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2026 Sphinx Competition Laureates Announced

January 25, 2026, 2:24 PM · Congratulations to the laureates in the 29th Annual Sphinx Competition! The competition started on Jan. 21 in Detroit, Mich. and concluded on Saturday with finalists performing with Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and conductor Kalena Bovell at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center in Detroit, Michigan. Here are all of the prizewinners:

Senior Division Laureates (Ages 18-30):

• First prize ($50,000): cellist Andres Sanchez of Lansdale, Penn.
• Second prize ($20,000): violinist Sophie Ayer of Austin, Texas
• Third prize ($10,000): bassist Taylor Abbitt of Saratoga, N.Y.
• Audience Choice Prize ($5,000): bassist Taylor Abbitt of Saratoga, N.Y.

Andres Sanchez, 28, has been playing cello since the age of four and is from Lansdale, Pennsylvania. His recent achievements include being a semifinalist in the Schoenfeld International Cello Competition in 2025, as well as receiving honorable mention in the Sphinx Competition in both 2024 and 2025. "I would hope that I could use music as a way to connect with people and inspire empathy," he said in his Sphinx "get to know you" video which you can see here.

Watch the 29th Annual Sphinx Competition Final Concert, with Kalena Bovell conducting the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra:

PROGRAM:

• "Tiny Galaxies" by Rachel McFarlane (9:00)
• Sophie Ayer performs Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Violin Concerto in G Minor, I. Allegro Maestoso (17:08)
• Andres Sanchez performs Ricardo Castro Herrera's Concerto for Cello in C Minor, III. Vivo (31:40)
• Taylor Abbitt performs Andrés Martín's Concerto for Bass No. 1, Allegro Obsesivo (41:50)

Junior Division Laureates (Ages 17 and under):

• First prize ($10,000): violinist Alette Williams of Keller, Texas
• Second prize ($5,000): cellist Sofia Hernandez-Williams of Worcester, Mass.
• Third prize ($3,000): cellist Sonya Moomaw of Cincinnati, Ohio

The Sphinx Competition is a national competition in the U.S. for Black and Latinx classical string players. The 2026 Sphinx competition jury included Leon Bosch, Sterling Elliott, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Philippe Quint and Martin Sher.

You might also like:

• 2025 Sphinx Competition Laureates Announced
• 2024 Sphinx Competition Laureates Announced
• Interview with Nathan Amaral, Winner of the 2024 Sphinx Competition
• Interview with Violinist Njioma Grevious, Winner of the 2023 Sphinx Competition

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