Amadi Azikiwe is a violist, violinist, and conductor who has performed in major U.S. cities including New York, Boston, and Chicago, as well as internationally in places like Israel and Japan. He has been a soloist with various orchestras, including the Prince George’s Philharmonic and Delaware Symphony, and has played at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center and the US Supreme Court.
Currently, he serves as the Music Director of the Harlem Symphony Orchestra and is the Community Engagement Director of the Harlem Chamber Players. Azikiwe has also performed with the New York Philharmonic and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. A native of New York City, he studied music with his mother before training at the North Carolina School of the Arts, New England Conservatory, and Indiana University.
Andre Dowell is a strategic arts administrator and thought leader focused on promoting diversity in classical music. As the Chief Programming Officer for the Sphinx Organization, he oversees national programming aimed at transforming lives through the arts. His leadership has expanded the network to over 200 collaborators, benefiting more than 1,200 alumni and reaching over 100 million people digitally.
Recognized as one of Musical America's "The Resilient Warriors," Andre is also a board member for several organizations, including the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and Third Coast Percussion. Originally from Trenton, Tennessee, he developed a passion for music through piano lessons, later earning Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Percussion Performance from the University of Michigan. He lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with his daughter and son, and has a fondness for bowties.
Derek Menchan is an accomplished cellist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his genre-defying artistry. His debut album, *The Griot Swings the Classics* (2018), received critical acclaim, reaching Amazon’s Top 3 on the Contemporary R&B chart. Trained under renowned cellists and holding a Master of Arts from the Manhattan School of Music, Menchan has showcased his performances at prestigious venues, including the Museum of Modern Art in Houston and the Toledo Museum of Art.
As a professor at Polk State College in Florida, he teaches humanities and directs the Voices of the People Chamber Music Series, inspiring students with his engaging approach. With roots in Tallahassee linked to his family's legacy in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., he is dedicated to community engagement through organizations like the Javacya Arts Conservatory. A bass artist for NS Design, Menchan is celebrated for blending classical, jazz, and R&B genres, with recent singles like *Don't Dream It's Over* highlighting his dynamic artistry.
Portia Dunkley, a Miami native with Bahamian and Haitian roots, began her journey in music with the double bass. She graduated from The New World School of The Arts and Florida State University, earning degrees in performance and Arts Administration. Residing in South Florida, she shares her passion for music with her husband, jazz trombonist Waldron Dunkley, and their daughter Auriel, a fellow double bassist.
In 2017, Portia founded Teeny Violini, a mobile music program serving underserved communities, reaching over 600 students from preschool to 5th grade. She was selected as a Fellow for SphinxL.E.A.D in 2019 and received a Knight Foundation Arts Challenge Grant for her project, Music of the Unsung America, which showcases works by Black composers and supports marginalized musicians. Recently, she was awarded the ACF Connect Fellowship. Portia aims to amplify diverse voices in classical music, build inclusive communities, and inspire young people to connect with the art form.
Dr. Khari Joyner has been described by the New York Classical Review as "one of the most exciting young musicians on the classical scene." A versatile concert cellist and chamber musician, he has performed with orchestras worldwide, including recent performances of Saint-Saëns' "Cello Concerto No. 1" and Tchaikovsky’s "Variations on a Rococo Theme" with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he has given masterclasses and lectures at notable institutions like SUNY Fredonia and Oberlin Conservatory.
Joyner received the 2017-18 career grant from the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund and has performed for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. As a passionate advocate for contemporary music, he has collaborated with renowned composers and is a founding member of the Altezza Piano Trio. A graduate of Juilliard’s Doctor of Musical Arts program, he has taught at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, and Mannes Prep. Joyner also collaborates across genres, recently featuring with Dance Theater of Harlem and on NPR’s Tiny Desk with Sudan Archives.
Terrance Patterson, a renowned clarinetist from Jacksonville, Florida, is celebrated for his musicianship and commitment to diversity in classical music. He has performed in prestigious venues worldwide, including Paris, London, and New York. Patterson began playing clarinet at age 11 under Peter Wright of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and later earned a Bachelor of Music from the Peabody Conservatory and continued his studies at Temple University.
He has collaborated with numerous orchestras, including the Jacksonville Symphony and the Sphinx Symphony of Detroit. In 2002, he founded the Ritz Chamber Players, the first chamber music ensemble exclusively featuring musicians of the African diaspora, serving as Artistic Director. The ensemble performs classical repertoire while promoting contemporary African American composers.
Patterson's initiatives aim to enhance the visibility of African American classical musicians and engage in educational outreach. He received the Ann McDonald Baker Art Ventures Award in 2015, recognizing his contributions to the arts. His work remains influential in creating a more inclusive classical music scene, inspiring future generations of musicians.
Cellist Tahirah Whittington has performed worldwide, including the US, Chile, France, and Japan. She gained recognition after winning 1st prize at the 1999 Sphinx Competition, which led to a solo performance with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC.
Originally from Houston, TX, Ms. Whittington was a soloist at Carnegie Hall for the 2007 Sphinx Gala. A passionate chamber musician, she has been part of the Core Ensemble since 2001 and is a founding member of The Young Eight, a string octet based in Seattle. She is also a resident member of the Ritz Chamber Players in Jacksonville, FL.
Her recordings include Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s "Lamentations" and collaborations with artists like Ornette Coleman and Alicia Keys. Ms. Whittington holds a master’s degree from The Juilliard School and a bachelor’s from the New England Conservatory. She is currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree at Northwestern University.
Antonio C. Cuyler, Ph.D., is a Professor of Music in Entrepreneurship & Leadership and a Faculty Associate in Voice & Opera at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on arts administration, entrepreneurship, and creative justice, addressing how the creative sector can support marginalized communities. He has published extensively, including the book *Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cultural Organizations*, and has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.
In 2023, he led the report *Racial/Ethnic and Gender Diversity in the Orchestra Field* for the League of American Orchestras and authored *Arts Leadership in the Bay Area: A Qualitative Study* for the Hewlett Foundation. Dr. Cuyler has presented globally and served as a delegate at the 2024 World Opera Forum, moderating discussions on critical issues in the arts.
In 2020, he founded Cuyler Consulting, LLC, which partners with cultural organizations to improve access and inclusivity. His clients include prominent arts institutions. In the 2024-25 season, he will be Lyric Opera of Chicago’s inaugural Scholar-in-Residence. Dr. Cuyler has served on various boards, including the American Composers Forum and OPERA America, and is a first-generation college graduate who has held faculty positions at several universities, becoming the first Black man in the U.S. to earn promotion and tenure in arts administration.