By Sphinx staff

It is a cold February morning in Detroit as scores of musicians from around the country prepare to arrive at Orchestra Hall for Sunday’s sold-out Finals Concert of the 15^h Annual Sphinx Competition for young Black and Latino String Players Presented by the DTE Energy Foundation.

Just as Maestro Michael Morgan, the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Catalyst Quartet and a group of visitors from São Paulo’s Projecto Guri are departing, reports come in that two explosions at Orchestra Hall have shut down the building and surrounding streets. In a matter of minutes and with the help of Sphinx’s key partners including the University Musical Society, the entire 150-person outfit relocates to Hill Auditorium on the campus of the University of Michigan where the show goes on almost as planned.

The evening before, at Compuware’s headquarters in Downtown Detroit, Sphinx, with support from General Motors, hosted the inaugural Arthur L. Johnson Memorial Lecture to honor the civil rights activist’s legacy, his commitment to social justice, and his passion for the arts and classical music. Arthur Mitchell, Co-Founder of the Dance Theater of Harlem was the award recipient and during an interview by Aaron P. Dworkin, Sphinx Founder and President, spoke on the intersection of the arts and social justice.

Earlier that week, 19 of the country’s top young Black and Latino string players met for the first time and began an unforgettable week learning, networking, receiving professional development opportunities and making lifelong friends. The Semi-Finalists competed for more than $25,000 in prizes, performance opportunities with major orchestras across the country and full- tuition scholarships to leading music institutions.

In the end, Gabriel Cabezas, cellist, won First Place as well as the first-ever Audience Choice Award sponsored by Mercedes- Benz Financial Services. Second Place went to Francisco Vila, cellist, Third Place Danielle Wiebe, violist, and Fourth Place Rainel Joubert, violinist. On Friday, violinist Ade Williams, 14, took First Place at the Junior Division Honors Concert, also at Hill Auditorium. Second Place went to cellist Lev Mamuya, 15, and Third Place to violinist Tristan Flores, 13.

A broadcast of the Finals Concert will be available on demand at www.dptv.org and you can hear the Finals Concert on Sunday, March 4 on WRCJ 90.9 FM at 5 PM EST by listening live online.