Detroit Arts

18th Annual Sphinx Finals Competition - Broadcast Version
Web special. Join us for this annual celebration of diversity in classical music, featuring the three senior division finalists accompanied by the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra. These top young Black and Latino string players will compete for more than $100,000 in prizes! Audience members will also get to text in their vote for the Audience Choice Award. Andrew Grams, conductor.
TRANSCRIPT
>> SPHINX GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
>> IT'S A GREAT THING TO HAVE FOR BLACK AND LATINO PEOPLE.
IT'S REALLY AMAZING. >> BY ME BEING IN THE
COMPETITION, I HOPEFULLY AM INSPIRING SOME OF THE
YOUNG KIDS IN THE AUDIENCE. MAYBE THEY WANT TO TAKE UP AN
INSTRUMENT AND MAYBE YEARS LATER THEY WILL BE IN THE SPHINX
COMPETITION AND THEY WILL INSPIRE THEIR FRIENDS.
[APPLAUSE] >> I'M FROM SAN DIEGO,
CALIFORNIA. I STUDY IN LOS ANGELES AT THE
USC SCHOOL OF MUSIC. I'M 19 YEARS OLD.
I'VE BEEN PLAYING VIOLIN FOR 11 YEARS.
MY MOTHER IS A MUSICIAN, SO I GREW UP WITH CLASSICAL MUSIC.
I LOVE HOW EXPRESSIVE IT CAN BE. >> PERFORMING ON STAGE WITH AN
ORCHESTRA, THAT IS REALLY -- THAT'S WHERE I FEEL
THE MOST AT HOME. MY DREAM IS TO BE
A CONCERT VIOLINIST. I'D LOVE TO PERFORM WITH
THE LEGENDARY HALLS WITH SOME OF THE GREATEST
CONDUCTORS IN THE WORLD. MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE
ROOTING FOR ME BACK HOME, SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO GIVE MY BEST.
WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. [MUSIC PLAYING] �
[APPLAUSE] >> I'M FROM PHILADELPHIA.
I GO TO SCHOOL IN NEW YORK CITY AND I'M 23.
MY DAD STARTED ME WHEN I WAS 2 YEARS OLD.
HE TEACHES VIOLIN. VIOLA IS THE AWKWARD
IMPERFECTED, YOU KNOW, UGLY DUCKLING OF THE
INSTRUMENT FAMILY. IT'S KIND OF LIKE US,
LIKE THE HUMAN BEING. I'M GOING TO TRY TO
GET MY MASTER'S. I WANT TO GET AN
ORCHESTRA JOB PRETTY BAD. THAT'S SOMETHING I WANT
TO DO AT LEAST TO START. [MUSIC PLAYING]
� [APPLAUSE]
>> I'M FROM LIMA, PERU. I'M 19 YEARS OLD AND I GO
TO SCHOOL IN LOS ANGELES. I STARTED VIOLIN WHEN
I WAS 10 YEARS OLD. MY MOM WAS THE ONE WHO REALLY
ENJOYED CLASSICAL MUSIC. SO SHE WAS THE ONE WHO GOT ME
INVOLVED IN THAT WORLD, KIND OF. I STARTED GOING TO THE
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERTS AND THAT'S MAINLY
HOW I CHOSE THE VIOLIN. THE FIRST THING YOU SEE
IN THE ORCHESTRA IS THE FIRST VIOLIN SECTION.
IT'S COOL TO GET TO PLAY WITH ORCHESTRA.
IT'S ALSO SUCH A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT TO
GET TO THE FINALS. I'M PART OF THE
AMAZING COMMUNITY. WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG,
AROUND 13, I HAD DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO DO THIS FOR LIFE.
IT HASN'T CHANGED AT ALL. �
[APPLAUSE] >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE
WELCOME TO THE STAGE GREG RUVOLO, MANAGER OF COMMUNITY
RELATIONS & ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS AT MERCEDES-BENZ
FINANCIAL SERVICES, TO ANNOUNCE THE AUDIENCE CHOICE
>> [APPLAUSE]
. >> GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M GLAD TO BE HERE FOR THE SPHINX COMPETITION FINALS.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TO ATTEND. IT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT TO
SAY THAT I AM DEEPLY IMPRESSED. MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES
IS PROUD TO SPONSOR FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR AND IT
IS MY HONOR TO SHARE WITH YOU THE DIFFICULT DECISION THAT YOU,
THE AUDIENCE, JUST MADE. THE WINNER OF THE AUDIENCE
CHOICE AWARD OF $1,500 IN THE 18TH ANNUAL SPHINX COMPETITION
FINALS SENIOR DIVISION IS EDUARDO RIOS.
