Sphinx Competition announces winners

Florence Lockheart
Monday, January 30, 2023

Violinist Njioma Chinyere Grievous won the senior division, while cellist Brandon Leonard received first prize in the junior division

(Left to right) Second prize winner Alejandra Switala; third prize winner Dillon Scott and first prize winner Njioma Chinyere Grievous (Image courtesy of the Sphinx Competition)
(Left to right) Second prize winner Alejandra Switala; third prize winner Dillon Scott and first prize winner Njioma Chinyere Grievous (Image courtesy of the Sphinx Competition)

Detroit’s Sphinx Competition has announced the winners of its 2023 senior and junior divisions. Violinist Njioma Chinyere Grievous was crowned winner of the senior division, while cellist Brandon Leonard won first prize in the junior division.

Grievous will receive the competition’s Robert Frederick Smith Prize, worth $50,000, as well as performance opportunities with major orchestras. Grievous was also chosen as the winner of the competition’s $5,000 Audience Prize. The senior division second prize of $20,000 went to violinist Alejandra Switala, and the competitions third prize of $10,000 was awarded to violist Dillon Scott.

Upon completing her undergraduate studies at New York’s Juilliard School, Grievous was awarded the John Erskine Prize. Her other accolades include first prize for Performance and Interpretation in the 2018 Prix Ravel chamber music competition and a Music Academy of the West Keston-Max Fellowship which saw her work with the London Symphony Orchestra. Grievous is also a member of theaward-winning Abeo Quartet.

The junior division second prize of $5,000 was awarded to violinist Gabriela Salvador Riera, while the $3,000 third prize went to cellist Vincent Garcia-Hettinger.

The Sphinx Competition ran from 25-28 January and is held annually by the Sphinx Organization which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. The competition aims to offer young Black and Latinx classical string players a chance to perform with and receive mentorship from professional musicians. All semi-finalists and finalists will be supported with scholarships and instruments through the Sphinx Music Assistance Fund.

Finalists performed with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, the Organization’s all Black and Latinx orchestra, for a panel of judges including cellist Zuill Bailey; double bassist Joseph Conyers; violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez; cellist Patrice Jackson; violinist Jennifer Koh; Michael Kondziolka, vice president of programming and production at the University of Michigan and Detroit Symphony Orchestra president and CEO, Erik Ronmark.