United States ‘American Dialogues 250’ – Various: J’Nai Bridges (mezzo-soprano), Rubén Rengel (violin), Amaryn Olmeda (violin), Sphinx Virtuosi. Carnegie Hall, New York. 16.10.2026. (DS)
Rubén Rengel – Encuentro (world premiere)
Rachel McFarlane – American Dialogue
Stravinsky – Concerto in D for String Orchestra, ‘Basle’
Kreisler – Recitativo und Scherzo-Caprice, Op.6
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson – Louisiana Blues Strut: A Cakewalk
Jessie Montgomery – Banner
Damien Geter/Aaron Dworkin – ‘Declaration’
Opportunity, momentum, artistic flair: these words encapsulate the spirit of the Sphinx Organization. In its 30th year, this non-profit arts organization continues to clear pathways to orchestral opportunities and top performances for young professional musicians of color.
At this year’s annual gala performance at Carnegie Hall, pride in their work abounded. The Sphinx Virtuosi performers – string players who each have their individual soloistic styles but join together in a small orchestral ensemble – displayed their brand of joyful inclusivity and dynamic expression in this exhilarating fall musical tradition.
Founders Afa and Aaron Dworkin offered brief yet poignant remarks, and actor Delroy Lindo received an honorary award. As they do each year, the organization presented a slick new video highlighting its outreach and the support of prominent figures in the music world, including Yo-Yo Ma. Impressive and necessary, Sphinx continues to expand the definition of equity in an increasingly constricted arts landscape. Without question, one leaves a Sphinx Virtuosi performance with a feeling of love for musical expression that transcends all backgrounds.
No better way to show this than with the fiery energy that the musicians bring to the stage. The evening highlighted two major soloists whose careers ascended from the Sphinx circle. Concert violinist Rubén Rengel opened with his own composition, Encuentro, which set the bar high both in technical acumen and versatility – he shifted with refinement between Kreisleresque turns and Grappeli-like melodic swings.
Amaryn Olmeda, an alum of the program whose concert career is surging, was also featured. She played with a nimble touch, drawing a lyrical, mature voice from her violin while revealing a playful side through powdery ricochets and biting accents. Her Kreisler was enrapturing, but the real standout was Perkinson’s Louisiana Blues Strut: A Cakewalk which showcased the storytelling magic she can conjure with her instrument.
Sphinx concerts also serve as an important platform for rising and established composers. Many were present and joined the musicians on the stage for a spirited bow at the end. Jessie Montgomery’s Banner was an apt choice for the program’s theme: ‘American Dialogues 250’. The Virtuosi performed it with vigor and carried off the dissolving sounds midway so well that they had a melting effect.
The Virtuosi were ablaze in Rachel McFarlane’s American Dialogue which opens with strident swift passages and shifts into nostalgic moods that gave way to urgent tumult – ending in an optimistic, expansive major key. To demonstrate their deft ensemble playing, they chose Stravinsky’s Concerto in D – a rather standard sounding concerto grosso which they imbued with intensity and a blending of smooth tones that brought life to a work that was Stravinsky’s first composition as an American.
The audience for Sphinx Concerts is one of the few that brings a complete range of ages into Carnegie Hall. Groups of teenagers who listened attentively could be spotted across the orchestra seats. The final work, ‘Declaration’ by Damien Geter, felt most apt to land on their ears. The lyrics by Aaron Dworkin were encouraging, full of reminders of past resilience as well as calls to the future to soar and to reach for belonging. Guest soloist and mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges sang the part with heartfelt gravitas as her deep, rounded vocalizations meandered between emotional peaks and valleys.
Daniele Sahr