The Sphinx Organization, the leading non-profit devoted to the arts, has announced the highlights of its 2025-2026 season. Standouts include a national tour from the self-conducted string orchestra Sphinx Virtuosi (which will include its new Visions of Peace program at Carnegie Hall on October 17), the 29th annual Sphinx Competition, and SphinxConnect: Discover! in Detroit.
The Sphinx Organization’s mission has always been to increase the representation and visibility of classical music across the U.S. Their events serve all levels of classical music musicians and enthusiasts, from beginner students to professionals, entrepreneurs, and administrators.
The Sphinx Virtuosi’s performances have been regarded by critics as being “more essential at this moment than ever” (The New York Times) and having “immeasurable power, unwavering command, and soulful beauty” (The Washington Post). This upcoming season, they’ll be premiering their newest program, Visions of Peace, at venues nationwide, including New York’s very own Carnegie Hall on October 17. Visions of Peace is said to transport listeners to a utopia where music serves as the key to reconciliation and unity across the world’s conflicts.
Pieces will be composed by Clarice Assad, Jessie Montgomery, and Quenton Blanche, along with selections by José White Lafitte, William Grant Still (Suite for Violin or Cello and String Orchestra, arranged by Randall Goosby), Sergei Prokofiev (Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 Stalingrad, arranged for string orchestra by Rubén Rengel), and Alberto Ginastera. According to the Sphinx Organization, each piece was composed or selected to help celebrate the joy and beauty of the human spirit.
Clarice Assad‘s Impressions is a celebration of the vibrancy of sound, color, and spirit. On our journey toward peace, moving forward together as one, this music resonates with the constant resolve that this suite showcases in sound and form. Assad’s intention was not merely to compose music but to create a vivid musical portrait celebrating the individuality, spirit, and unique flair of each musician within the New Century Chamber Orchestra, for whom this work was originally commissioned. The music reflects their first interactions with the composer herself. The composer integrates lively Brazilian rhythms—hints of choro, samba, and salon dances—within a string ensemble context, merging classical textures with the rhythmic vitality of her homeland. The Sphinx Virtuosi spent time in Brazil in 2022 and came away deeply inspired by the country’s music and people. This choice is, in part, an homage, as well as a celebration of the work itself.
“Chemiluminescence” is the scientific term to describe any chemical reaction that produces light from a non-light source, such as a firefly rubbing its wings to produce a glow, or bioluminescence along ocean’s edge, or the light produced from a cracked glow stick. The light produced can present varied qualities, such as infrared, visible, or ultraviolet. Jessie Montgomery’s Chemiluminescence is a piece in three distinct sections, each of which interprets light, agitation, reaction, and frenetic interplay in its orchestration. “As a composer, interpreting light sources and their resulting reflections and hues is an endless field of potential sound exploration,” says Montgomery. “I used my impressions on this idea to create harmonies, colors, and blends I feel are unique to the string orchestra with its ability to bend and shift timbres in an instant.” The work represents Montgomery’s continued interest in finding a correlation between music and the natural world.
Arranged by Randall Goosby, William Grant Still’s Suite for Violin or Cello and String Orchestra is a powerful testament to the richness, resilience, and unwavering spirit of Black culture. Each movement was inspired by a sculpture created during the Harlem Renaissance, and each one depicts a unique facet of the Black experience. The first movement is inspired by Richmond Barthé’s sculpture, African Dancer, through which Barthé aimed to portray the spirituality of his people. The second movement, Mother and Child, is the heart and soul of this piece and is inspired by the work of Sargent Johnson. The final movement is derived from Augusta Savage’s sculpture, Gamin, depicting a mischievous young boy (specifically, Savage’s nephew, Ellis Ford) roaming the streets of Harlem. “There is so much joy and humour in this music, and I wanted to reflect that in the orchestra part,” Goosby says. “You will hear pops of pizzicato throughout the ensemble, as well as some jabs of call and response between the solo part and principal players that I hope will leave a smile on your face!”
