Sphinx Virtuosi

Artistry meets invention with the Sphinx Virtuosi. One of the most talked-about classical ensembles working today, the self-conducted Sphinx players serve up “immeasurable power, unwavering command, and soulful beauty” (The Washington Post) while offering a fresh, unique approach to programming.

The America250 concert combines many inspirations of the American melting pot with “classically-framed infusions” of spirituals, patriotic songs, blues, and Latin dance. Ever curious and always adventuresome, the Sphinx Virtuosi bring with them a new piece by Rachel McFarlane, a young composer of film and video game music. The program includes music by Latin GRAMMY-winner Roberto Sierra, juxtaposed with a Blues movement by the Frenchman Maurice Ravel, written in 1923 after hearing American jazz. The Virtuosi wrap things up with the vivacious Concerto in D for String Orchestra (1946), composed in Hollywood by the 20th-century giant Igor Stravinsky, shortly after he became an American citizen.