CLASSICAL / 2017-2018
SPHINX VIRTUOSI
PERFORMANCE / DEMONSTRATION
So, What’s Going On?
What happens when 18 powerful string musicians come together as one? Well…you get a powerhouse chamber orchestra thanks to Sphinx Virtuosi.
At the annual Sphinx Competition, Black and Latino middle school, high school, and college-aged string musicians compete among the best young soloist musicians in the country. The chosen soloists will perform in this small orchestra which typically consists of less than 25 players. Often chamber orchestras perform Baroque (pronounced buh-ROHK) and early Classical-era music—the smaller number of instruments is often more authentic for these styles than a full orchestra—or modern music written for a smaller orchestra. And Sphinx Virtuosi does it all!
One of the most unique things about Sphinx Virtuosi is that they play without a conductor. Working together, the group uses eye contact, a deep understanding of the music, and being “in tune” with one another to combine their sounds into a master work. Oh, and practice (and practice, and more practice!) plays an important role, too.
During the performance, the group will play masterpieces (famous classical pieces you may recognize by composers like Bach, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, and Mozart). It will also branch out to represent masterworks from other languages and styles, including modern-day compositions.
Sphinx also offers an overview of the concerto grosso. Historically, the concerto grosso is a type of Baroque musical composition. The Baroque era was a time period of artistic and musical development from 1600–1750 that included complex forms, bold ornamentation and embellishments (in terms of modern pop music, think Mariah Carey trills), and an overall dramatic feel. Johann Sebastian Bach is probably the most well-known composer of this period. In the concerto grosso, the melody and musical themes are passed between solo instruments and the full orchestra or chamber group. The Sphinx performance looks at the concerto grosso from the Baroque to modern times, performing a composition in that form composed just for this group.
Learn more about The Sphinx Story:
Learn more about the concerto grosso:
Who’s Who
Sphinx Virtuosi is made up of 18 Black and Latino string musicians. After winning the Sphinx Competition, they train with the Sphinx Organization to prepare for professional careers as solo musicians. The musicians also come together each fall to perform for the public. They consider themselves cultural ambassadors, bringing music across the country, and performing at Carnegie Hall every year.
Watch Sphinx Virtuosi participate in a “Random Act of Culture” at the Detroit Renaissance Center:
The group was founded in 1996 to build diversity in classical music, and provide opportunities for music education and instruction to underserved communities. You might think of them as a bridge, connecting minority communities and the classical music establishment. The organization raises money to provide instruments to schools across the country. And since the organization was founded, the number of Black and Latino musicians in professional orchestras has more than doubled.
This year, the Sphinx Organization is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a program titled Concerti per Venti (Concert for Twenty).
Search the hashtag #SphinxStories to read stories from artists, alumni, friends, and family connected to the Sphinx Organization.
PHOTO by Kevin Kennedy
Check This Out…
The performance and demonstration will feature a collection of music through the ages. As the chamber orchestra performs, listen for differences between historic and modern pieces. What is the same in the way the music sounds and is played? What is different?
Sphinx is made up of instruments from just one of the orchestra families—the string family. String instruments are made of wood and held together with glue. They come in many sizes, from small to huge, but all include four strings, a bridge that supports the strings, and a hollow “box” through which sound is amplified. Strings are played by dragging a bow across the strings (arco) or plucking (pizzicato)—the strings vibrate to produce a musical tone.
The violin is the smallest and highest pitched string instrument. It is held between the musician’s chin and left shoulder, with the bow held in the right hand. As the highest instrument in the family, it frequently plays solo parts and the melody of a piece.
The viola is a little bigger than the violin, with a deeper, mid-range sound—kind of like an alto singer in a choir. It is held in the same way as a violin and its music is written on an alto clef, denoting the range between a soprano (high) and bass (low). It often plays a supporting, harmonic role in orchestral music.
The cello is lower than the viola and has a deep, rich sound. It is held upright against its musician, who sits with it between his or her legs. The cello rests on an endpin, which can be adjusted to the height of the musician playing it.
The lowest string instrument is called the double bass, or bass for short. Held upright like the cello, the bass is played by a standing musician. Its sound is so low that its notation, or notes written on the staff, is actually written an octave higher than it sounds. Otherwise, an entire bass piece might be written below the bass staff. A full double bass is about 6 feet tall.
Want a quick listen to the whole string family? Do it here:
Watch and listen how…
During the concert, listen for how each member of the string family sounds, and how it is played. Are there more of one type of instrument than another?
This 20th anniversary tour had a special piece of music commissioned—a fancy word for custom-made—for it. Award-winning Latino composer Jimmy Lopez wrote Guardian of the Horizon: Concerto Grosso for Violin, Cello, and Strings. Guardian of the Horizon is a metaphor for the strength, wisdom, and resilience of Sphinx. Jimmy wrote about his inspiration in the program notes:
“I began to think of Greek Mythology and Oedipus (hence the title of the first movement) but then I started to think of it the way ancient Egyptians did, as a manifestation of Hathor, Goddess of birth and death, or as “Horus in the Horizon,” guarding the rising and setting sun, and finally, as holding the keys to the gates of wisdom. In my work, the Sphinx guards the passage to the afterlife, but the aspiring soul must first answer a Riddle, and only then can it be allowed into Crossing the Threshold.”
Guardian of the Horizon pays homage to the concerto grosso. Listen for the violin and the cello solos—at times they dramatically come together, and at others, they act as “rivals.” What is happening in the music when this occurs? Do you feel like you can “hear” the story?
PHOTO by Nan Melville
Think About This…
Sphinx Virtuosi believes in changing lives though the power of diversity in the arts. The group also hopes to engage young and new audiences with lots of different types of music. What new sounds do you hear from Sphinx? How are you inspired by the music?
One of the ways Sphinx hopes to advance diversity is by performing seldom presented compositions by composers of color, like Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, George Walker, Michael Abels, Astor Piazzolla, and Jimmy Lopez. Why do you think it’s important to hear modern works by composers of color along with traditional classical masterpieces? What stories do you think these modern masterpieces might tell?
The Sphinx of Giza, the inspiration behind the name of Sphinx Virtuosi, is an ancient Greek mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion, sometimes with bird-like wings. In the Egyptian tradition, the sphinx is a living creature with a ferocious strength. In both traditions, the sphinx is a guardian to the entrance to the temple.
Learn more about the Sphinx of Giza. How do you think the Sphinx represents what you know about Sphinx Virtuosi?
Take Action: The Power of Diversity
Sphinx Virtuosi’s mission is transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Sphinx focuses on diversity in race, culture, and musical representation. What does the power of diversity mean to you? It might be similar to Sphinx’s expression or totally different.
Snap a picture or take a video showing how you represent or encourage the power of diversity and post it to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat, or any other platform. Then, tag five friends and ask them to share what it means to them. Use #powerofdiversity as your hashtag.
Explore More
Go even deeper with the Sphinx Virtuosi Extras.
Bonus!
Now for something really cool, check out this string section rendition of Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk” by Eclectic Colour Orchestra:
–
PHOTO (top) by Nan Melville.
–
The Fortas Chamber Music Concerts are supported by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund, and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.
Support for JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy is provided by Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, Chevron, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and Target.
© 2017 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
0 notes