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Press Releases
Sphinx Organization Announces 30th Anniversary Season Highlights
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katy Salomon | Primo Artists | VP, Public Relations
katy@primoartists.com | 646.801.9406
Sphinx Organization Announces 30th Anniversary
Season Highlights in 2026-2027
Sphinx Virtuosi Tours New American Dialogues Program Nationwide,
Including Signature Carnegie Hall Presentation on October 16, 2026
Featuring Works by Rachel McFarlane, Jessie Montgomery, Roberto Sierra, Price, Ravel,
and Stravinsky, plus Damien Geter’s Declaration with libretto by Aaron Dworkin sung by
GRAMMY®-Winning Mezzo-Soprano J'Nai Bridges
October 14, 2026: University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN)
October 16, 2026: Carnegie Hall feat. Violinist Amaryn Olmeda (New York, NY)
October 18, 2026: University Musical Society (Ann Arbor, MI)
October 20, 2026: Tuesday Musical Association (Akron, OH)
October 23, 2026: Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (Philadelphia, PA)
October 24, 2026: Anna H. Wang Concert Series (Columbia, MD)
October 27, 2026: Armstrong International Cultural Foundation (Edmond, OK)
February 14, 2027: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, MA)
February 21, 2027: Duke Arts (Durham, NC)
February 24, 2027: The Madison Center (Phoenix, AZ)
February 28, 2027: DePaul University School of Music (Chicago, IL)
January 20-23, 2027: SphinxConnect: Legacy Forward &
30th Annual Sphinx Competition
“Sphinx’s steady, patient work has come to seem prescient.” – The New York Times
“This elegant ensemble has ascended into the upper ranks of string orchestras.” – The Strad
New York, NY (August 27, 2026) – The Sphinx Organization, the leading non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of the arts and reaching more than 100 million people worldwide, announces its 30th anniversary season in 2026-2027. Highlights include nationwide touring by the Sphinx Virtuosi, the organization’s self-conducted string orchestra described as “top-notch...more essential at this moment than ever” (The New York Times) and having “immeasurable power, unwavering command, and soulful beauty” (The Washington Post), in its new program American Dialogues featuring mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges, including Sphinx Virtuosi’s annual presentation at Carnegie Hall on October 16, 2026, as well as its annual convening SphinxConnect: Legacy Forward and the 30th Annual Sphinx Competition taking place from January 20-23, 2027 in Detroit and streamed online. Focused on increasing representation in classical music and celebrating excellence, Sphinx programs serve beginner students, seasoned classical music professionals, cultural entrepreneurs, and administrators.
"With professional polish and populist energy," the Sphinx Virtuosi "lights up Carnegie Hall annually" (New York Classical Review), and for its 30th anniversary season, the ensemble returns to the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on October 16, 2026 at 7:30 PM with its brand-new American Dialogues program. Marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, American Dialogues celebrates the nation's ever-evolving story through newly commissioned works and reimagined classics that give voice to shared ideals and diverse perspectives, performed on tour in fall 2026 and spring 2027.
The Carnegie Hall performance opens with the New York premiere of rising multidisciplinary composer Rachel McFarlane's titular American Dialogue, followed by Igor Stravinsky's Concerto in D, the composer's first work as a naturalized American citizen, and the "Blues" movement from Maurice Ravel's Violin Sonata, a tribute to the quintessentially American genre. Violinist Amaryn Olmeda, winner of first prize and the audience choice award at the 24th Annual Sphinx Competition, joins the orchestra for Fritz Kreisler’s Recitativo and Scherzo and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s Louisiana Blues Strut before the Sphinx Virtuosi performs Sphinx Medal of Excellence winner Jessie Montgomery's Banner, a vibrant exploration of heritage and transformation. Finally, GRAMMY Award®-winning mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges, praised for her "plush-voiced mezzo-soprano" (The New York Times), joins as soloist for the New York premiere of Damien Geter's Declaration, a bold new song cycle with a libretto by Sphinx Organization founder and poet-journalist Aaron P. Dworkin.
