Summer 2015 - Sphinx Organization

q The Quarter Note
Summer 2015
Vol. 16, No. 3
Aaron P. Dworkin
Founder
Passing the Baton:
A Celebration of Past and Future
Sphinx’s Passing the Baton event honored the legacy of Sphinx Founder Aaron Dworkin and
celebrated Sphinx’s bright future under the leadership of Afa Dworkin. Joined by many wonderful
friends and members of the deeply valued, always growing Sphinx family, we enjoyed remarks from
Aaron and Afa as well as fantastic performances by some incredible Sphinx alumni, and a special
spoken-word performance by the Founder himself.
1.
4.
3.
5.
2.
1. Afa Dworkin speaks at the event; 2. Sphinx alumni Melissa White and Gabriel Cabezas
perform; 3. Aaron Dworkin performed a spoken-word piece accompanied by pianist Damien
Sneed and cellist Jeffrey Zeigler; 4. Aaron thanks the many Sphinx supporters; 5. Sphinx alum
Ade Williams performed and congratulated Aaron. Photos: Brian Surguine
Sphinx Virtuosi: 2015 National Tour
The Sphinx Virtuosi will embark on their 8th National Tour this fall. The
2015 program, INSPIRING WOMEN, will offer a collection of works
written by women composers along with those inspired by great women.
The theme pays tribute to composers throughout history whose works
merit awareness and recognition, along with repertoire already well loved
by audiences.
As one of the nation’s most dynamic professional chamber orchestras, the
ensemble will conduct numerous performances and residencies across the
country, including appearances in the following cities:
Photo: Nan Melville
Would you like to welcome the Sphinx Virtuosi to your area?
If you are interested in presenting the ensemble in 2016,
please be in touch with California Artists Management
www.calartists.com
September 23: September 25: September 27: September 29: October 1: October 3: October 4: October 8:
October 10: October 12-17: October 14: October 16: October 18: October 21: October 25: December 7: Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI)
James Lumber Center (Grayslake, IL)
University Musical Society (Ann Arbor, MI)
New World Center (Miami Beach, FL)
Arts & Science Council (Charlotte, NC)
Kidznotes (Durham, NC)
Chamber Music Raleigh (Raleigh, NC)
Houston Symphony (Houston, TX)
The Berman Center for the Performing Arts
(West Bloomfield, MI)
Columbia University Residency (New York, NY)
Carnegie Hall (New York, NY)
The Red House (Syracuse, NY)
San Francisco Conservatory (San Francisco, CA)
San Jose State University (San Jose State, CA)
Fallbrook Music Society (Fallbrook, CA)
Harris Theater (Chicago, IL)
PRESIDENT’S NOTE
Editor: Therese Goussy
Contributors: Andre Dowell, Afa
Dworkin, Abigayl Venman, Xavier
Verna
Design & Layout: Julie Renfro
Dear Friends,
It is with great honor and excitement that I share my first address in my new
role as President & Artistic Director!
Aaron P. Dworkin
Last month, Sphinx celebrated the remarkable legacy of our Founder, Aaron
P. Dworkin, at our Passing the Baton event. We were deeply touched to have
friends from all over the world present to honor Aaron’s vision, congratulate
him on his new post as the new Dean of the University of Michigan’s School of
Music, Theatre & Dance, and look ahead to Sphinx’s promising future.
Founder
Special Artistic Advisor
Yo-Yo Ma
Honorary Committee
Branford Marsalis, Chair
Glenn Dicterow
David Finckel
Nikki Giovanni
Wu Han
Ida Kavafian
Ani Kavafian
Nigel Kennedy
Jaime Laredo
Tania Leon
Yo-Yo E. Ma
Mark O’Connor
Christopher O’Riley
Itzhak Perlman
Toby Perlman
André Previn
Awadagin Pratt
Bright Sheng
Leonard Slatkin
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
Arnold Steinhardt
Michael Tilson Thomas
George Walker
Jeffrey Zeigler
Board of Directors
William H. Carson, Chair
Anne L. Taylor, Vice Chair
Anthony Glover, Treasurer
Deidre Lambert-Bounds, Secretary
Rachel Barton Pine
Martha Darling
Afa S. Dworkin
Kenneth Fischer
Sandra Gibson
Norman Herbert
Howard Hertz
Andrea Hoffman
Marianne Lockwood
Majorie Pearsall
Vivian Pickard
Sally Stegeman DiCarlo
Kathy Weaver
Beverly Willis
Shaun Wilson
We have proudly continued on our journey, with our Sphinx Performance
Academy at Roosevelt University and Oberlin College preparing the next
generation of young artists. This year’s students, immersed in chamber music, intensive lessons and
performance regimen with our outstanding faculty, did a wonderful job. As we head into fall, we will be
embarking on an exciting 15-city tour of the Sphinx Virtuosi, during which we will premiere our “Inspiring
Women” program. This year’s program seeks to illuminate important contributions to chamber music literature
by women composers, women performers and legendary heroines who have inspired great works! I invite
you to check out the schedule and join this dynamic ensemble in a city near you. We are particularly thrilled
to, as a major first, have three tour stops in our home state of Michigan: in Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, and West
Bloomfield.
