Sphinx Virtuosi to Embark On Spring 2025 U.S. Tour to Chicago, Miami and More

The Sphinx Virtuosi will embark on a spring U.S. tour of their program American Form/s from February 22 to April 5, 2025. The Sphinx Virtuosi is comprised of 18 of the nation's top Black and Latino classical soloists, many of whom are alumni of the internationally renowned Sphinx Competition, representing the nation's most dynamic and exhilarating professional chamber orchestra dedicated to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in classical music.

This spring, Sphinx Virtuosi will be presented on February 22, 2025 at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing, MI; February 25, 2025 at Chicago's Symphony Center; February 27, 2025 at Edmonds Center for the Arts in Washington; March 1, 2025 at the Wallenstein Theater in Moses Lake, WA presented by Columbia Basin Allied Arts; March 2, 2025 at Tacoma Arts Live; March 7 and 8, 2025 at the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District; March 24, 2025 at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami, FL; March 25, 2025 at New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL; March 26, 2025 at Daytona Beach Symphony Society; March 28, 2025 at the University of Tampa; March 30, 2025 at Music Worcester; and April 5 and 6 2025 at the Skidmore Strings Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY.

American Form/s is a musical tapestry depicting the many sounds of American classical music, including classically-framed infusions of soul, bluegrass, jazz, blues, and elements of rag. The program opens with a riveting movement by 19th-century pianist, composer, singer, and conductor Teresa Carreño. Additional concepts of American music are explored in Derrick Skye's multifaceted and optimistic American Mirror, Part One; renowned violinist-composer Curtis Stewart's Drill, whose work for prepared drumset and strings is his "summer music," "hunter's call," and "field recording"; the Overture from Treemonisha, written by foundational ragtime composer Scott Joplin and newly arranged by Jannina Norpoth; and an imaginative nod to Joplin by celebrated film composer, educator, and advocate Levi Taylor that is meant to embody the bold, ambitious, and authentic expression in Joplin's music. The American Form/s tour will also include a string orchestra arrangement of Juantio Becenti's Hané for String Quartet and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Novelletten for strings.

The February 25, 2025 performance at Chicago's Symphony Center will feature a special program to include acclaimed Chicago-based composer, violinist, and educator Jessie Montgomery's Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra, featuring pianist Awadagin Pratt. Montgomery will join Sphinx Virtuosi as guest concertmaster for her piece.

In October 2024, the Sphinx Virtuosi presented multiple New York premieres as part of American Form/s, a project co-commissioned by the Sphinx Organization and Carnegie Hall. This included the world premiere of Drill, a new composition by four-time GRAMMY-nominated violinist and composer Curtis Stewart, who is serving as the Sphinx Virtuosi's 2024-2025 Composer-in-Residence. The piece was co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall and the New World Symphony.

Of the American Form/s program, Sphinx President and Artistic Director Afa Dworkin says, "This program aspires to evolve the American concert music canon through a celebration of kaleidoscopic voices of the past and present. The beauty of today's landscape is expressed by the abundance of both the harmonic and rhythmic exploration that we hope resonates with audiences far and wide."

Hailed as "topnotch" by The New York Times, the Sphinx Virtuosi were introduced to a global stage via the July 2023 release of their debut album, Songs for Our Times, on Deutsche Grammophon. The release features works by outstanding composers and artistic visionaries of color Michael Abels, Aldemaro Romero, Valerie Coleman, Carlos Simon, Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, and Ricardo Herz, plus a new Beethoven arrangement by Rubén Rengel.

Founded by violinist, social entrepreneur and poet/journalist Aaron P. Dworkin in 1996, and now led by violinist and educator Afa Dworkin (its President and Artistic Director), the Sphinx Organization is a non-profit social justice enterprise dedicated to increasing representation of Black and Latino artists in classical music, recognizing artistic excellence and transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. The Sphinx Virtuosi champion these aims and ideals and are passionate about undertaking widespread outreach and engagement work as they tour the United States and beyond.

