Sphinx Virtuosi and the Catalyst Quartet

Program: Viajes Latinos (Latin voyages) In this program you will hear the Sphinx Virtuosi and the Catalyst Quartet perform Libertango (Astor Piazzolla), Metro Chabacano (Javier Álvarez Fuentes), Prélude Ibérique (César Espejo), Bachianas Brasileiras, Aria no. 5 (Heitor Villa-Lobos), La Muerte del Ángel (Astor Piazzolla), Last Round (Osvaldo Golijov), and Finale Furioso from Concerto per Corde, op. 33 (Alberto Ginastera). The Sphinx Virtuosi, led by the Catalyst Quartet, is one of the nation’s most dynamic professional chamber orchestras. Eighteen of the nation’s top Black and Latinx classical soloists—all alumni of the internationally renowned Sphinx Competition—come together each fall to reach new audiences as cultural ambassadors. The New York Times raved about this unique ensemble’s debut at Carnegie Hall in December 2004. Describing the performance as “first-rate in every way,” Allan Kozinn noted that “the ensemble produced a more beautiful, precise, and carefully shaped sound than some fully professional orchestras that come through Carnegie Hall in the course of the year.” This concert was held at the National Gallery of Art on Saturday, October 8, 2016.