February 25, 2005

Sphinx partners with Wayne State to bring music education to Detroit youth

Detroit, MI - The Sphinx Preparatory Music Institute, founded by the Sphinx Organization to help Detroit youth pursue well-rounded training in music and instrumental performance, began sessions at Wayne State University\'s Department of Music on February 5th. \"We are delighted to collaborate in the Sphinx Preparatory Music Institute/Wayne State University Department of Music Partnership,\" states Professor Dennis J. Tini, Chair. \"The Sphinx Program is to be commended for its advocacy, training and development of African American and Latino musicians. We look forward to our initiative in support of these tremendously talented students and our Community/University affiliation.\"

The institute for youths between the ages of 12 and 18 holds Saturday classes in Music History and Instrumental Performance. Detroit students at the beginning and intermediate levels playing string, woodwinds, brass, percussion and piano are encouraged to apply. The newly launched institute was made possible with an initial grant from The Skillman Foundation and lead corporate sponsor the Ford Motor Company Fund with additional support from McGregor Fund, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, Comerica Charitable Foundation and BankOne.

Founded in 1918, the Wayne State University Department of Music has earned a reputation for artistic and academic excellence in the U.S. and abroad. Part of the University\'s College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts, the Department is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. WSU Music attracts students regionally, nationally and globally, currently enrolling over 350 majors. Students in the Department\'s ensembles have won international competitions, toured Europe and Asia, and enjoyed repeated invitations to perform at major festivals and conferences.

The Department offers 14 degree concentrations and supports 16 full-time and over 60 adjunct faculty, which include renowned jazz artists, composers, scholars, educators and members of the internationally acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The Department collaborates with Michigan\'s finest professional musical institutions, including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Michigan Opera Theatre and the Chamber Music Society of Detroit. Alumni have gone on to careers in distinguished orchestras, ensembles and as soloists and music educators the world over. WSU Music\'s state-of-the-art facilities, which include a new recording studio and 160-seat recital hall, are located in the heart of Detroit\'s University Cultural Center.

The Sphinx Organization is the national non-profit organization that is committed to building diversity in classical music through year-round programming in arts education, awareness and presentation. Sphinx has four main programming areas: Artist Development which focuses on providing professional opportunities for young artists and encompasses the annual Sphinx Competition for young Black and Latino string players, the Sphinx Symphony and Sphinx Quartet, as well as our three main scholarship initiatives (Music Assistance Fund, Instrument Fund, and Summer Education Program); the Sphinx Performance Academy (SPA) at Walnut Hill School which offers intensive summer training to aspiring Black and Latino musicians ages 12-17; the Sphinx Preparatory Music Institute which provides Detroit area youths with yearlong classes in performance and music history; and Classical Connections which helps teachers implement music education in schools nationwide.

Major support of the Sphinx Organization has been provided by: University of Michigan, J.P. Morgan Chase, National Endowment for the Arts, MASCO Corporation Foundation, American Express, BellSouth, GMAC Financial Services, SBC, Ruth Mott Foundation, and Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

For additional information about Sphinx Prep, contact Michelle May, Dean of Sphinx Prep, at 313-877-9100 ext. 117, michelle@sphinxmusic.org, or visit the Sphinx Web site at www.sphinxmusic.org.