The Sphinx Virtuosi is one of the nation’s most dynamic professional chamber orchestras. Comprised of 18 of the nation’s top Black and Latino classical soloists, these alumni of the internationally renowned Sphinx Competition come together each fall as cultural ambassadors to reach new audiences. This unique self-conducted ensemble earned rave reviews from The NewYork Times during its highly acclaimed debut at Carnegie Hall in December 2004. Allan Kozinn described their performance as “first-rate in every way” and “the ensemble produced a more beautiful, precise and carefully shaped sound than some fully professional orchestras that come through Carnegie Hall in the course of the year.”
The tour will include the newly commissioned Guardian of the Horizon: Concerto Grosso for Violin, Cello, and Strings, by award-winning composer Jimmy Lopez, made possible in part with the support of Linda and Stuart Nelson. The Concerti per Venti program will also feature Delights and Dances by Michael Abels, a three-movement work for string quartet and string orchestra (commissioned by Sphinx in 2012), Concerto Grosso by Vaughan Williams and Beethoven’s timeless Grosse Fugue.