When 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.

Pre p p i a n o s t u d e n t D a v i d 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 Orches t r a . Thi s 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.

Vol. 11, No. 3

The Quarter NoteSummer 2010

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L to R: David Valentine, Sphinx Prep student; JoyAnne Amani, Sphinx Prep piano faculty; BreAnna Lockhart, Sphinx Prep student. Photo: Julie Renfro.

Sphinx Prep Students Find Success

We met the Challenge - Thanks to You

At the Sphinx Competition in February, we announced a chal-lenge from the Erb Family Foundation to raise $25,000 fromindividuals 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 HallFeaturingSphinx Chamber OrchestraCatalyst QuartetElena Urioste & Melissa WhiteMaestro 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 nicholas@sphinxmusic.org

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

Editor: Stephan BobalikContributors: Stephan Bobalik, Aaron DworkinDesign & Layout: Julie Renfro

Founder/PresidentAaron P. DworkinBoard of DirectorsDeidre Bounds, ChairHoward Hertz, Vice-ChairAnthony Glover, TreasurerKurtis T. Wilder, SecretaryRuben 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 AdvisorsRachel Barton Pine, ChairMichael Abels Sanford Allen David Cerone Mark Clague Ronald A. Crutcher Dominique de Lerma Matthew Derr Roberto Diaz Anthony Elliott Guillermo FigueroaSandra 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 CommitteeBranford 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 PrattBright Sheng Leonard Slatkin Arnold Steinhardt Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg Michael Tilson Thomas George Walker

© 2010 Sphinx Organization400 Renaissance Center, Ste 2550Detroit, MI 48243 313-877-9100www.sphinxmusic.org info@sphinxmusic.org

Sphinx Presenter

Gradoux-MattRare Violins

Dear Friends,

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!

In addition to featuring our incredible artists performing standard rep-ertoire 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 DworkinFounder and President

The Bingham TrustThe Skillman FoundationThe Andrew W. Mellon FoundationCommunity Foundation for Southeast MichiganSurdna FoundationMcGregor FundASCAP FoundationErb Family FoundationMax M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation

Ruth Mott FoundationCharles Stewart Mott FoundationLeague of American OrchestrasThe Kresge FoundationMargaret A. Cargill FoundationClaire Giannini FundThe Irving Harris FoundationThe Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation

I amORGAN IZAT ION

“I plan to become a huge asset to my family, community, people, and all mankind.”-David B. Valentine IIpianist, composer, Sphinx Prep student

PRESIDENT’S NOTE

SPHINX NEWSSphinx 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 313-877-9100 x708, jada@sphinxmusic.org.

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 Penrose-Whitmore 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 QuarterNote@SphinxMusic.org.

Q &AQ. 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 Journeys Airs AgainThe 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.

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.”

400 Renaissance CenterSuite 2550Detroit MI 48243

Something to Ponder:

Were it not for music, we might in these days say, the Beautiful is dead. ~Benjamin Disraeli

The members of the Sphinx O rgan iz a t ion’s Cata l y s t

Quartet all have their favorite Sphinx moments. For cellist Karlos Rodriguez, it was the inception of the Quartet. “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 Quartet is the newest Sphinx-founded ensemble. Its members are accomplished Black and Latino musicians,

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 e x p e r i e n c e i n c l u d i n g s o l o performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and New World Symphony, as well as orchestral experience with the New

Catalyst Quartet to Make Carnegie Hall Debut in OctoberYork Philharmonic, Florida Grand Opera Orchestra, Miami Symphony Orchestra, and numerous Broadway shows.

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 Quartet 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.

Photo Credit: Win Lubin