2017 marks the 20^th Anniversary of the Sphinx Organization, and they celebrated the occasion this month with the SphinxConnect conference in Detroit, Michigan. I had the pleasure of attending as a performer for the Artist Showcase.

The Sphinx Organization was originally founded by Aaron Dworkin (who now serves as the Dean of the Music School at the University of Michigan) in order to address the under-representation of people of color in classical music. It began as a competition for young musicians, but now includes multiple performing ensembles, educational programs, artist development resources, and arts leadership programming. This was the 5^th year that Sphinx has held an annual convention alongside its competition, and the first as the rebranded SphinxConnect conference.

I asked Abigayl Venman, Sphinx’s Director of Artistic Affairs, what was new and improved about SphinxConnect:
 

“The purpose of SphinxConnect is to establish a conduit between the greatest diverse talent in our country and leaders in the industry, to fortify our pipelines and shift our level of participation and representation in the field. More than ever before, our field can empower and unite, and SphinxConnect can … be that meeting place, the epicenter, for creative problem solving and networking.”

I got to Detroit expecting to have a lot of fun performing with my quintet Alkali, and we certainly did (see the video below)! It wasn’t until we went to the conference sessions, however, that my eyes were opened to the full extent of the work Sphinx does.
 

I found it invigorating to be among a beautiful crowd of Black and Latino classical musicians. The lack of diversity in our field is something that most people are tacitly aware of, but the excitement in those rooms was palpable as we gathered to celebrate the contributions of people of color to classical music. Issues of racial inclusion are often the elephant in the room, but at Sphinx they were faced head-on, with a resolve to find solutions. I felt privileged to hear perspectives that I’ve never experienced for myself.

Most notably, the questions and discussion in the session “The Orchestra as a Predominantly White Institution” were profound, nuanced, and encouraging. Panelist Titus Underwood, incoming Principal Oboist of the Nashville Symphony, encouraged white audience members to immerse themselves in black culture and literature, and to actively seek out opportunities to listen to the perspectives of people of color. In response to the question of whether diversity in orchestras had become more about the optics of having “bodies in chairs” than truly valuing people of color, the solution of completely blind auditions was discussed as a way to eliminate bias. I highly recommend watching the entire session here.

The conference closed with a final concert that featured one of the most moving performances I’ve ever witnessed. The Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and The University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club performed Atlanta-based composer Joel Thompson’s “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed,” a piece which draws its text from the final words spoken by unarmed black men and boys whose lives were taken by law enforcement officers. There wasn’t a dry eye in the audience.
 

Staying true to the forward-looking theme of the entire convention, this sobering piece was followed by “Glory” from the movie Selma, an inspiring celebration of the work that is being done to push toward a better future. I walked out of that hall determined to be a part of the solution.

I’ll start by listening.

To see a full listing and watch videos of the sessions from SphinxConnect 2017, follow this link.

Save the date! SphinxConnect 2018 will be held from Feb 1-4 in Detroit, MI.