As always, one of the most anticipated aspects of our Sphinx Virtuosi tour is the Carnegie Hall performance
and gala. Taking place on October 14th, 2015, this event is truly not to be missed. We hope you will save
the date and participate in celebrating artistic excellence and diversity, and transforming lives through the
power of diversity in the arts!
With warm gratitude,
Afa
“
I am
Aaron P. Dworkin
Founder
Sphinx Medals of Excellence is my favorite event. The winners
represent the best of young artists. I look forward to these awards
becoming perpetual.”
- Dr. William Carson, Sphinx Board
Chair and President/CEO of Otsuka
Pharmaceutical Development &
Commercialization, Inc.
Sphinx Competition
Presenter
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
© 2015 Sphinx Organization
400 Renaissance Center, Ste 2550
Detroit, MI 48243
313-877-9100
[email protected]
www.SphinxMusic.org
www.53.com
Stella & Frederick Loeb
Charitable Trust
ADMINISTERED BY
Congratulations to the 2015 Sphinx
Performance Academy Students!
The Sphinx Performance Academy (SPA) wrapped up its 13th year of
programming! Hosted by Roosevelt University and Oberlin College, SPA
invited 64 Black and Latino string players, ages 12-17, to learn from some of the
top Sphinx Competition alumni who comprise our Resident Faculty as well as
Sphinx’s premier ensemble, the Catalyst Quartet. The daily schedule included
focused practice regimes, private lessons, quartet rehearsals with faculty coachings,
and daily exposure to live performances.
Some highlights from this year included master classes with Rachel Barton
Pine (Sphinx Board Member and violin virtuoso), Gabriel Cabezas ( Jr. and Sr.
division winner of the Sphinx Competition), Brian Thornton (cellist for the
Cleveland Orchestra), Jinjoo Cho (violin faculty at Oberlin Conservatory), and
an improvisation workshop led by Gwen Laster and her Creative Improvisers
Orchestra. Additionally, students got to see some exciting live concerts given
by the Catalyst Quartet, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and The Cleveland
Orchestra.
Congratulations to the
2014-2015 Overture Students!
Our Overture program had a smooth ending this year. Having only
picked up their violins for the first time in October of 2014, our Sphinx
Overture students ended the year on a high note at their recitals. Each
class played three songs each, including Michael Jackson’s Smooth
Criminal. We’re so proud of each and every one of our students for their
commitment and passion for learning music.
Sphinx Overture provides free violins and lessons to elementary school
students in Detroit and Flint, Michigan. This past year, we reached over
1,000 students through violin instruction, guest artist visits, multiple
live performances, and performance opportunities. We look forward to
another great year of Overture beginning in fall 2015!
Our final student recitals were outstanding and the faculty could not be prouder
of the progress each of these students made. If you want to learn more about SPA,
please visit our SPA blog at www.SphinxPerformanceAcademy.WordPress.com.
One of SPA’s student quartets: L to R,
Julissa, Caleb, August, and Ethan
Photo: Hector Hernandez
SPHINX NEWS
Sphinx alum Caleb Washington recently won the gold medal at
the NAACP ACT-SO Competition in the classical music division in
Philadelphia.
Brandon Foster, SPA Oberlin ‘13 and Northwestern ‘14, is studying
viola performance and pre-med on merit scholarship at Carnegie
Mellon University.
Hadiya Knight, SPA Northwestern ’14, is attending Michigan State
University for Violin Performance.
Guillermo Lambright, SPA Northwestern ’13, has been accepted
into the Oberlin Conservatory and College as a dual degree
major in Technology in Music and Related Arts (TIMARA).