[APPLAUSE] >> AND NOW, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE SPHINX
ORGANIZATION, AARON DWORKIN. [APPLAUSE]
>> THE LIFE OF THE ARTS, FAR FROM BEING AN INTERRUPTION, A
DISTRACTION IN THE LIFE OF THE NATION, IS VERY CLOSE TO THE
CENTER OF A NATION'S PURPOSE AND IS A TEST OF THE QUALITY OF A
NATION'S CIVILIZATION. THE WORDS OF PRESIDENT JOHN F.
KENNEDY ECHO MANY MY MIND AS WE -- IN MY MIND AS WE
WORK TO ENSURE THE ARTS REFLECT THE RICH MOSAIC THAT
COMPRISES THE DIVERSE TAPESTRY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE 18TH ANNUAL SPHINX
COMPETITION FINALS WHICH HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY
THE DTE ENERGY FOUNDATION. [APPLAUSE]
. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO ASK OUR
LAUREATES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF SPHINX'S MAJOR PARTNERS
TO COME TO THE STAGE FOR THE PRESENTATION OF OUR
FINAL JURY'S DECISION. [APPLAUSE]
AND NOW THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, THE WINNERS OF
THE 18TH SPHINX COMPETITION. HERE TO PRESENT THE THIRD
PLACE AWARD IS SHAWN WILSON, DIRECTOR OF CLIENT AND
COMMUNITY RELATIONS FOR THE PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP.
[APPLAUSE] >> GOOD AFTERNOON.
IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU TODAY REPRESENTING PNC.
WHETHER IT IS THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED TO YOUNG
STUDENTS IN THE CITY OF DETROIT, PNC IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE
TRANSFORMATIVE WORK BEING DONE BY THE SPHINX ORGANIZATION.
SO IT IS MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT THE THIRD PLACE AWARD.
THE WINNER OF THE THIRD PLACE AWARD OF $10,000 IN THE 18TH
ANNUAL SPHINX COMPETITION IS ANNELLE GREGORY.
[APPLAUSE] >> IT IS MY PLEASURE TO
INTRODUCE THE FINAL AWARD PRESENTER.
THE DTE ENERGY FOUNDATION HAS ENRICHED THE LIVES
OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR OVER A DECADE.
AS THE LEAD PRESENTER OF THE ENTIRE SPHINX COMPETITION, DTE
ENERGY FOUNDATION HAS COMMIT -- I'M PROUD TO INTRODUCE DTE
ENERGY'S VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS AND
CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER. HERE TO PRESENT THE FIRST
AND SECOND PLACE AWARDS OF THE COMPETITION.
[APPLAUSE] >> GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M ACTUALLY THRILLED TO BE HERE WITH YOU
TODAY. AND THE DTE ENERGY FOUNDATION IS SO VERY PROUD TO
PRESENT THE 18TH COMPETITION. WE KNOW THAT MANY THINGS
ARE CRITICAL TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN OUR
COMMUNITY AND WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH WONDERFUL
ASSETS IN OUR REGIONS. THE BREADTH AND THE
EXCELLENCE OF THE ARTS IN OUR REGION ARE THE ENVY OF
CITIES AROUND THE WORLD. AND NOW IT'S MY HONOR TO PRESENT
FIRST THE SENIOR DIVISION SECOND PLACE WINNER. AND
THE WINNER OF THE SECOND PLACE AWARD OF $20,000 IN THE
18TH ANNUAL SPHINX COMPETITION SENIOR
DIVISION IS MICHAEL CASIMIR. [APPLAUSE]
>> THE WINNER OF THE FIRST PLACE AWARD OF $50,000 IN THE 18TH
ANNUAL SPHINX COMPETITION SENIOR DIVISION IS EDUARDO RIOS.
[APPLAUSE] >> IT FEELS AMAZING.
I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS AT ALL. SINCE THE BEGINNING,
I JUST DID MY BEST. I AM SO HAPPY HOW
THINGS TURNED OUT. IT IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY
AND TO HAVE ALL THESE AMAZING CONCERTS COMING UP.
IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. IT'S ABOUT HAVING THIS HUGE
OPPORTUNITY IN MY LIFE. I'M THANKFUL FOR MY
TEACHER, MY FAMILY IN PERU, EVERYONE IN SCHOOL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. �
[APPLAUSE] >> THE BROADCAST OF THIS YEAR'S
SPHINX COMPETITION IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE DTE ENERGY
FOUNDATION AND ITS ONGOING COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY.
DTE IS DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING THE FABRIC OF THE
COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR LOCAL CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
AND EDUCATORS.
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21st Annual Sphinx Finals Competition ConcertFebruary 27, 2018
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New Year's Eve 2015 with the Detroit Symphony OrchestraJanuary 01, 2016
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18th Annual Sphinx Finals Competition - Broadcast VersionFebruary 23, 2015
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18th Annual Sphinx Finals CompetitionFebruary 01, 2015
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DSO: Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto with Garrick OhlssonNovember 27, 2014