*The founding of the Sphinx Organization in 1998 is celebrated on this date. They are a national non-profit educational organization whose vision is a world in which classical music reflects cultural diversity and plays a role in the everyday lives of youth.
Aaron P. Dworkin, a violinist, founded the organization to help overcome the cultural stereotype of classical music. Dworkin has said the works of William Grant Still inspired him; thus, African American Registry has chosen Stills’ birthday to celebrate this organization. The Sphinx Organization’s vision is to increase the participation of Blacks & Latinos in music schools, as professional musicians as classical music audiences, and to administer youth development initiatives in underserved communities through music education.
The name Sphinx was given to the organization to represent the historical and geographical source for many nonwhites and exemplify the power, wisdom and persistence they hope to instill in their participants. The Sphinx also constitutes a mystery, an enigma. Music shares this puzzling aspect with the composer and performer's experiences and aspirations. Like the Sphinx, it is up to the beholder, the listener, to interpret and appreciate from the music what is a reflection of internal emotions and spiritual experiences.
