Anthony Elliott, winner of the Emanuel Feuermann International Cello Competition in 1987 and the first African-American appointed to a principal position in a major symphony orchestra, provides another perspective. Growing up in upstate New York, the schools Elliott attended had good music programs, but no cello instruction. As a result, he played other instruments until he was 16 years old and finally found a cello teacher, but getting to his lessons involved a long commute.
“It was not an easy road,” he admits. To Elliott, now a cello professor at UM, Sphinx holds the promise of profound change in the world of classical music.
“Aaron and Sphinx have been amazing in what they’ve accomplished,” says Elliott, who has been involved with the organization since its inception. “The task is Herculean, but the progress is unprecedented. It will be very different for today’s young musicians than it was for us. Because of Sphinx, they will not have to make this journey alone.”
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