Sphinx, Voice, and Harp Faculty Collaborative Recital

Kendra Broom, a mezzo-soprano from Oakland, Calif., graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2018 with a master’s degree in opera. Her recent roles include the title role in David Hertzberg’s The Rose Elf and the Madwoman in Rene Orth’s 10 Days in a Madhouse, both part of Opera Philadelphia’s Double Exposure program. As a soloist, she performed Schoenberg’s complete Pierrot Lunaire with the Curtis 20/21 Ensemble and Mozart’s Requiem with the New Jersey Symphony. In the coming season she will sing Mélisande (Pelléas et Mélisande) with the West Edge Opera Company.

Violinist Jannina Norpoth made her solo debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at age 14. Since then she has built a career as an innovative collaborative artist with a passion for contemporary music, genre-bending, and improvisation. Ms. Norporth is a member of PUBLIQuartet and performs and writes alongside her husband, John-Paul Norpoth, in the folk-rock group HOLLANDS.

American violinist Melissa White has enchanted audiences around the world as both a soloist and a chamber musician. Ms. White is a founding member of New York-based Harlem Quartet, and has partnered with such leading jazz musicians as pianist/composer Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, and vibraphonist Gary Burton. A native of Michigan, Ms. White holds performance degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and New England Conservatory.

Violist Jennifer Arnold is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and a member of the Oregon Symphony, the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, and the Gateways Festival. An advocate for diversity in classical music, she was the first Sphinx Diversity Fellow in the 2016–17 season, focusing on a career in arts administration. In 1999, she made her solo debut, premiering Adolphus Hailstork’s Two Romances for Viola and Orchestra with the Cleveland Orchestra.

Dr. Mary Ann Ramos has been a member of the cello faculty at Northern Arizona University since 2010. She holds prizes in various competitions, including the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Performance Competition. Dr. Ramos has appeared as a soloist with the Gateway Festival Orchestra and the University City, Alton, and Kirkwood symphony orchestras.

The Catalyst Quartet combines a serious commitment to diversity and education with a passion for contemporary works. Founded by the Sphinx Organization, the quartet is comprised of top laureates and alumni of the Sphinx Competition. The ensemble has toured throughout the United States, Europe, and Latin America, including sold-out performances at the Kennedy Center, Harris Theater in Chicago, the New World Center, and Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall.

Elizabeth Hainen, principal harp of the Philadelphia Orchestra, has earned an international reputation as one of classical music’s great harp ambassadors. She has presented programs showcasing the diversity and virtuosity of her instrument to audiences throughout the world, receiving critical acclaim. Ms. Hainen joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2005 and also teaches at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University.