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The Sphinx Organization: Diversity and Fostering NewAudiences

Each summer I serve as the Artistic Director of the Festival Del Sole in the NapaValley, which I co-founded in 2! with "ic# $al#er% I&' Artists serves as the

E(ecutive )roducer% *he Festival features the +reatest musicians and artists fromaround the world today% ulinary and wine events are held throu+hout the day,includin+ spectacular dinners at our partner wineries%

Festival Del Sole is a +lamorous event that attracts the est and the ri+htest fromSan Francisco, the .ay Area and eyond% /ur patrons and winery partners arededicated and vocal supporters of not only the Festival ut also the +oal of rin+in+the arts to the Napa Valley% *his summer0s Festival featured not only suchdistin+uished artists as 1oshua .ell and )inchas u#erman, ut also star chefs&ichael hiarello and )iero Selva++io and le+endary actors Sophia 3oren, "oert"edford and $hoopi 'older+%

*his past summer, the Festival decided that it was time to invite an or+ani4ationthat promotes positive chan+e in the arts and reco+ni4es the need for uildin+future audiences5 the Sphin( /r+ani4ation 6www%sphin(music%or+7% Dr% AaronDwor#in is the or+ani4ation0s Founder and )resident% 8e was )resident /ama0s 9rstappointment to the National ouncil on the Arts% Sphin( promotes the inclusion ofAfrican-American and 3atino musicians in performin+ arts or+ani4ations across thecountry% Sphin( has formed the Sphin( /rchestra, which is the only orchestracomprised solely of African-American and 3atino musicians%

Barrett Wissman:The Sphinx Organization

/ver the past couple of years, I ecame increasin+ly distured y the very

prominent fall from +race of several once-heralded astions of the arts includin+ the&innesota /rchestra, the Atlanta Symphony /rchestra and the San Die+o /pera,not to mention the recent travails of the &etropolitan /pera% Each one of thesesituations is of course di:erent, however, it isn0t di;cult to identify the root of theprolem5 decreases in fundin+ and reduced mar#etin+ ud+ets have resulted infewer tic#ets ein+ sold and dwindlin+ audiences% *he prolem manifests itself indi:erent ways5 potential loc#-outs, comative ne+otiations with the musicians0unions and

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/rchestra, and the Sphin( /rchestra0s arne+ie 8all appearances and tours acrossthe ?S%

Barrett Wissman, Nina Kotova, Robert Redford & Sophia Loren (c) Drew !ti"er

In Napa at the Festival this summer, it was heartenin+ to see the reactions of theaudiences, patrons and the community to the participation of the Sphin(% It certainlyinfused the event with a new ener+y% /ne could feel the spirit of the youn+musicians on sta+e and their appreciation for the opportunity that was +iven tothem y the Sphin( /r+ani4ation to perform at such a presti+ious event% It was alsoclear that we were seein+ a new and di:erent audience developin+ as well%

In addition to the Sphin( this summer, triute was paid to Sophia 3oren for herlifetime of wor# on the +rounds of the idyllic Far Niente winery on the closin+

Saturday of the Festival% *he focus of the evenin+ was her son, conductor arlo)onti, 1r% *he Festival launched his new pro@ect, the 3A Virtuosi 6www%lavirtuosi%or+7,a new orchestra that donates BC of its net revenues to music educationpro+rams% $hen as#ed aout the orchestra0s +oals, Sophia told me that for her,access to arts education for all is the most important messa+e she could possilywish to promote%

Despite the doom and +loom, this summer proved in a small, ut encoura+in+, waythat there is hope% $hen we announced that Sphin( was comin+ this summer, I said

http://www.forbes.com/sites/barrettwissman/2014/09/12/the-sphinx-organization-diversity-and-fostering-new-audiences/http://www.forbes.com/sites/barrettwissman/2014/09/12/the-sphinx-organization-diversity-and-fostering-new-audiences/

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that education and euality in the arts have een shown to improve academicoutcomes, promote hi+her career +oals and deepen civic en+a+ement% et, fundin+for and access to the arts is, increasin+ly, the domain of an e(clusive class% *histrend threatens to oth inhiit the pro+ress and development of some of our mosttalented youth and further diminish the already dwindlin+ audience ase forclassical music% Aaron Dwor#in and the Sphin( /r+ani4ation are +uidin+ li+hts

promotin+ euality, access, and education for those who wouldn0t otherwise havethe same opportunities% Now I #now from 9rsthand e(perience how true this is%

Follow me on twitter at !arrettwissmanand visit Barrett Wissman and "#$Artists

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