Sphinx Virtuosi tenure becomes transformative for three Chicago artists

Beginning in 1997 with the establishment of the Sphinx Competition, the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization has played a leading role in promoting the participation of Blacks and Latinos in classical music through multiple programs and initiatives.

Its efforts have gained considerably more attention in the aftermath of the 2020 death of an African-American man, George Floyd, by a white Minneapolis police officer and the intensive discussions around equity and diversity in the classical-music world that have followed.

Among the most prominent components of the organization is the 21-year-old Sphinx Virtuosi, a self-conducted chamber orchestra consisting of 18 top-level Black and Latino artists from across the United States.

It typically undertakes two tours each season, with its second such itinerary in 2024-25 beginning Feb. 22 at Michigan State University in East Lansing and concluding April 5 at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, with a two-week break about midway through.

As part of that tour, the Sphinx Virtuosi will make a Feb. 25 stop at Orchestra Hall, for a Symphony Center Presents Featured Concert. Sphinx typically presents works by historically excluded composers and contemporary creators of colors, and this program will be no exception.

It will feature famed pianist Awadagin Pratt, who will make his Sphinx Virtuosi debut performing Jessie Montgomery’s piano concerto Rounds, which was featured on a disc that won a 2024 Grammy Award for best contemporary classical composition. Sphinx percussionist Josh Jones will serve as the featured soloist for Curtis Stewart’s Drill Concerto for Prepared Drum Set and Strings, which was commissioned for the Sphinx Virtuosi.

Another highlight will be the Overture from Scott Joplin’s long-neglected 1911 opera, Treemonisha, which did not receive its first complete performance until 1972. Featured here will be an arrangement by Jannina Norpoth and Montgomery, the CSO’s Mead Composer-in-Residence in 2021-2024.

Also on the program are Levi Taylor’s Daydreaming (A Fantasy on Scott Joplin); Derrick Skye’s American Mirror, Part 1; Selections from Teresa Carreño’s Serenade for Strings, and Juantio Becenti’s Hané for String Quartet.

Here’s a look at the three members of the Sphinx Virtuosi who reside in Chicago:

Josh Jones, 33, percussion and featured soloist

About a week before the Sphinx Virtuosi were set to perform in Carnegie Hall in October, Jones got a call asking if could fill in for the featured percussionist who was unable to perform. It meant learning the solo part for a concerto in a week. “It was challenging, but I’m glad they called me and trusted me enough to be able to pull that off,” he said. Indeed, things went so well that the Virtuosi asked him to return for its winter-spring tour. “I’ve never been on tour before, let alone be a featured soloist on a tour, so I’m happy to do it as many times as they want me to,” he said.

Jones, who received his first drum set at age 3, got important early training through the CSO’s Percussion Scholarship Program, which offers weekly percussion instruction for Chicago youth in grades 4-12. It is overseen by CSO percussion Patricia Dash and Lyric Opera Orchestra assistant principal percussion Douglas Waddell through the Negaunee Music Institute. “That whole program is incredible,"  Jones said. “They basically teach you everything you need to know for a classical percussion career. I always tell them that I owe them my life, because I really feel that way.”

He became the program’s first alumnus to gain a professional orchestral position when he was appointed as principal percussionist of the Calgary (Alberta) Philharmonic Orchestra for two years. He now holds the same position with the summertime Grant Park Orchestra in Chicago and serves as a substitute for a wide range of ensembles, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera Orchestra.

Jones hopes to land another full-time position, perhaps playing with an orchestra or teaching at a university. “I’m open to all avenues,” he said.

Lindsey Sharpe, 27, cello

After taking part for several years in the Sphinx Orchestral Partners Auditions, which functions as a competition and also gives participants exposure to representatives from orchestras and festivals across the country, Lindsey Sharpe joined the Sphinx Virtuosi in 2023-24. “It’s one of the most satisfying experiences that I have had as a musician, because we have the most agency over what we do as performers,” she said. “We are self-led in concerts, obviously, but all our rehearsals are also self-led, so every musical decision that we make comes from us. It’s very democratic. Everybody’s voice can be heard.”

Raised in Atlanta, Sharpe came to Chicago in 2021 to play with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a nationally known pre-professional training orchestra that operates under the Negaunee Music Institute at the CSO. “I played in Civic for three years, and I loved that experience and have so many good things to say about it,” she said.

After her tenure was over, she has remained in the city, performing with a range of groups, including the Chicago Sinfonietta, and teaching privately. She also serves remotely as an account coordinator for 8VA Musical Consultancy, a marketing and public relations firm in the classical-music realm. What does the future hold for her? “That’s such a great question,” she said. “I’m not sure I sure I know, and I’m OK with that.” 

Caitlin Edwards, 29, violin

Edwards grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and got her first taste of playing the violin as a third grader through that city’s Music Opportunity Program, which, among other things, provides group string lessons to elementary-school children. “I was eager to do it, because I was able to get out of regular class, and it piqued my interest. I’ve always loved music,” Edwards said.

She came to Chicago in 2017 to pursue a master of music degree at DePaul University and a fellowship with the Chicago Sinfonietta. She continues to make the city her home, engaging in a multitude of activities. These include performing with D-Composed, a Black chamber-music collective that was formed in 2017 as an outlet to play music by African-American composers. “Now it’s evolved into a group where we’ve traveled internationally, and we perform all over the city, collaborating with different artists and musicians,” she said.

Edwards is in her third season with the Virtuosi, and she is enjoying the experience. “I love being on the road,” she said. “I love traveling, and it’s a great group of folks.” She is especially excited that the ensemble is coming to her hometown, and she has invited as many local friends and colleagues as possible to attend.