Tony Rymer, a nineteen-year-old cellist from Boston, is the winner of the Sphinx Organization’s twelfth annual competition for young black and Latino string players. Rymer, who studies at New England Conservatory, won the competition based on his performance of the fourth movement of the Elgar Cello Concerto on February 1 at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit, where Sphinx is based. Rymer was chosen from among nineteen semifinalists, who all receive scholarships to help support their musical development and are eligible for full scholarships to summer and higher education programs. In addition to receiving a $10,000 prize and a one-year contract for career management, Rymer will have the opportunity to perform as soloist with a number of symphony orchestras and record a CD on the Naxos record label. Rymer’s previous awards include first prize in the New England String Ensemble Competition in 2007 and From The Top’s Jack Kent Cook Young Artist Award. The Sphinx Organization was established in 1996 by Aaron Dworkin to increase black and Latino participation in the field of classical music, bring music education to underserved communities, and to promote the creation, performance, and preservation of works by black and Latino composers.
Photo of Tony Rymer by Glenn Triest
