The musicians of the Sphinx Virtuosi strode onto the Harris Theater stage Sunday afternoon with a stylish swagger that betrayed the exuberance of their music.  A chamber orchestra without a conductor, the Sphinx is made up of alumni of the national Sphinx Competition for young Black and Latino string players.  The Detroit-based Sphinx Organization has been promoting ethnic diversity in American orchestral music for 15 years while producing top-rate musicians, some of whom were on display in a program perfectly designed to showcase their virtuosity and youthful energy. 

In what would be a stylistic trademark throughout the concert, the Sphinx attacked the Allegro of Bartok’s Divertimento for Strings with rhythmic precision and a strong sense of spirit.  The furious string playing gave way to the delicate viola opening of Bach’s Ricercare in six voices from the Musical Offering.  Though the ensemble exhibited a fine awareness of balance throughout one of the most complex fugues Bach ever wrote, it had to compete with a few noisy latecomers. 

In his “Last Round for Two String Quarets and Doublebass,” Osvaldo Golijov displays his dual affections for Bach and Astor Piazzolla, striking a balance of complex texture and tango rhythms.  Again, the Sphinx musicians rose to the challenges as if they had been playing nothing but tangos throughout their young careers.  Facing each other on stage, the two quartets danced and traded punches, approximating the tense strains of the bandoneon over Eric Thompson’s sturdy pulse in the bass. 

Sharing the stage with the Sphinx Virtuosi was a trio of young soloists who raised the caliber of the whole program in three pieces.  Joining the Sphinx chamber orchestra, violinist Alexandra Switala infused Vivaldi’s “Summer,” from the Four Seasons with unabashed emotion and technical acuity.  Violinist Randall Goosby and cellist Gabriel Cabezas traded solo turns in the Passacaglia for Violin and Cello by Handel and Halvorsen.  Though the cello overpowered the violin in this performance, both musicians showed off masterful articulation and a sense of drama.  Goosby returned to perform Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s “Jettin’ Blues” from Blue/s Forms, a piece for solo violin that includes motifs of American blues.  

In a program of overflowing energy, the Catalyst Quartet—another branch of the Sphinx Organization—performed single movements from the second quartets of Michael Nyman and Alberto Ginastera, each with relentless rhythmic force. 

The entire ensemble returned for the final movement of Schubert’s quartet, Death and the Maiden, arranged for string orchestra by Mahler.  A blistering piece as a quartet, the galloping speed poses a greater challenge in a larger group; the Sphinx showcased yet again their impressive ensemble work and articulation. 

For all the up-tempo music on the afternoon’s concert, one wanted a chance to take a breath with an occasional adagio, but it’s hard to fault a program for what it is not.  The audience left with the impression of some highly talented, confident, and stylish young musicians.  In many ways, the Sphinx Organization is a response to the oft-maligned image of classical music as stodgy, old, elitist, and white.  If Sunday’s concert was any indication of the future, we music lovers will have plenty of reason to applaud.