Contest spotlights music talent

The giant stone features of the Sphinx, the statue of a deity that stands alongside Egypt's pyramids, embody the power of civilization and creativity. During the past year, the meaning of the Sphinx - while continuing its traditional symbolism - has altered somewhat in classical music circles.

This week marks the second annual Sphinx Competition, a national contest for minority string players based in Ann Arbor and started last year by University alumnus Aaron Dworkin.

Hosted by the School of Music, the contest will bring 17 semi-finalists to Ann Arbor from across the country Feb. 25 to 28. After auditioning in front of a jury, the three finalists in each of two divisions will perform in a concert Feb. 28 at Hill Auditorium to earn final rankings. The first place finalist from each division will be awarded an opportunity to perform a solo with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.

The semi-finalists "are kind of poised to enter the professional environment," Dworkin said. "It's a very important juncture in their musical careers."

Expanding from last year's single division for musicians under 20 years old, the contest now offers two divisions - a junior division for participants under 18 and a senior division for contestants ages 18 to 25. This year's semi-finalists range in age from 13 to 24 and come from several states, including New York, California, Colorado and Florida.

The four basic string instruments - bass, cello, viola and violin - are represented among this group of musicians, many of whom have principal positions in their home orchestras.

"They're basically the top players from their communities," Dworkin said.

Five judges, who are also local music educators, choose the semi-finalists from cassette tape auditions that are mailed to Ann Arbor, Dworkin said, adding that musical requirements for the auditions include pieces by minority composers in addition to music by composers such as Mozart, Haydn and Mendelssohn. Due to its extensive popularity, Dworkin said, the Sphinx receives many tapes.

The competition sends information to more than 10,000 organizations in an effort to reach Latino and African American string players. "I first thought it was going to be a competition that I couldn't be in because it was so big," said last year's third-place winner Melissa White, a 14 year-old violinist who is one of this year's semi-finalists.

This year's competition expanded to include media coverage on National Public Radio, Public Broadcasting Service and Black Entertainment Television, Dworkin said. The Finalist Concert will air on NPR and the local PBS station for Detroit, WTVS. BET plans to feature the semi-finalists on its "Teen Summit" program.

The media interest reflects the impact of the program. During the year following the first competition, the number of contestants and financial sponsors showing interest increased from the previous year.

"Especially in the music community, within one year we've achieved recognition of the event," Dworkin said. "We're hoping to expand that out to community awareness."

The growing reputation of the competition could also draw potential applicants to the University, said Music School Dean Paul Boylan.

"We hope that in future years it will have a very positive impact," Boylan said.

The Sphinx aims to show minority musicians that they are not alone in the classical music world.

"The problem is that ... there is a perception that the minority players aren't out there," Dworkin said. "What we try to do is show that there are players already out there and also show the minority community, and especially parents, that they're out there."

Dworkin said he envisioned the competition based on his own experience. "Being a black violinist myself, every musical experience I had growing up, I was the only black strings player," he said.

White, for example, lives in Lansing, where few other African American musicians play at her level. But White said she is the only black student studying with Roland and Almita Vamos at the Music Institute of Chicago. "I think (the Sphinx) just opened my eyes to how many good African American musicians there are in the country," she said.

Since minority players are often not in contact with each other, Dworkin set out to form a support network for this group. "If I would have been able to stay focused, and if there had been something, peer group and resources, I think it would have helped guide me more," he said.

The Sphinx introduces the contestants to each other, as well as providing scholarships to summer programs at music camps such as the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Interlochen Center for the Arts to all of the semi-finalists. "Other than our prizes ... and the performance opportunities that go along with that, we do our focus on the semi-finalists as a whole," Dworkin said. The competition "puts them in the context of professional players."

As a result, the Sphinx concentrates more on the contestants than the prizes. College students act as liaisons, White said, to foster a friendly atmosphere among the contestants, many of whom continued to correspond after the competition ended. "It makes it fun even for the semi-finalists who don't go on," White said.

Camaraderie, combined with musical excellence, made several of last year's semi-finalists enter again. Four or five will be returning, Dworkin said, although the competition was so tough that last year's best tone winner didn't make the cut.

White said she looks forward to a reunion as well as meeting new people. As for the future, she hopes to continue her involvement in the competition as a contestant in the senior division and as a liaison. "Last year I wasn't so sad I didn't win because I wanted to return," she said.

Future Sphinx competitions will be dependent on the organization's financial future, Dworkin said. Although the contest received contributions from companies including World Bank, Motorola and Ford Motor Company, Dworkin said he is seeking more support from businesses in Ann Arbor.

"We've gotten some fantastic support from national corporations, but we're looking for more local involvement," Dworkin said.

The Sphinx is just beginning to receive its first multi-year grants. Dworkin said he is aiming to get more of these grants to ensure the competition's financial stability and longevity.

"It'll be the big issue, finding a more permanent base of support," Boylan said.

But with the attention the competition has received, the Sphinx has a good shot at long term success. "It's certainly my goal that the Sphinx would become a permanent institution in classical music," Dworkin said.

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