The Michigan State University Wharton Center in East Lansing is hosting an evening program Saturday with the Sphinx Virtuosi.
The ensemble is comprised of strings players of color meant to bolster representation in the arts.
WKAR Classical Host Jamie Paisley spoke with Sphinx’s violist and Director of Ensemble Advancement Bill Neri about the ensemble and the program being played Saturday night.
Interview Highlights
On the Sphinx Organization's mission
The Sphinx Organization is a Detroit-based non-profit organization kind of transforming lives through the power of the arts and hails back all the way from 1997, where we started the Sphinx Competition, really our flagship program where musicians all over the country compete for a $50,000 cash prize, and that happens every year, annually in Detroit, Michigan.
On having Sphinx's home in Michigan
We always do our best to route our tours as close to, if not through Michigan and Detroit, we've gone all the way up to Interlochen in the past. So, that's always been fantastic to ensure that we're impacting the community that really started it all.
On a goal of Sphinx Virtuosi's classical programming
It's a lot of fun. Anyone that's been to a Sphinx Virtuosi performance in the past can attest to that we try to have a very high-energy, impactful experience for everyone that is attending.
Interview Transcript
Jamie Paisley: Coming up this Saturday at the Wharton Center in East Lansing, an evening program with the Sphinx Virtuosi. It's an interesting ensemble that we'll explore more with one of its members, violist Bill Neri and also Director of Ensemble Advancement.
A quick note though that the Wharton Center is a financial contributor to WKAR, but the Sphinx Organization and Virtuosi are not.
First and foremost, welcome Bill.
Bill Neri: Hi. Thanks so much for having me, Jamie. I'm really happy to be here.
Paisley: For starters, what is the Sphinx Virtuosi? And how does it differentiate from the [Sphinx] Organization as a whole under its umbrella?
Neri: It's really great question and very important question and distinction. So, the Sphinx Virtuosi is an 18 member, self-conducted string ensemble, comprising of the nation's top Black and Latino classical artists. Taking a step back, the Sphinx Organization is a Detroit-based nonprofit organization kind of transforming lives through the power of the arts and hails back all the way from 1997, where we started the Sphinx Competition, really our flagship program where musicians from all over the country compete for a $50,000 cash prize. And that happens every year, annually in Detroit, Michigan. It just concluded just a few weeks ago, really. And so, over the years, we obviously accumulated a lot of, expanded our network and added a lot of members to la familia. And so with that, we brought in a lot of musicians and started touring as an orchestra, really to bring more awareness to our mission and to bring people into the fold and to really spread out the canon as much as we can to communities.
Paisley: And it very much is a Michigander-based thing. I mean, with the Dworkins, their association with Ann Arbor, and I think one of the first Sphinx Competition winners is Melissa White, former teacher of yours. She's from Lansing as well and has frequently come back to this area to perform as well, and so it is very Michigander-focused in its origins.
Neri: No, absolutely, and we really make an effort to maintain and sustain our presence in that region. For example, the Sphinx Overture program is one that is directly impacting that local community, and we always do our best to route our tours as close to, if not through Michigan and Detroit. We've gone all the way up to Interlochen in the past. So, that's always been really fantastic to ensure that we're impacting the community that really started it all.
Paisley: Well let's talk about the program, which is focused on or called "American Form/s" and it's called "a musical tapestry spotlighting the many sounds of American classical music and composers of color."
Neri: Totally! It's a lot of fun. Like many of our performances, anyone that's been to a Sphinx Virtuosi performance in the past can attest to that we try to have a very high-energy, impactful experience for everyone that is attending. So, this program spans from [Ragtime composer Scott] Joplin, or Joplin-esque repertoire to music that's music that's brand new and featuring our percussion soloist, Josh Jones on Curtis Stewart's original work "Drill."
So, I don't know how many people have heard a percussion concerto, let alone a drum kit concerto, but you'll be able to listen to that. And of course, the Joplin inspiration, Levi Taylor's "Daydreaming," is a fantasy on Scott Joplin, and then we also have Jannina Norpoth's arrangement of the original arrangement of the "Treemonisha" Overture. So it's like, it's a mouthful for sure, but there's a lot of original works and arrangements of preexisting works that will be on this program.
Paisley: The Sphinx Virtuosi this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with more information at the Wharton Center's website.
And a reminder that while the concert starts at 7:30, get there early, there will be a conversation with Yvonne Lam, violinist and violist from the MSU College of Music and formerly of the renowned, Grammy-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird with members of the Sphinx Virtuosi as well.
So, Bill Neri, thank you very much for speaking with us.
Neri: Thank you so much, and I really can't wait to be part of this concert. Thanks everybody for coming.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
The MSU Wharton Center is a financial supporter of WKAR.
