Sphinx Chamber Orchestra Tour

Initially, I was a little concerned about joining the orchestra half-way through the tour. Not only had I missed the first rehearsals, but I had missed a lot of the bonding experiences that often times take place in the beginning. But as I've found throughout the past week of this tour, there is really no definite beginning or ending to the friendships that evolve at Sphinx. Old friendships ignite immediately as if no time had ever passed, and new friendships emerge as if they had always existed.

The first concert I played in was slightly ethereal to me. I felt so privileged to be able to share a stage with such talented, dedicated musicians. As a music school drop-out and aspiring pediatrician, my relationship with music is still in the process of redefining itself. I am thrilled to find that my fellow Sphinx members are supportive of my transition from music to medicine, yet inspiring enough to keep me hooked on music! This has not always been the case in other situations.

So, I think that my favorite piece on our program would have to be the Abels, followed closely by the Piazzolla and Gavilan. In addition to the fresh and innovative composition of these pieces, the soloists are just phenomenal!

Bus rides have been as pleasant as bus rides can be. I've had a good mixture of letter-writing, introspection, M&M-eating, movie-watching, conversing, health department work, and Sudoku. Fairly productive, really! Not to mention, some of the sights in the Northeast have been absolutely breathtaking.

Yoga has been a real treat! Taking an hour out in the day for focus and relaxation is exactly what I've been needing. Thanks, Kaila! Speaking of treats, our hosts have been so great to us! Eastman and Rockefeller even fed us lunch, which was greatly appreciated. We are all grateful for your hospitality.

Okay, so I promised to put pictures I've taken in this post, but I think I will just put one or two up for now. The rest will come in a picture post later on.

- Vivian

Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York

It is Monday, September 28th, and we are on our way to Rochester, NY on out longest bus trip yet--14 hours door-to-door! As I write with blood-shot eyes, I recall that our performance last night at North Carolina A&T University was one of our best performances yet. The crowd, though small, was extremely receptive and gave us a lot of suport with a standing O at both the end of the first and second half. So far it has been the case where, no matter what the size of the audience, or what their initial vibe is like when we begin the
concert, we always manage to bring them to their feet at the end.
Personally, this is
my first time experiencing this in succession and I have to say, it's a big motivator knowing that the audiences are most of all in support of our music and our mission.

On to the conservatory audience in Rochester! I'm looking forward to seeing old friends from Eastman and being back in my home state! For now, its back to catching some more Z's

-Jessie Montgomery

Hello again, friends and family of Sphinx...
I apologize in advance for both the questionable grammar and lack of substance in this segment -- we arrived in Rochester a few hours ago after a 14-hour bus trip; needless to say, my brain is - understandably - mushy! Although I'm sure many of my Sphinx family members would fervently dispute my stance on this, I personally had a lovely time on the bus ride up from Greensboro, North Carolina. Unlike last year, where double-digit-hour bus rides became part of the routine early on in the tour, this was our first, so there was some question as to how the group this year would fare. As for me, I enjoyed multiple snoozes, a viewing of Slumdog Millionaire, and the opportunity to be alone with my thoughts for a few hours. There's something about the slow hum of moving vehicles that makes me feel at peace, and gives my mind the opportunity to wander at its own leisure. The later hours of the trip also provided absolutely gorgeous scenery -- the first traces of autumn have begun to coat the Northeast, and the evening light bathed the sprawling fields and trees in the most beautiful golden glow. It was a lovely backdrop for what was, for me, an already very cozy trip with my beloved Sphinxies.
It goes without saying that this has been a wonderful musical experience, just as it was last year. While the schedule itself has been much more vigorous last year (almost double the amount of performances and venue changes) and thus the risk of burning out has become more imminent, the sense of comaraderie is at its usual high. It has been a somewhat difficult last few weeks for me, personally, and I can't thank my family members here enough for having my back. My roommate, Melissa, has been an unspeakably patient friend, listening to me blather on incessantly, and the smiles of everyone in the orchestra and the Harlem Quartet are a constant reminder that I am amongst a very, very special group of people.
So, though this entry is admittedly a little light on the musical/tour-related content, I would just like to express, once again, how grateful I am to be a part of all of this. When I step back and think about how Sphinx and all of its many components is helping the world, I am left speechless at the fact that I am allowed to contribute to it in some small way. So thank you, everyone, and to the orchestra/HQ: so many thanks and hugs for all the music, support, and love!
Elena

I feel terrible that I haven't written anything on this blog yet, especially considering how much I've been chattering about the Sphinx tour to anyone who will listen! The past few weeks have become one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had, musically and otherwise. Every Sphinx event that I've been a part of since 2003 has been full of laughs, great hangs, and such awesome people, and this tour has been no exception. I always tell everyone (from newspaper interviewers to concert audience members to other musician friends who are curious as to what Sphinx is all about) that Sphinx is like a family. To be honest, I feel like this tour has taken that sentiment to a completely new level. True, whenever there's been a gathering of Sphinxies, whether it's been at the competition itself, at a Carnegie gala, or at a concert in another city to which members of the devoted staff have traveled to support their laureates, there's always that "family reuinion" feeling -- TONS of hugs and catching up, even if you'd only met a member of the Sphinx family once before. Obviously, living in such close proximity to the other SCO members has played a huge part in bringing us closer -- we've partied together in our PJs, explored middle America in all its red-state grandeur, braved some nauseatingly long bus rides -- and, for the most part, we've been laughing and happy the whole time (at least I have!). But it was an incident that wasn't so positive that made me realize how truly special this group of people is, and that no matter how well we all knew each other before, these will be ties that would be tough to break, post-tour...a lot like family.
Five of our members got in an awful car accident the night after our concert in Granville, Ohio. I had left my phone in my room that night while a group of us were taking advantage of Granville's GORGEOUS hotel's hot tub, but when I returned at whatever ridiculous hour we had all decided we were appropriately pruney, I had two texts from Melissa explaining the car wreck. My heart SANK...it was one of the scariest things I had ever felt; I can only imagine what the five people in the car had felt. I won't describe the accident in further detail because it still makes my stomach drop every time I think about it, but thinking about my precious little Melissa, and the other four people in that car...AAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH. Awful. When Melissa finally got back to the hotel at 6 a.m., I felt what I can only assume a parent would feel in a situation like that -- the most unbelievable relief and love. She told me all about the accident, and we were giggling about the fact that (no matter how silly) we were so unbelievably lucky to have another chance to play our national anthem together. A few days later, onstage during our concert in Detroit, I was looking around at the orchestra around me, and I couldn't believe how lucky I felt to be playing with such amazingly special, kind people, and I starting tearing up thinking about what could have potentially happened a few nights earlier. Cliche or not, things can happen in a flash (and music always has a way of giving things a heightened intimacy/sentimentality), and I am so relieved and thankful that everyone in the Sphinx family is okay and we can play two more amazing concerts together.
This has become astoundingly sappy -- I apologize! Meanwhile, I am battling bronchitis -- so convenient that it set in two days before the Carnegie concert! Oh well, I really can't complain; it's been a lovely few weeks and I will be EXTREMELY sad to see it end. Thanks for dealing with this cheesy post...but then again, this is from a girl who has started listening to Christmas carols already!
love,
Elena