10th Annual Sphinx Winners

The finale featured the professional all African-American and Latino
Sphinx Symphony Orchestra joined by the Alumni from the first ten years
of the competition under the direction of guest conductor, Dr. Kay
George Roberts

(February, 2007 – Detroit, MI). The exciting culmination of the 10th
Annual Sphinx Competition Presented by JPMorgan Chase Finals Concert
began with bustling crowds lining up to be put on a waiting list for
tickets this past Sunday at Orchestra Hall in Detroit.

The finale featured the professional all African-American and Latino
Sphinx Symphony Orchestra joined by the Alumni from the first ten years
of the competition under the direction of guest conductor, Dr. Kay
George Roberts, presenting a world premiere of Delights and Dances by
Michael Abels – which brought the seated audience immediately to their
feet with rousing applause!

The Sphinx Competition includes two age divisions, Juniors (ages 12-17)
and Seniors (ages 18-26).  Typically, three Laureates (or Finalists) are
selected from a group of nine Semi-Finalists in each division.  For the
first time in its history, the Sphinx Finals Jury awarded Laureate
placement to four (4) participants in the Senior Division. Anthony S.
Glover, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager of Chase Consumer
Banking presented the first place award onstage to 20-year-old
violinist, Elena Urioste.

Each year Sphinx Competition Jurors face a daunting challenge to
recognize the top musicians and perpetuate a legacy of excellence.
Sphinx’s standard of distinction has been asserted over past years by
four previous Alumni winning positions with major orchestras, and a
successful Carnegie Hall Gala Concert Series.

SENIOR DIVISION RESULTS:
SPHINX10! FIRST PLACE SENIOR LAUREATE – $10,000 cash prize, a
professional debut CD on White Pine Records, solo appearances with major
orchestras, performance with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra at the Finals
Concert

Elena Urioste
Instrument: Violin
Age: 20    Ethnicity: Mexican/Basque
Teacher: Joseph Silverstein/Ida Kavafian
Home: North Wales, PA
Credits: Student, The Curtis Institute of Music; Soloist with Boston
Pops, Atlanta, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Florida, Baltimore and Hartford
Symphonies; Winner, Kennett Symphony Concerto Competition and Temple
University Music Prep Concerto Competition

Elena Urioste

SPHINX10! SECOND PLACE SENIOR LAUREATE – $5,000 cash prize, performance
with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra at the Finals Concert

Whittney Thomas
Instrument: Viola
Age: 19    Ethnicity: African-American
Teacher: Donald McInnes
Home: Lemon Grove, CA
Credits: Student, USC’s Thornton School of Music; 1st Place, H.B.
Goodlin Scholarship Competition; Performed on From the Top; Young
Musicians Foundation Scholarship

Whittney Thomas
SPHINX10! THIRD PLACE SENIOR LAUREATE – $3,500 cash prize, performance
with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra at the Finals Concert

Karla Donehew Perez
Instrument: Violin
Age: 22    Ethnicity: Puerto Rican
Teacher: Paul Kantor
Home: Albany, CA
Credits: Graduate student, Cleveland Institute of Music; Soloist with
Berkeley Symphony, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Oakland East Bay
Symphony; Semi-Finalist, Klein Competition

Karla Donehew Perez

SPHINX10! FOURTH PLACE SENIOR LAUREATE – $2,000 cash prize, performance
with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra at the Finals Concert

Jason Amos
Instrument: Viola
Age: 21    Ethnicity: African-American
Teacher: Yizhak Schotten
Home: Southfield, MI
Credits: Student, University of Michigan’s School of Music; Principal
Violist, University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra; Past Principal of
Aspen Sinfonia

Junior Division participants proceeded to final adjudication at the
Honors Concert on Friday, February 9 in Ann Arbor.  The thrilling
concert attended by close to 3,000 students from all over Southeast
Michigan resulted in First Place Junior Laureate Robert Alvarado
Switala, violinist of Grapevine, TX ($5,000 cash prize, solo appearances
with major orchestras, performances with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra
and at Finals Concert, national radio debut on From the Top); Second
Place Junior Laureate Maia Cabeza, violinist of Philadelphia, PA ($3,500
cash prize, performance with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, national
radio debut on From the Top); and Third Place Junior Laureate Tony
Rymer, cellist of Dorchester, MA ($2,000 cash prize, performance with
the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, national radio debut on From the Top).

All 18 selected Semi-Finalists receive http://www.sphinxmusic.org/programs/maf.html
Sphinx Music Assistance Fund scholarships to help support their musical development,
and are eligible for full scholarships to summer and higher education programs.

Unlike many other competitions, the Sphinx Organization strives to
provide a nurturing educational environment for its competitors.  During
the competition, in addition to standard audition and performance
experience, they are offered the opportunity to take part in master
classes, coaching and seminars with renowned musicians and music
professionals, and benefit from mentoring by Sphinx’s prestigious jury
and Symphony Orchestra members. 

The Jury panel for the 10th Annual
Sphinx Competition Presented by JPMorgan Chase was comprised of
professional musicians from around the country including Richard Aaron,
Sanford Allen, Rachel Barton Pine, Jesus Castro-Balbi, Ani Kavafian,
Nokuthula Ngwenyama, and Jose Serebrier.

The Sphinx Organization, founded by MacArthur Fellow Aaron P. Dworkin,
is committed to building diversity in classical music through year-round
programming in arts education, awareness and presentation.

To learn more about Sphinx10! Celebrating Ten Years logon to http://www.sphinxmusic.org

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