>> 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.