2011 Sphinx Competition Jury member and Cellist Astrid
Schween, an alumna of The Juilliard School, will join the Juilliard
String Quartet beginning in September 2016. She will also become
a member of Juilliard’s cello faculty beginning with the fall 2016
semester.
2010 and 2011 junior semi-finalist Sphinx Competition alum,
Mariana Cottier-Bucco, has won the Dallas Symphony violin
position.
Sphinx alum Victor Holmes has won Principal String Bass
and Electric Bass with the United States Air Force Band in
Washington, D.C.
Sphinx alum Bryan Hernandez-Luch has won an orchestra job
with the New Jersey Symphony as Section Violin.
Send us your news and updates: [email protected]
IMPORTANT DATES!
19th Annual Sphinx Competition: Call for Entries
Application Materials Due Tuesday, November 10, 11:59PM EST
SphinxCon 2016: Ignite to Action
Save the date: February 5-7, 2016
Overture students perform during their final
recital with instuctors Dennis Carter (L) and
James Greer (R).
Please join Sphinx for the
Sphinx Virtuosi at Carnegie Hall:
A celebration of artistic excellence and
diversity on one of the world's
greatest stages
October 14th, 2015
Six o’clock PM – Afterglow to follow
Isaac Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
v Choice Box Seating for One: Performance Only - $250
v Allegro Level: Box Seat and Afterglow Admission for One - $1,000
v Sonata Sponsor: Box Seat and Afterglow Admission for Two - $2,000
v Crescendo Club: Box Seat and Afterglow Admission for Four;
Twenty General Admission; and additional special benefits - $5,000
v Encore Circle: Box Seat and Afterglow Admission for Eight;
Thirty General Admission; and additional special benefits - $10,000
Crescendo Club and Encore Circle include additional benefits, which are
listed at SphinxMusic.org
For more information or for Box Seat/Gala tickets, contact Therese
Goussy at [email protected] or 313-877-9100 x713
To purchase General Admission tickets, visit carnegiehall.org, call
CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, or visit the Carnegie Hall Box
Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue.
Use the Friends of Sphinx promotional code to receive a 40%
discount on tickets: FOS22294.
Aaron P. Dworkin
Founder
400 Renaissance Center
Suite 2550
Detroit MI 48243
Something
to Ponder:
“The world is a
complicated place, and
there’s a lot of division
between people. The
performing arts tend to
unify people in a way
nothing else does.”
- David Rubenstein
Leslie teaching Overture students. Photo: Amy Kuhl
Q & A with Leslie DeShazor
The Quarter Note caught up with Leslie DeShazor, who has been teaching
with Sphinx Overture for seven years. Sphinx Overture provides free violins
and lessons to elementary school students in Detroit and Flint, Michigan.
Quarter Note: What drives you to teach year after year?
Leslie DeShazor: Each year seems to come with a new set of challenges;
however, the one thing that never changes is the power of music to impact
lives. I enjoy interacting with and developing meaningful relationships with
my students. Teaching them to play the violin is just one part of what I look
forward to every year; the students
are constantly teaching me also and
helping me to grow.
QN: What do your Overture
students experience during the year?
LD: They learn the basics of
violin technique and music theory.
More importantly, they develop
character-building principles such
as perseverance, patience, discipline
and vision. They also experience
joy and a lot of laughter, because
I’m a bit of a clown. I try to make
it as fun as possible so they leave
with great memories and if possible
return the next year or go on to
other programs.
QN: What are some of your
most memorable moments during
Overture?
LD: There are so many, but this
year my favorite moment was when
Malik, a student who struggled in
the beginning, played “Ode To Joy”
with me as a duet. I was very proud
of him. Knowing where he came
from and seeing how he grew gave
me such a feeling of satisfaction. As
a teacher, these are the moments
that help you to feel reassured that
your students are truly learning.
QN: During the recital this year,
your students played Michael
Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” How
were they able to do that in less
than a year of practicing the violin?
LD: Every year we choose a
“bonus” piece that the students
choose, usually from the “pop”
world. The first thing we do is
listen to it as a class many times so
that the rhythm is in them before
we begin playing it. Then I break
it down by teaching very small
increments at a time. Sometimes
we start with the more difficult
parts, which might mean starting
in the middle or even at the end of
the song.
QN: Why is Overture so important
for the community of Detroit?
LD: Overture provides opportunity
in communities where opportunity
may not be readily available. By
giving students free instruction
and an instrument, the Sphinx
Organization is lifting those
limitations that so often make
it impossible for lower income
families and schools districts to give
children a music education.