Sphinx Competition 2027 (30th Annual)

The Sphinx Competition is the United States' flagship contest for young Black and Latinx classical string players, built to put talent from communities historically shut out of classical music onto a national stage. It runs two divisions: Junior, for players 17 and under, and Senior, for ages 18 to 30, open to any string instrument. You apply through the Acceptd portal, which carries the full repertoire list, video-submission rules and any fee — none of that is published on the main competition page, so budget time to read the portal closely before you commit tape.

Winners are not paid in grant form; the money is a competition prize, non-matched and unrestricted. The Senior first prize is the $50,000 Robert Frederick Smith Prize plus guest solo dates with major orchestras; second and third place take $20,000 and $10,000, with a further $5,000 audience choice award. Junior prizes run $10,000, $5,000 and $3,000 for first through third, also with orchestral solo appearances for the winner. Semi-finalists and finalists in both divisions can additionally draw on the Sphinx Music Assistance Fund for scholarships and loaned instruments. The 2027 final round takes place 20–23 January in Detroit, with finalists performing alongside the professional Sphinx Symphony Orchestra; a named jury of working musicians judges the finals, though the published criteria behind their scoring are not public. Applications close 20 October 2026 at 11:59pm ET.