Confucius’s enigmatic counsel to “Study the past if you would define the future” anchors the profound duality that pillars Quenton Blache’s Visions of Peace. The journey begins through a solitary voice’s contemplation of our shared history, entreating us to reflect as the sage did millennia ago. Its melodious question ripples through the ensemble, burgeoning, until a hymn-like prayer, the heart of the work, comes forth. This anthem for a better world is heralded by serene harmonic slides in the double basses, hope and spirit made into sound. In accelerating bursts of vitality, Baroque-era motifs echo our past and oppose the lush, modal harmony of the prayer. This duality crests as the call is answered: a vision of peace materializes, utopian and exaltant. As Blache reflects that peace is more mosaic than clear glass, the epilogue offers wishes of solace, and a final “amen” rings.
Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 “Stalingrad” is arranged for string orchestra by Rubén Rengel. Prokofiev, one of the Soviet Union’s most celebrated composers, was living through a period of upheaval. Having returned permanently to the USSR in 1936 after years abroad, he navigated a complex role: a world-renowned artist whose music was both championed and scrutinized under the watchful eye of Soviet cultural authorities. During the war years, Prokofiev composed three piano sonatas — Nos. 6, 7, and 8—which later came to be known collectively as the “War Sonatas.” The Seventh Sonata, completed in 1942 and dedicated to the memory of Prokofiev’s friends who had perished in the war, is perhaps the most harrowing of the three. In this performance, violinist and arranger Rubén Rengel—a member of the Sphinx Organization’s extended family of artists—reimagines the sonata for an 18-member, self-conducted string orchestra. This performance invites listeners to confront a paradox: how a work born of destruction and conflict can, decades later, serve as a reminder of resilience, solidarity, and the enduring human longing for peace. Prokofiev’s Seventh Sonata does not offer easy comfort—instead, it challenges us to listen to the sounds of war and imagine, all the more vividly, the peace that must follow.
The final piece in the Visions of Peace program is Alberto Ginastera’s Concerto For Strings, Op. 33 IV. Finale. Ginastera, widely considered to be Argentina’s most revered classical composer, was deeply involved in promoting and developing his nation’s musical life. Among Ginastera’s most important chamber works is his String Quartet No. 2, composed in 1958. In 1965, Ginastera orchestrated the quartet into the virtuosic Concerto per Corde, Op. 33 (“Concerto for Strings”), premiered the following year by the Philadelphia Orchestra. The Finale Furioso featured in this concert is a relentless, fierce movement of perpetual motion, blazing with rhythmic verve and masterfully crafted for the string instruments that drive its obsessive, wild dance.
The Sphinx Virtuosi Fall 2025 tour also includes appearances with cellist Sterling Elliott at Zoellner Arts Center on October 3, 2025; Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on October 5, 2025; University of North Carolina – Wilmington on October 8, 2025; Brevard Music Center on October 10, 2025; Philadelphia Chamber Music Society on October 16, 2025; Carnegie Hall on October 17, 2025; Shriver Hall Concert Series on October 19, 2025; Chamber Music Pittsburgh on October 21, 2025; Cleveland Institute of Music on October 22, 2025; Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on October 25, 2025; and the Westminster Performing Arts Series on October 28, 2025.
In Spring 2026, Sphinx Virtuosi continues their tour of Visions of Peace, starting with the Candler Concert Series at Emory University’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts on February 19, 2026, featuring cellist Sterling Elliott. For the rest of the Spring tour, Sphinx Virtuosi is joined by violinist Randall Goosby at venues including University of Georgia on February 21, 2026; Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University on February 24, 2026; Opening Nights at Florida State University on February 26, 2026; Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis on March 5, 2026; Segerstrom Center for the Arts, presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County on March 11, 2026; Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara on March 12, 2026; and Colburn School on March 15, 2026.
From January 21 to January 24, 2026, in Detroit, MI, Sphinx will host the 29th Annual Sphinx Competition, a national competition for string musicians that transforms lives by celebrating artistic talent, providing career advancement opportunities, and addressing systemic obstacles within Black and Latino communities. Finalists in both divisions have the opportunity to perform with the professional Sphinx Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Panamanian-American conductor Kalena Bovell (recipient of the 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence). Finalists are comprised of top professionals from around the country, and compete for a total of more than $100,000 in prizes, including the top Robert Frederick Smith Prize. All semi-finalists and finalists have access to scholarships and fine instruments through the Sphinx Music Assistance Fund.