The evening begins with a pre-concert gala at 5:00 PM in The Russian Tea Room, honoring actor, artist, and cultural visionary Delroy Lindo, a luminous voice in American storytelling.
Sphinx Virtuosi tours its American Dialogues program to venues across the country this season, including University of Notre Dame in Indiana on October 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM; University Musical Society in Ann Arbor, Michigan on October 18, 2026 at 4:00 PM; Tuesday Musical Association in Akron, Ohio on October 20, 2026 at 7:30 PM; Philadelphia Chamber Music Society marking Sphinx Virtuosi’s Philadelphia debut on October 23, 2026 at 7:30 PM; and Anna H. Wang Concert Series in Columbia, MD on October 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM. The touring program features the McFarlane, Geter, Montgomery, Ravel, and Stravinsky, in addition to Roberto Sierra’s Sinfonietta for Strings, a musical dialogue between the European classical tradition and the Afro-Caribbean rhythms of Sierra's native Puerto Rico.
Further national touring pairs Florence Price’s String Quartet No. 2, II. Andante Cantabile, a deeply lyrical movement from Price’s second string quartet, with the McFarlane, Sierra, Montgomery, Ravel, and Stravinsky. These stops include Armstrong International Cultural Foundation in Edmond, OK on October 27, 2026 at 7:30 PM; Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts on February 14, 2027 at 3:00 PM; Duke Arts in Durham, North Carolina on February 21, 2027 at 7:00 PM; The Madison Center in Phoenix, Arizona on February 24, 2027 at 6:00 PM; and DePaul University School of Music in Chicago, Illinois on February 28, 2027 at 3:00 PM.
At the heart of the anniversary season is SphinxConnect: Legacy Forward, the largest and longest-standing global convening dedicated to excellence and inclusion in classical music, taking place from January 21 to 23, 2027 at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. This convening brings together musicians, educators, arts entrepreneurs, advocates, administrators, funders, and students for an enriching experience. With dynamic sessions designed to inspire, ignite action, and foster collaboration, attendees will hear from more than distinguished speakers, including keynote addresses by industry luminaries and trailblazers.
To reduce barriers to access, SphinxConnect is offered with both in-person and virtual attendance options, with sessions being streamed, recorded, and uploaded to YouTube following the convening (unless noted otherwise in the schedule).
Additionally, for the first time, Sphinx Organization will announce the recipients of the 2027 Sphinx Medals of Excellence – its highest honor, recognizing visionary leaders shaping the future of the arts – live at the conference. Sphinx annually awards the Medals of Excellence to three artists who, early in their career, demonstrate artistic excellence, outstanding work ethic, a spirit of determination, and an ongoing commitment to leadership and their communities. See past winners of the Sphinx Medal of Excellence here.
From January 20 to January 23, 2027 at Detroit’s Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, Sphinx will host the 30th Annual Sphinx Competition, a national competition for string musicians that transforms lives by celebrating artistic talent, providing career advancement opportunities, and addressing systemic obstacles within Black and Latino communities. Finalists in both divisions have the opportunity to perform with the professional Sphinx Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Daniel Bartholomew Poyser. The orchestra will be joined by Sphinx’s Exigence vocal ensemble under the direction of Eugene Rogers in a Detroit premiere of Good News Mass is a contemporary classical-gospel orchestral composition by Grammy-nominated composer Carlos Simon, who is a recipient of the Sphinx Medal of Excellence. Competition Finalists are comprised of top professionals from around the country and compete for a total of more than $100,000 in prizes, including the top Robert Frederick Smith Prize. All semi-finalists and finalists have access to scholarships and fine instruments through the Sphinx Music Assistance Fund. The 2027 jury includes Joseph Conyers, Zuill Bailey, Stefan Jackiw, Jennifer Stumm, and María Catalina Prieto. See past winners of the Sphinx Competition here.
