Sphinx Organization Hosts 2024 SphinxConnect Conference 

Focused on diversity and inclusion in classical music, the conference will be held from January 24–27, 2024

Dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the classical music industry, Sphinx Organization’s SphinxConnect conference is an annual gathering of hundreds of musicians, industry leaders, educators, funders, diversity advocates, and administrators.

Titled “SphinxConnect: Amplify,” the 2024 conference will feature 30 sessions, presentations, and hundreds of speakers — in addition to the Sphinx Orchestral Partners Auditions (SOPA) and the 27th Sphinx Competition.

The second round of SOPA will be held on January 24, in which Black and Latinx orchestral candidates will audition for a panel representing several orchestras seeking musicians for audition invitations, pre-advancement, and/or placement on substitute player lists. Additionally, cash prizes range from $250 to $3,500.

Held at Michigan’s Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, the conference will begin on January 25. The opening plenary is an interview between National Endowment for the Arts chair Maria Rosario Jackson and Sphinx’s founder, Aaron Dworkin; the closing plenary will feature composer, pianist, educator Arturo O'Farrill interviewed by pianist and activist Lara Downes. 

Topics across the weekend will include leadership, dismantling systemic inequality, career development, fundraising, transparency, and outcomes of diversity. 

Panelists include leaders from the Metropolitan Opera, League of American Orchestras, LA Phil, and APAP — plus artists including Shawn E. Okpebholo, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and Tamar-kali, among others. 

On January 27, Sphinx will host the final round of the 2024 Sphinx Competition. The jury comprises Joseph Conyers, Randall Goosby, Seth Parker Woods, Alasdair Tait, George Taylor, Elena Urioste, and John Zion.

Finalists in both the Junior and Senior divisions will perform with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra (SSO), and compete for nearly $100,000 in prizes. All semi-finalists and finalists will have access to scholarships and instruments through the Sphinx Music Assistance Fund.

“SphinxConnect: Amplify” will operate on a Choose What You Pay model. Most sessions will also be live-streamed through a virtual platform to those who attend virtually.

For the full program schedule and to register, click here.