Detroit Public Television Channel 56.1 will air the finals concert of the 14th Annual Sphinx Competition, which took place on February 6 at Detroit’s Orchestra Hall, on February 27 at 4:30 p.m. (ET). The concert will be broadcast in HD and features first-place winner Alexandra Switala, a 16-year-old violinist from Grapevine, Texas; second-place winner Xavier Foley, a bassist from Marietta, Georgia; and third-place winner Annelle Gregory, a 15-year-old violinist from San Diego. Also performing at the concert are Paul Laraia, a 21-year-old violist who won first place in the competition’s senior division; and 19-year-old violist Michael Casimir, who received the competition’s Gold Achievement Award in its senior division. The concert also features the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, led by Michael Morgan, and the Catalyst Quartet, comprising laureates and alumni from the Sphinx Competition. Following the initial television broadcast on February 27, DPTV will re-air the concert on March 3 at 10 p.m. (ET), and it will also be available in streamed format at Sphinx’s website. The mission of the Sphinx Organization, founded in 1996 by violinist Aaron P. Dworkin, is to encourage the participation of blacks and Latinos in the field of classical music. Winners of the Sphinx Competition receive monetary prizes ranging from $2,500 to $10,000; all semifinalists receive scholarships to help support their musical development, and are eligible for full scholarships to summer and post-secondary music programs.
Posted February 24, 2011