More About American Dialogues
As the opening work for this celebration of America's 250th anniversary, Rachel McFarlane's American Dialogue is meant to establish not only a mood but also an invitation. It honors the weight of history while setting a tone of forward motion. The piece opens on a deliberately somber note. To speak of America is to enter a space shaped by contradiction: by aspiration and imperfection, by struggle and reinvention, by the distance between what is imagined and what is lived. This opening is a moment of acknowledgment, a musical recognition that becoming is rarely smooth, and that meaning is often found by facing complexity rather than turning away from it.
Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra's Sinfonietta for Strings was composed in 2020, during the strange stillness of the pandemic's early months. The piece stages a musical dialogue between the European classical tradition and the Afro-Caribbean rhythms of Sierra's native Puerto Rico, cast in four movements, the same expansive form he favors in his large-scale symphonic works. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra gave the premiere online in March 2021.
Damien Geter’s Declaration is a work born of two commemorations: the 30th anniversary of the Sphinx Organization and the 250th anniversary of the United States of America — two milestones that, in their convergence, make the same declaration: The work continues. With a libretto by Aaron Dworkin, the piece does not offer a simple response. Instead, it dwells in the pursuit itself — the restless, generational, deeply human quest for liberty that has driven ordinary people to extraordinary acts across this nation's history. The first movement of the song cycle introduces several of the main motifs that drive the piece. At its core is a unison theme, which serves as the musical embodiment of the "declaration." This theme is first heard in the second violin in measure three. The second movement expands upon the declaration theme, this time harmonizing it. At the end of this movement, members of the orchestra intone the theme beneath the mezzo-soprano. In contrast, the last movement's energetic rhythms symbolize the relentless pursuit of liberty. The chromatic ending propels the listener higher as the singer concludes her final powerful words, "we soar."
Jessie Montgomery’s Banner is the composer’s 2014 tribute to the 200th Anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner, which was penned by Francis Scott Key in 1824 and was eventually declared the official American National Anthem in 1931. Scored for solo string quartet and string orchestra, Banner is a rhapsody on the theme of the Star-Spangled Banner. Drawing on musical and historical sources from various world anthems and patriotic songs, Montgomery made an attempt to answer the question: “What does an anthem for the 21st century sound like in today’s multicultural environment?” The piece treats the quartet almost as a soloist in dialogue with the surrounding orchestra, a single voice testing its place within a larger, more varied community of sound. In doing so, Montgomery reimagines the anthem not as a fixed symbol but as a living form, one still being written by the many voices that make up the nation today.
Maurice Ravel's Blues from his Violin Sonata immediately catches the ear of longtime devotees of his music and newcomers alike. Written in the 1920s, it reflects Ravel's fascination with American blues and jazz at a time when those sounds were electrifying Paris. In this arrangement by Mladen Miloradovic, the piece expands from a duet into a broader musical conversation, with lines once traded only between violin and piano now dispersed across the ensemble, letting the bluesy gestures and flashes of color speak in new ways. For Sphinx Virtuosi, Blues offers a fitting moment of connection: a French composer listening closely to American musical idioms, and a contemporary ensemble bringing that dialogue forward with energy, clarity, and artistic insight.
The program closes with Igor Stravinsky's Concerto in D for string orchestra "Basle," commissioned by Paul Sacher for the 20th anniversary of his Basler Kammerorchester. Stravinsky wrote it in 1945-46, within days of becoming a U.S. citizen – in the most literal sense, his first work as an American – and Sacher premiered it in Basel in January 1947. Its three movements cast Bach-like concerto grosso form through Stravinsky's own jabbing accents and restless syncopation, closing with a finale so kinetic that Jerome Robbins later choreographed it as his ballet The Cage.
