Sphinx Virtuosi, the acclaimed chamber orchestra, embarks on a tour that promises to be a groundbreaking celebration of Black and Latinx voices in classical music. Their program, titled 'American Form/s,' offers a rich tapestry of sounds that weave together elements of soul, bluegrass, jazz, blues, and ragtime, highlighting composers of color. The ensemble's series of performances spans a variety of venues across the United States, showcasing the vibrant compositions of artists like Jessie Montgomery and Curtis Stewart, while featuring renowned performers such as pianist Awadagin Pratt.

Sphinx Virtuosi: Amplifying Diverse Voices in American Classical Music

Dive into the unique world of the Sphinx Virtuosi, a pioneering ensemble dedicated to amplifying Black and Latinx voices in classical music. This dynamic chamber orchestra is set to deliver an unforgettable series of performances across various prestigious venues, spotlighting American classical music enriched with diverse cultural influences. With an array of performances from February to April 2025, including innovative works like Jessie Montgomery's Treemonisha and Derrick Skye's American Mirror, Sphinx Virtuosi promises a vibrant musical journey that challenges traditional boundaries and celebrates cultural heritage.

Sphinx Virtuosi: Redefining American Classical Music Through Diversity

The Sphinx Virtuosi, a renowned ensemble of Black and Latinx classical soloists, is set to captivate audiences with a series of performances focusing on themes of peace and resilience. This season, they are joined by remarkable talents, including the young cellist Sterling Elliott. The events will feature a diverse selection of compositions that aim to inspire unity and reflection on our shared journey toward a harmonious future. Join us as the Sphinx Virtuosi brings their vibrant and rhapsodic music to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Costa Mesa.

Sphinx Virtuosi: A Symphony of Peace and Resilience

In a harmonious celebration of cultural diversity and artistic expression, the Sphinx Virtuosi ensemble returns to captivate audiences with their unique program 'Visions of Peace.' Featuring renowned cellist Sterling Elliott and violinist Randall Goosby, this series of performances spans Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Costa Mesa. With a repertoire that includes pieces by Clarice Assad, William Grant Still, and Alberto Ginastera, these events are a musical journey through themes of peace, resilience, and shared humanity. Join us as we delve into the transformative power of music in uniting diverse voices.

Sphinx Virtuosi: A Symphony of Peace and Unity

The Sphinx Virtuosi, a dynamic ensemble of Black and Latinx classical soloists, returns to captivate audiences with their powerful performances emphasizing peace and unity. Featuring the talented cellist Sterling Elliott and violinist Randall Goosby, these events highlight musical works that resonate with themes of resilience and shared humanity. With performances across Philadelphia, Baltimore, Costa Mesa, and Santa Barbara, the Sphinx Virtuosi aims to uplift and inspire through a diverse range of compositions, from historical pieces by William Grant Still to modern works by Jessie Montgomery.

Sphinx Virtuosi: A Celebration of Peace and Unity Through Music

As the Sphinx Virtuosi embark on their latest season, they bring along a powerful narrative of resilience, unity, and peace through the universal language of music. Featuring the prodigious talents of Sterling Elliott and Randall Goosby, this journey sees the ensemble performing across various prestigious venues, exploring a repertoire that echoes the spirit of hope and collaboration. These events challenge us to reflect on our history and aspire to a future where music transcends borders and unites us all.

Sphinx Virtuosi: A Celebration of Diversity and Peace Through Music

Embark on an enchanting journey with Sphinx Virtuosi, an illustrious ensemble of Black and Latinx classical musicians. As they grace stages across the U.S., featuring the remarkable talents of cellist Sterling Elliott and violinist Randall Goosby, their performances encapsulate a profound narrative of peace, unity, and resilience. Through the language of music, they navigate the complexities of history, stirring emotions and aspirations in a quest for harmony and understanding.

The flagship performing ensemble of the Sphinx Organization returns to Krannert Center following the recording of two albums with Deutsche Grammophon-Songs for Our Times, a powerful new follow-up that continues the ensemble's artistic journey. "The Sphinx way was to play with a fire lit under every phrase," writes The Boston Globe of this 18-member, self-conducted chamber orchestra. Sphinx musicians foreground their role as cultural ambassadors as is evident in their program, "Visions of Peace." Centered around Quenton Blache's commissioned work of the same name, it also includes music by Jose White, Clarice Assad, Jessie Montgomery, Prokofiev, Ginastera, and Ponce, as well as William Grant Still's Suite for Cello featuring 2019 Sphinx Competition winner and 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient Sterling Elliott. The Sphinx Virtuosi inventively and jubilantly celebrate the resiliency of the human spirit as the blaze a new path in the classical music world.

EPSG:4326

Sphinx Virtuosi

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

SHCS’s 60th season opens with the pioneering Sphinx Virtuosi, an 18-member self-conducted string orchestra and flagship ensemble of the Sphinx Organization. With “immeasurable power, unwavering command, and soulful beauty” (The Washington Post) these masterful players make their Baltimore debut with a program devoted to peace and the resilience of the human spirit. Acclaimed young cellist Sterling Elliott joins as soloist for American composer’s William Grant Still’s Suite, inspired by Harlem Renaissance sculptures.

