MPower Artist Grants are competitive scholarships designed to empower alumni of the Sphinx Competition (Semi-Finalists and/or Laureates), Sphinx Symphony, Sphinx Virtuosi, Sphinx Honors Orchestra, Sphinx Performance Academy, Sphinx Medals of Excellence, Sphinx LEAD, EXIGENCE, NAAS and/or SOPA (must have submitted a first round recording and/or participated in the live round) to achieve their career objectives in classical music.
Grants will range based on the scope, need, and nature of each competitive application. Grants may begin at $1,000 with an average award amount of $10,000. Requests exceeding $15,000 will not be accepted.
The primary purpose of MPower Artist Grants is to empower artists’ careers. As such, competitive applications should clearly illustrate that impact; making the merit case for a particular project or its service to the community should play a secondary role. MPower does not generally focus on tuition for higher education/summer programs nor the purchase of new instruments, though they may be considered as exceptions.
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Cheyenne King-Bails, Manager of Leadership Programs
Application Information
Applications for Sphinx MPower Artist Grants are processed through our online Acceptd portal.
For eligibility and application requirements, please review the information below.
2024 MPower Recipients
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Laura Andrade
NAAS and/or SOPA
Sphinx Competition
Sphinx Virtuosi$10,000
With the assistance of the Sphinx MPower Artist grant, Laura will be enabled to build and establish a professional online portfolio and launch the inaugural set of concerts for Guayaquil Chamber Players, musically enriching the community of Guayaquil, Ecuador, through accessibility to chamber music.
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Titilayo Ayangade
Sphinx Performance Academy
Sphinx Symphony Orchestra
Sphinx Virtuosi$10,000
With the Sphinx MPower Artist Grant, Titilayo will record a newly commissioned innovative work for viola and cello, by Curtis Stewart, marking the debut of her first recording
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Kebra-Seyoun Charles
NAAS and/or SOPA
Sphinx Competition
Sphinx Virtuosi$14,730
With Sphinx's MPower Grant, I will record my counter-classical ballet suite called 'Enby' which will be performed with top New York dance companies.
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LaVonté L. Heard
EXIGENCE Vocal Ensemble
$11,000
With the assistance of the Sphinx MPower grant I will be able to bring string education back to students in the Lansing community whose programs have been defunded and disbanded for over a decade.
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Isaiah Iny-Woods
NAAS and/or SOPA
Sphinx Performance Academy$11,870
With the assistance of an MPower Artist Grant, Isaiah will be able to visit out-of-state universities and conservatories and take trial lessons with professors, to find a program, studio, and mentor that will best support his goal of becoming a professional violinist.
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Rainel Joubert
NAAS and/or SOPA
Sphinx Competition
Sphinx Performance Academy
Sphinx Symphony Orchestra
Sphinx Virtuosi$15,000
The MPower Artist Grant will catalyze my career growth by affording me the opportunity to showcase my culture and artistic innovation through the commissioning of new works and curating concerts, ultimately expanding my professional horizons as a violinist and musical artist.
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Loki Karuna
Sphinx Symphony Orchestra
$2,500
With the assistance of a Sphinx MPower Artist Grant, I will be able to complete the process of finalizing the copyright and non-profit status for my media brand, TrillWerks.
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Paul Laraia
Sphinx Competition
Sphinx Performance Academy
Sphinx Symphony Orchestra
Sphinx Virtuosi$10,000
Having a debut album is going to increase my visibility as an artist tremendously. Especially with the combination of a supporting album length music video, project concept and story, and investment in PR, ZARABANDA could put me on the map as a creative artist, arranger, composer, audio engineer, and soloist.
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Cyrano Jett Rosentrater
Sphinx Performance Academy
$4,900
The MPower Artist Grant allows Cyrano to prepare for school auditions by allocating funds for sample lessons, recordings and travel, while also enabling Cyrano to expand his online presence, promote his work, and enhance his overall musical abilities, offering invaluable support for his educational and professional betterment.
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Jaime Sharp
EXIGENCE Vocal Ensemble
$10,000
With the assistance of the MPower Artist Grant, Jaime will further the development of Cultivart, an online resource hub designed to aid her mission of disrupting the pipeline to executive leadership by providing emerging arts administrators of color with tools, guidance, mentorship, and community needed for career success.
“Sphinx has had a huge impact on my life. Now the Sphinx MPower Grant will allow me to acquire a fine bass, and put me closer to reaching my ultimate goal, a permanent orchestra position. Sphinx has created a network of support for minority classic musicians that didn’t exist before, and it gives everyone a deeper connection to the music that we all love.”
- Eric Thompson
Double bass, Sphinx Competition alum, MPower Artist Grant Recipient