Sphinx Virtuosi 2026-2027 Season Calendar
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM
University of Notre Dame Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN
Link: https://performingarts.nd.edu/event/19631/sphinx-virtuosi-featuring-jnai-bridges-mezzo-soprano/
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue [World Premiere]
Roberto Sierra – Sinfonietta for Strings
Damien Geter (libretto by Aaron Dworkin) – Declaration [World Premiere]
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Maurice Ravel (arr. Mladen Miloradovic) – “Blues” from Violin Sonata
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Sphinx Virtuosi
J'Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
Friday, October 16, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Carnegie Hall Presents Sphinx Virtuosi, American Dialogues 250
Carnegie Hall | New York, NY
Link: www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2026/10/16/Sphinx-Virtuosi-0730PM
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue [New York Premiere]
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Maurice Ravel (arr. Mladen Miloradovic) – Blues from Violin Sonata
Fritz Kreisler – Recitativo and Scherzo-Caprice
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson – Louisiana Blues Strut
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Damien Geter (libretto by Aaron Dworkin) – Declaration [New York Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall]
Sphinx Virtuosi
Amaryn Olmeda, violin
J'Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 4:00 PM
University Musical Society Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Rackham Auditorium | Ann Arbor, MI
Link: https://ums.org/performance/sphinx-virtuosi-featuring-jnai-bridges-mezzo-soprano/
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue
Roberto Sierra – Sinfonietta for Strings
Damien Geter (libretto by Aaron Dworkin) – Declaration
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Maurice Ravel (arr. Mladen Miloradovic) – Blues from Violin Sonata
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Sphinx Virtuosi
J'Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Tuesday Musical Association Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Edwin J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall | Akron, OH
Link: www.tuesdaymusical.org/concert/sphinx-virtuosi-mezzo-soprano-jnai-bridges
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue
Roberto Sierra – Sinfonietta for Strings
Damien Geter (libretto by Aaron Dworkin) – Declaration
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Maurice Ravel (arr. by Mladen Miloradovic) – Blues from Violin Sonata
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Sphinx Virtuosi
J'Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
Friday, October 23, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Marian Anderson Hall | Philadelphia, PA
Link: www.pcmsconcerts.org/concerts/sphinx-virtuosi-jnai-bridges/
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue
Roberto Sierra – Sinfonietta for Strings
Damien Geter (libretto by Aaron Dworkin) – Declaration
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Maurice Ravel (arr. by Mladen Miloradovic) – Blues from Violin Sonata
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Sphinx Virtuosi
J'Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Anna H. Wang Concert Series Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Leroy and Lois Peters Music Center | Columbia, MD
Link: www.ahwconcerts.org
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue
Roberto Sierra – Sinfonietta for Strings
Damien Geter (libretto by Aaron Dworkin) – Declaration
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Maurice Ravel (arr. by Mladen Miloradovic) – Blues from Violin Sonata
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Sphinx Virtuosi
J'Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Armstrong International Cultural Foundation Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Armstrong Auditorium | Edmond, OK
Link: www.armstrongauditorium.org/performance/sphinx-virtuosi
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue
Florence Price – String Quartet No. 2, II. Andante Cantabile
Roberto Sierra – Sinfonietta for Strings
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Maurice Ravel (arr. by Mladen Miloradovic) – Blues from Violin Sonata
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Sphinx Virtuosi
Sunday, February 14, 2027 at 3:00 PM
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum | Boston, MA
Link: To be Announced. Tickets Available November 25
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue
Florence Price – String Quartet No. 2, II. Andante Cantabile
Roberto Sierra – Sinfonietta for Strings
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Maurice Ravel (arr. by Mladen Miloradovic) – Blues from Violin Sonata
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Sphinx Virtuosi
Sunday, February 21, 2027 at 7:00 PM
Duke Arts Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Duke Arts | Durham, NC
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue
Florence Price – String Quartet No. 2, II. Andante Cantabile
Roberto Sierra – Sinfonietta for Strings
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Maurice Ravel (arr. by Mladen Miloradovic) – Blues from Violin Sonata
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Sphinx Virtuosi
Wednesday, February 24, 2027 at 6:00 PM
The Madison Center Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
The Madison Center | Phoenix, AZ
Link: To be Announced.
