some really
amazing people, including Bryan
Hernandez-Luch.” Donehew
Perez and Hernandez-Luch won
second place in the junior and senior
divisions respectively that year.
For Christopher Jenkins and Bryan
Hernandez-Luch, one of their most
memorable experiences was as members
of the Sphinx Quartet performing with
the legendary Guarneri Quartet during
a concert honoring their lifetime
achievements.
“Performing the Mendelssohn Octet
with the Guarneri Q uartet was
definitely my most exciting Sphinx
moment! I have loved their recordings
for years, and they are my heroes,” says
Chris Jenkins. He is excited about
the Catalyst Quartet’s mission. “I’m
excited that the Catalyst Quartet is
bringing exciting and cool modern
music to new audiences, and proving
that classical music as a genre doesn’t
have to fit into a narrow box!”
Bryan Hernandez-Luch sees the
Catalyst Quartet as a new opportunity
to share contemporary music with
audiences. “I’m looking forward to
new commissions for our group, in
addition to sharing more music by
composers such as Philip Glass, Terry
Riley, and others who continue to shape
the classical music of today,” he says.
Do you want to support the educational and
artistic mission of the Catalyst Quartet? Make
a gift online at www.SphinxMusic.org, or
contact Marshay Williams about leadership
giving opportunities at (646) 429-1987,
ext. 713.