The Sphinx Organization has announced three recipients of its 2014 Medals of Excellence: Carla Dirlikov; Pedrito Martinez, and Damien Sneed. Each of the three will each receive a $50,000 scholarship for career development, and be honored at an award ceremony and dinner on March 19 in Washington, D.C. The Sphinx awards honor “artists of color who demonstrate artistic excellence, outstanding work ethic, a spirit of determination, and great potential for leadership.” Dirlikov, a mezzo-soprano, works with orphaned and poverty-stricken youth in Mexico, in addition to maintaining an active recital and opera career. Martinez, a percussionist and bandleader originally from Cuba, currently leads the New York City-based Pedrito Martinez Group, which performs Afro-Cuban Rumba, Yoruba, and Santeria, among other musical styles. Sneed is a pianist, composer, conductor, arranger, and lecturer in classical, jazz, gospel, Broadway, and other styles. The Sphinx Organization was founded in 1996 by violinist Aaron Dworkin to encourage the participation of blacks and Latinos in the field of classical music.
Posted January 6, 2014
Pictured: Carla Dirlikov, one of three winners of the Sphinx Organization’s 2014 Medals of Excellence