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue
Florence Price – String Quartet No. 2, II. Andante Cantabile
Roberto Sierra – Sinfonietta for Strings
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Maurice Ravel (arr. by Mladen Miloradovic) – Blues from Violin Sonata
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Sphinx Virtuosi
Sunday, February 28, 2027 at 3:00 PM
DePaul University School of Music Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Gannon Concert Hall, Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University School of Music | Chicago, IL
Link: To be Announced.
Program:
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue
Florence Price – String Quartet No. 2, II. Andante Cantabile
Roberto Sierra – Sinfonietta for Strings
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Maurice Ravel (arr. by Mladen Miloradovic) – Blues from Violin Sonata
Igor Stravinsky – Concerto in D for string orchestra “Basle”
Sphinx Virtuosi
SphinxConnect and Sphinx Competition Calendar
SphinxConnect 2027: Legacy Forward
January 21-23, 2027
Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center | Detroit, MI
Information: www.sphinxconnect.org/
30th Annual Sphinx Competition
Wednesday, January 20, 2027 - Saturday, January 23, 2027
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center | Detroit, MI
Information: www.sphinxmusic.org/sphinx-competition
Junior Division Honors Concert
Friday, January 22, 2027 at 12:00 PM
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center | Detroit, MI
Information: www.sphinxmusic.org/sphinx-competition
Senior Division Finals Concert
Saturday, January 23, 2027 at 7:30 PM
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center | Detroit, MI
Link: www.sphinxmusic.org/sphinx-competition
Ticket Link: www.dso.org/events-and-tickets/events/26-27-winter/30th-annual-sphinx-competition-finals-concert
About Sphinx Virtuosi
Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic, self-conducted chamber orchestra and the flagship performing ensemble of the Sphinx Organization, the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to transforming the arts. Comprising 18 of the nation’s most accomplished professional string players, Sphinx Virtuosi is redefining classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming, and cultural leadership.
Recognized for their artistry and commanding presence, Sphinx Virtuosi has been praised by The New York Times as “top-notch... more essential at this moment than ever.” The Strad lauds their “elegant ascent into the upper ranks of string orchestras,” a testament to their growing influence in the field. With performances that captivate audiences nationwide, their annual Carnegie Hall appearance has become a celebrated highlight of the fall season. Their critically acclaimed debut album, Songs for Our Times (Deutsche Grammophon) was hailed as “a knockout” by Gramophone, which praised their “consistently polished and passionate performances.”
Members of Sphinx Virtuosi are sought-after soloists, chamber musicians, and faculty members at top institutions. They have performed with major American orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and the Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras. Beyond the concert stage, they are artist-citizens, leading impactful community initiatives and fostering deep engagement with audiences worldwide.
Sphinx Virtuosi has collaborated with legendary artists such as Terence Blanchard, Denyce Graves, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Damien Sneed, Will Liverman, J’Nai Bridges, Abel Selaocoe, and Davóne Tines. Members of Sphinx Virtuosi have also worked with cultural icons like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, with high-profile appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and the GRAMMY Awards.
Sphinx Virtuosi Tours are made possible through the support of Robert F. Smith, JPMorgan Chase, and National Endowment for the Arts. Learn more at www.SphinxMusic.org/sphinx-virtuosi.
About Sphinx Organization
The Sphinx Organization is dedicated to transforming lives through the power of the arts and has reached more than 100 million people worldwide
Focused on increasing representation in classical music and celebrating excellence, Sphinx programs serve beginner students, seasoned classical music professionals, cultural entrepreneurs, and artistic administrators by addressing the systemic lack of access within Black and Latino communities.
Based in Detroit, Michigan, with global reach, Sphinx envisions a day where every young person has the opportunity to express themselves and learn classical music, where audiences reflect the people we see on our streets, and where leadership – on stage and off – includes all deserving voices. We are working toward a future in which our art form reflects our greater society. Learn more at www.SphinxMusic.org.
*Photo Credit: Scott Jackson
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