From January 22-24, 2026, Sphinx brings back the largest and longest-standing global convening dedicated to excellence and inclusion in classical music, SphinxConnect: Discover! This convening brings together musicians, educators, arts entrepreneurs, advocates, administrators, funders, and students for an enriching experience. With dynamic sessions designed to inspire, ignite action, and foster collaboration, attendees will hear from more than distinguished speakers, including keynote addresses by industry luminaries and trailblazers.
To reduce barriers to access, SphinxConnect: Discover! will offer both in-person and virtual attendance options, with sessions being streamed, recorded, and uploaded to YouTube following the convening (unless noted otherwise in the schedule). SphinxConnect will take place at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. This year’s conference will feature plenary appearances by Imani Winds and other guest speakers, to be announced soon.
Sphinx Virtuosi 2025-2026 Season Calendar
Program Unless Otherwise Listed:
José White Lafitte – La Bella Cubana
Clarice Assad – Selections from Impressions (II. Fusion, Dança Brasileira, and IV. Precision, Perpetual Motion)
Jessie Montgomery – Chemiluminescence [New York Philharmonic and Bravo! Vail Co-Commission]
William Grant Still – Suite for Violin or Cello and String Orchestra [Arranged by Randall Goosby; NWS/Carnegie Co-Commission]
Quenton Blache – Visions of Peace [NWS/Carnegie Co-Commission]
Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 Stalingrad [Arranged for string orchestra by Rubén Rengel]
Alberto Ginastera – Concerto For Strings, Op. 33 IV. Finale
Friday, October 3, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Zoellner Arts Center Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Zoellner Arts Center | Bethlehem, PA
Link: zoellner.cas.lehigh.edu/content/sphinx-virtuosi
Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum | Boston, MA
Link: www.gardnermuseum.org/calendar/sphinx-virtuosi-10.5.25
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at 7:30 PM
University of North Carolina – Wilmington Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Kenan Auditorium | Wilmington, NC
Link: uncwarts.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=2100
Friday, October 10, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Brevard Music Center Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Brevard Music Center | Brevard, NC
Link: https://secured.brevardmusic.org/1773
Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Perelman Theater | Philadelphia, PA
Link: www.pcmsconcerts.org/concerts/sphinx-virtuosi-elliott/#
Friday, October 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Carnegie Hall Presents Sphinx Virtuosi, Visions of Peace
Carnegie Hall | New York, NY
Link: www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2025/10/17/Sphinx-Virtuosi-0700PM
Program:
José White Lafitte – La Bella Cubana
Clarice Assad – Perpetual Motion
Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 Stalingrad [Arranged for string orchestra by Rubén Rengel]
Quenton Blache – Visions of Peace [NY Premiere; co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall]
William Grant Still – Suite for Violin and Orchestra [arr. for cello and orchestra by Randall Goosby] [NY Premiere]
Alberto Ginastera – Concerto For Strings, Op. 33 IV. Finale
Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Shriver Hall Concert Series Presents Sphinx Virtuosi & Sterling Elliot
Shriver Hall | Baltimore, MD
Link: www.shriverconcerts.org/sphinx
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Chamber Music Pittsburgh Presents Sphinx Virtuosi with Sterling Elliott
Carnegie Music Hall | Pittsburgh, PA
Link: www.chambermusicpittsburgh.org/25-26-mainstage-sphinx-virtuosi-w-sterling-eliott/
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Cleveland Institute of Music Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Cleveland Institute of Music | Cleveland, OH
Link: https://www.cim.edu/concerts-events/perspectives-sphinx-virtuosi
Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Forllinger Great Hall | Urbana, IL
Link: www.krannertcenter.com/events/sphinx-virtuosi
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Westminster Performing Arts Series Presents Sphinx Virtuosi
Westminster Presbyterian Church | Minneapolis, MN
Link: westminstermpls.org/WPAS
Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Candler Concert Series: Sphinx Virtuosi with Sterling Elliott, cello
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts at Emory University | Atlanta, GA
Link: schwartz.emory.edu/sphinx-virtuosi
Saturday, February 21, 2026 at 7:30 PM
University of Georgia Presents Sphinx Virtuosi & Randall Goosby, violin
Ramsey Concert Hall | Athens, GA
Link: Sphinx Virtuosi – UGA Performing Arts Center
→ Continue reading at NYS Music