Program Information

Saturday, February 22, 2025 at 7:30pm
Wharton Center for Performing Arts Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Cobb Great Hall | East Lansing, MI
Link: www.whartoncenter.com/events/detail/sphinx-virtuosi

Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 4:00pm
Goshen College Performing Arts Series: Sphinx Virtuosi
Sauder Concert Hall | Goshen, IN
Link: www.gcmusiccenter.org/event/sphinx-virtuosi/

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 7:30pm
Symphony Center Presents Sphinx Virtuosi**
Symphony Center | Chicago, IL
Link: www.cso.org/performances/24-25/scp-featured-concerts/sphinx-virtuosi/

Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 7:30pm
Edmonds Center for the Arts Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Edmonds Center for the Arts | Edmonds, WA
Link: www.edmondscenterforthearts.org/events/sphinx-virtuosi/

Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 7:00pm
Columbia Basin Allied Arts Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Wallenstein Theater | Moses Lake, WA
Link: www.cba-arts.org/premiere/

Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 3:00pm
Tacoma Arts Live Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Rialto Theater | Tacoma, WA
Link: www.tacomaartslive.org/events/sphinx-virtuosi/

Friday, March 7, 2025 at 7:30pm & Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 7:30pm
Hayward Area Recreation and Park District Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Douglas Morrison Theatre| Hayward, CA
Link: www.haywardrec.org/355/Theater-Arts

Sunday, March 24, 2025 at TBC
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens | Miami, FL
Link: https://vizcaya.org/calendar/

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 7:00pm
New World Symphony Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
New World Center | Miami Beach, FL
Link: www.nws.edu/events-tickets/concerts/2024-2025/sphinx-virtuosi-american-forms/

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 7:00pm
Daytona Beach Symphony Society Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Daytona Beach Symphony | Daytona, FL
Link: www.dbss.org/concerts_73/

Friday, March 28, 2025 at 7:30pm
University of Tampa Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
David Falk Theatre | Tampa, FL
Link: www.ut.edu/academics/college-of-arts-and-letters/department-of-music/music-concerts-and-events?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D177597465

Sunday, March 30, 2025 at 4:00pm
Music Worcester Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Luth Concert Hall | Worcester, MA
Link: www.priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/sphinx-virtuosi-american-forms/

Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 7:30pm & Sunday, April 6th at 2:00pm
Skidmore String Festival with Sphinx Virtuosi: American Form/s & Skidmore String Festival with Sphinx Virtuosi and Skidmore Students
Arthur Zankel Music Center | Saratoga Springs, NY
Link: www.tix.com/ticket-sales/zankel/7074/event/1411636 and www.tix.com/ticket-sales/zankel/7074/event/1412051

Tour Program:
Scott Joplin (arr. Jannina Norpoth and Jessie Montgomery) - Overture from Treemonisha
Samuel Colerdige-Taylor -Selections from Four Novelletten Op. 52
I. Allegro Moderato
III. Valse, Andante con Moto
Derrick Syke - American Mirror: Part One
Curtis Stewart - Drill for Prepared Drumset and Strings
Josh Jones, percussion
Juantio Becenti - Hané (Story) for String Quartet
Teresa Carreño - "Finale, Tempo di Marcia" from Serenade for Strings
Levi Taylor - Daydreaming (A Fantasy on Scott Joplin)

**Symphony Center Program:
Scott Joplin (arr. Jannina Norpoth and Jessie Montgomery) - Overture from Treemonisha
Teresa Carreño - "Finale, Tempo di Marcia" from Serenade for Strings
Derrick Skye - American Mirror, Part One
Levi Taylor - Daydreaming (A Fantasy on Scott Joplin)
Curtis Stewart - Drill for Prepared Drumset and Strings
Josh Jones, percussion
Juantio Becenti - Hané (Story) for String Quartet
Jessie Montgomery - Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra
Awadagin Pratt, piano

Tour Dates

February 22 - Wharton Center for Performing Arts | East Lansing, MI
February 23 - Goshen College | Sauder Concert Hall, Goshen, IN
February 25 - Symphony Center Feat. Awadagin Pratt & Jessie Montgomery | Chicago, IL
February 27 - Edmonds Center for the Arts | Edmonds, WA
March 1 - Columbia Basin Allied Arts | Moses Lake, WA
March 2 - Tacoma Arts Live | Tacoma, WA
March 7 & 8 - Hayward Area Recreation and Park District | Hayward, CA
March 24 - Vizcaya Museum and Gardens | Miami, FL
March 25 - New World Symphony | Miami Beach, FL
March 26 - Daytona Beach Symphony Society | Daytona, FL
March 28 - University of Tampa | Tampa, FL
March 30 - Music Worcester | Worcester, MA
April 5 & 6 - Skidmore Strings Festival | Saratoga Springs, NY

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