Sphinx Virtuosi (Baltimore Debut) Sterling Elliott, cello

Johns Hopkins University

Opening night belongs to the renowned Sphinx Virtuosi, which returns to PCMS for a fifth consecutive season, this time with the gifted young cellist Sterling Elliott as the featured soloist. Comprising 18 of the nation’s top Black and Latinx classical soloists, the “vibrant” and “rhapsodic” Virtuosi (New York Times) bring to PCMS a program titled Visions of Peace which offers a unique convergence of musical voices that usher us into a realm where music becomes an emissary of peace and unity. Sphinx writes: “We hope to lift every voice and remember our complex history while looking toward our shared journey as we face a brighter tomorrow. We explore peace while remembering the conflict of past and present and recognizing the repeated history and the resilience of the human spirit.”

Sphinx Virtuosi Sterling Elliott, cello

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Join Sphinx Virtuosi, the trailblazing 18-member string orchestra from the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, in its Symphony Center debut. The group performs masterpieces by prominent Black and Latino composers — including Jessie Montgomery’s 2024 Grammy Award-winning Rounds — delivering an unforgettable performance lauded for its “joyous and uplifting” energy (Financial Times).

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Experience the groundbreaking artistry of Sphinx Virtuosi, an extension of Detroit’s own globally renowned Sphinx Organization, committed to amplifying Black and Latino voices in classical music. The self-conducted chamber orchestra delivers a pioneering evening titled American Form/s: a musical tapestry spotlighting the many sounds of American classical music and composers of color. Vibrant, varied, and storied, take a journey through classically framed infusions of soul, bluegrass, jazz, blues, and elements of rag.

Rialto Theater

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

Peabody Auditorium

Wharton Center for Performing Arts

Edmonds Center For the Arts

Goshen College Music Center

Hayward Area Recreation and Park District

New World Center

 Big Bend Community College

Skidmore College

University of Tampa

Mechanics Hall

Experience the groundbreaking artistry of Sphinx Virtuosi, an extension of Detroit’s own, globally-renowned Sphinx Organization, committed to amplifying Black and Latinx voices in classical music. The self-conducted chamber orchestra delivers a pioneering evening titled American Form/s, a musical tapestry spotlighting the many sounds of American classical music and composers of color. Vibrant, varied, and storied, take a journey through classically-framed infusions of soul, bluegrass, jazz, blues, and elements of rag.

The Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic and inspiring professional self-conducted chamber orchestra that serves as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization – the leading social justice non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Comprising 18 accomplished Black and Latinx artists, the Sphinx Virtuosi are evolving and transforming the face of classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming, and impassioned community engagement. 

Shermerhorn Symphony Center

Sphinx Virtuosi at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

Sphinx Virtuosi at Gilmore Festival

Chenery Auditorium

Sphinx Virtuosi at New World Symphony

Sphinx Virtuosi at St. John School of the Arts

St. John School for the Arts

Sphinx Virtuosi at Suzuki Association of the Americas

Suzuki Association of the Americas

Sphinx Virtuosi at Denver Friends of Chamber Music

Plaza At Cherry Creek

Founded in 1997 in Detroit, but with nationwide reach, the Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic and inspiring professional self-conducted chamber orchestra and serves as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization—the leading social justice non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Comprised primarily of Black and Latinx artists, a critical aim of the Sphinx Virtuosi is to evolve and transform the face of classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming, and impassioned community engagement. Its members serve as cultural and diversity ambassadors for audiences and communities around the United States during national tours, and perform annually at Carnegie Hall where The New York Times has praised the group as “…top-notch…more essential at this moment than ever…a vibrant, assured performance.”

Lobero Theatre

Founded in 1997 in Detroit, but with nationwide reach, the Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic and inspiring professional self-conducted chamber orchestra and serves as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization—the leading social justice non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Comprised primarily of Black and Latinx artists, a critical aim of the Sphinx Virtuosi is to evolve and transform the face of classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming, and impassioned community engagement. Its members serve as cultural and diversity ambassadors for audiences and communities around the United States during national tours, and perform annually at Carnegie Hall where The New York Times has praised the group as “…top-notch…more essential
at this moment than ever…a vibrant, assured performance.”

Sphinx Virtuosi at Community Arts Music Assoc.

Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic and inspiring professional self-conducted chamber orchestra and serves as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization – the leading social justice non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Comprised of eighteen accomplished Black and Latinx artists, a critical aim of the Sphinx Virtuosi is to evolve and transform the face of classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming, and impassioned community engagement.

Sphinx Virtuosi at Stanford Live

Stanford University

Sphinx Virtuosi at Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Meyerson Symphony Center

The Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic and inspiring professional self-conducted chamber orchestra and serves as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization — the leading social justice non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts.

