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Detroit Symphony
Orchestra Press Release
January 4, 2008
YOUNG
MUSICIANS BRING THEIR A-GAME TO SPHINX COMPETITION
Nation's Top Senior Division Black and Latino String Players Compete for
$10,000 Grand Prize in Orchestra Hall
DETROIT — Let the music play and the
competition begin. For the eleventh year, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
will host the Sphinx Competition Finals Concert in Orchestra Hall at the
Max M. Fisher Music Center. Presented by Chase, the event on Sunday,
January 27 at 2 p.m. features three Black or Latino Senior Division
finalists, ages 18-27, accompanied by the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra,
comprised of some of the top Black and Latino professional musicians
from orchestras around the country. The winner, chosen during the
concert led by conductor Tito Muñoz, will receive a $10,000 first prize
as well as opportunities for solo appearances with the DSO and a number
of other major orchestras. Two runners-up will also win cash prizes.
Additionally, the concert will feature a performance by the Harlem
Quartet, an ensemble of past Sphinx Competition winners. This
performance will be broadcast nationally in a special program produced
by Detroit Public Television. Local and national air dates will be
announced. For more information visit
www.SphinxMusic.org.
The Sphinx Competition, presented by Chase,
takes place January 23 to 27, 2008 in Ann Arbor and Detroit. Eighteen
Semi-Finalists will compete for the opportunity to perform in the Finals
Concerts. The competition is broken into two divisions, the Junior
Division for students under 18 and the Senior Division for students
18-27, and jurors evaluate the semifinalists throughout the week,
selecting the top three from each division as Laureates. Senior Division
Laureates will receive cash prizes and the opportunity to contend for
top honors at Orchestra Hall. Junior Division Laureates will also
receive cash prizes and be contenders at the Honors Concert on January
25 at 12 p.m. at Ann Arbor's Rackham Auditorium. The winning Junior
Laureate will be invited to perform at Orchestra Hall during the Senior
Finals Concert. All 18 semi-finalists will receive educational
scholarships as well as full-rides to some of the country's top summer
music institutions, including Aspen, Banff, Chatauqua and Interlochen.
At the conclusion of the competition, Sphinx will have awarded cash and
scholarships prizes in excess of $100,000.
"We believe the Competition is about more
than winners and prizes," said Sphinx Founder and President Aaron P.
Dworkin. "The Sphinx Competition offers opportunities for all
participants to learn from the talented members of the Sphinx Symphony
and our distinguished jurors."
"The DSO has a long tradition of educating
and nurturing young talent," said Anne Parsons, Executive Director and
President, "We are delighted to support the Sphinx Organization and this
important competition, as these young musicians represent the future of
classical music in our country."
The Sphinx Competition is produced each
year by the Sphinx Organization, a national non-profit organization
whose mission is to promote arts education, awareness and presentation
with a particular emphasis on minority and youth involvement in
classical music. The competition promotes the development of young Black
and Latino string players. It is open to Black and Latino musicians
under the age of 27. Unlike many other competitions, the Sphinx strives
to provide a nurturing educational environment for these talented young
players by offering, in addition to standard audition and performance
experience, various training activities, including master classes,
coaching and seminars with renowned musicians and music professionals,
as well as mentoring from its prestigious jury members and Sphinx
Symphony.
Twenty-four year-old conductor Tito Muñoz
is currently Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra and an
American Symphony Orchestra League Conducting Fellow. An alumnus of the
National Conducting Institute and the American Academy of Conducting at
Aspen, Muñoz made his professional conducting debut in 2006 and has
since appeared with some of the top orchestras in the nation. Muñoz is
also an accomplished concert violinist and studio musician, having
recorded for labels including Albany Records, RCA Victor and Sony.
TICKETS for the Sphinx Finals Concert are
$12 and may be purchased at the Max M. Fisher Music Center box office
(3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit) or by calling the DSO at (313) 576-5111.
All regular priced tickets can be purchased online, 24-hours a day, via
the DSO's Web site at
www.detroitsymphony.com. For group discount information, call Chuck
Dyer at (313) 576-5130.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The Sphinx Competition presented by Chase
SPHINX COMPETITION FINALS CONCERT
Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center
Tito Muñoz, conductor
Sphinx Symphony
The Harlem Quartet
Sunday, January 27 at 2 p.m.
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