Comprised of eighteen accomplished Black and Latinx artists, a critical aim of the Sphinx Virtuosi is to evolve and transform the face of classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming and impassioned community engagement. Frequently selling out venues, the ensemble has garnered effusive accolades, including from The New York Times, which has described the group as “…top-notch… more essential at this moment than ever… a vibrant, assured performance…”

An Evening With Sphinx Virtuosi

Sphinx Virtuosi at Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Brilliant chamber orchestra of young Black and Latinx string players in a program entitled "Generations"

Washington Irving Campus

Sphinx Virtuosi at People’s Symphony Concerts

Peoples' Symphony Concerts

Sphinx Virtuosi at Skidmore College

The Sphinx Virtuosi—the flagship ensemble of the Sphinx Organization, dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts—shares the stage with the Minnesota Orchestra in a program featuring Carlos Simon’s meditative Breathe and Angélica Negrón’s immersive Marejada.

The Sphinx Virtuosi

Orchestra Hall

The Sphinx Virtuosi is an exemplary chamber orchestra and the “flagship performing entity” of the Sphinx Organization. They pair time-tested string music—both enduringly popular and underperformed—with music by some of today’s most compelling composers. Hear New York premieres by the prolific Javier Farías; and bassist, composer, and 2014 Sphinx Competition winner Xavier Foley. Two of the 20th century’s great composers are represented in a fusion of Bachian and Brazilian-folk styles by Villa-Lobos; and a bustling movement from Perkinson’s Sinfonietta No. 2. Also featured are spirited, original songs by cellist and singer Abel Selaocoe, who performs with the ensemble.

Carnegie Hall

Inspired by the poetry of Langston Hughes and Julia Alvarez, Sphinx Virtuosi brings you a program showcasing the beauty and tradition of excellence inherent in classical music created and performed by Black and Latinx composers for many generations. Together, SV seeks to uplift spirits through sharing the sounds that inspire us and transcend the boundaries of time, history, and struggle. Comprising 18 of the nation’s top Black and Latinx classical soloists, the Sphinx Virtuosi present a program inspired by present day events and the vibrant gifts of the past that we cherish today.

Sphinx Virtuosi w/ Xavier Foley, double bass

Inspired by the poetry of Langston Hughes and Julia Alvarez, Sphinx Virtuosi brings you a program showcasing the beauty and tradition of excellence inherent in classical music created and performed by Black and Latinx composers for many generations. Together, they seek to uplift spirits through sharing the sounds that inspire us and transcend the boundaries of time, history, and struggle.  They thank you, listeners, for embracing the many voices and sounds that elevate our collective humanity.

Sphinx Virtuosi: Generations

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Inspired by the poetry of Langston Hughes and Julia Alvarez, this program showcases the beauty and tradition of excellence inherent in classical music created and performed by Black and Latinx composers for many generations. In its return to the Ordway, Sphinx Virtuosi — the Sphinx Organization’s touring string ensemble—seeks to uplift spirits through sharing the sounds that inspire and transcend the boundaries of time, history and struggle.

In a unique convergence of musical voices, this program beckons us into a realm where music becomes an emissary of peace and unity. On this journey, we hope to lift every voice and remember our complex history while looking toward our shared journey toward a brighter tomorrow. We explore peace while remembering the conflict of past and present and recognizing the repeated history and the resilience of the human spirit. From William Grant Still, celebrated as the “Dean of African American Composers,” to José White's stirring Cuban melodies, every note resonates with our collective aspirations for harmony and understanding without borders. This is a collection of new voices, those that have already shaped our canon and those that we hope will continue to be celebrated long after our time together. As Alberto Ginastera's Concerto for Strings takes us toward a triumphant crescendo, you will join us in a jubilant celebration of the human spirit's indomitable resilience and our unwavering commitment to the pursuit of peace. We reflect on themes of war, anguish, and loss through Ruben Rengel's setting of Prokofiev's "Stalingrad" Sonata. Jessie Montgomery's music helps us transcend boundaries and borders, while our vision for shared humanity is brought together through Quenton Blache's title composition.

Sphinx Virtuosi with Randall Goosby

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

The Sphinx Virtuosi, a dynamic self-conducted chamber orchestra comprised of 18 accomplished Black and Latinx artists, returns to CAMA with a program titled Visions of Peace. Featuring acclaimed violinist Randall Goosby, the concert explores themes of resilience, peace, and shared humanity through a diverse range of musical voices. The Sphinx Virtuosi are celebrated for their “immeasurable power, unwavering command, and soulful beauty” (The Washington Post) and their commitment to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts.

Sphinx Virtuosi

Mar 11, 2026

Sphinx Virtuosi with Randall Goosby

Mar 12, 2026

Sphinx Virtuosi

Mar 12, 2026

Sphinx Virtuosi

Oct 25, 2025

Sphinx Virtuosi

Oct 19, 2025

Sphinx Virtuosi (Baltimore Debut) Sterling Elliott, cello

Articles & News

Sphinx Virtuosi