>> SPHINX GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

>> IT'S A GREAT THING TO HAVE FOR BLACK AND LATINO PEOPLE.

IT'S REALLY AMAZING.

>> BY ME BEING IN THE COMPETITION, I HOPEFULLY AM INSPIRING SOME OF THE YOUNG KIDS IN THE AUDIENCE.

MAYBE THEY WANT TO TAKE UP AN INSTRUMENT AND MAYBE YEARS LATER THEY WILL BE IN THE SPHINX COMPETITION AND THEY WILL INSPIRE THEIR FRIENDS.

[APPLAUSE] >> I'M FROM SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

I STUDY IN LOS ANGELES AT THE USC SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

I'M 19 YEARS OLD.

I'VE BEEN PLAYING VIOLIN FOR 11 YEARS.

MY MOTHER IS A MUSICIAN, SO I GREW UP WITH CLASSICAL MUSIC.

I LOVE HOW EXPRESSIVE IT CAN BE.

>> PERFORMING ON STAGE WITH AN ORCHESTRA, THAT IS REALLY -- THAT'S WHERE I FEEL THE MOST AT HOME.

MY DREAM IS TO BE A CONCERT VIOLINIST.

I'D LOVE TO PERFORM WITH THE LEGENDARY HALLS WITH SOME OF THE GREATEST CONDUCTORS IN THE WORLD.

MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE ROOTING FOR ME BACK HOME, SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO GIVE MY BEST.

WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

[MUSIC PLAYING] � [APPLAUSE] >> I'M FROM PHILADELPHIA.

I GO TO SCHOOL IN NEW YORK CITY AND I'M 23.

MY DAD STARTED ME WHEN I WAS 2 YEARS OLD.

HE TEACHES VIOLIN.

VIOLA IS THE AWKWARD IMPERFECTED, YOU KNOW, UGLY DUCKLING OF THE INSTRUMENT FAMILY.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE US, LIKE THE HUMAN BEING.

I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET MY MASTER'S.

I WANT TO GET AN ORCHESTRA JOB PRETTY BAD.

THAT'S SOMETHING I WANT TO DO AT LEAST TO START.

[MUSIC PLAYING] � [APPLAUSE] >> I'M FROM LIMA, PERU.

I'M 19 YEARS OLD AND I GO TO SCHOOL IN LOS ANGELES.

I STARTED VIOLIN WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD.

MY MOM WAS THE ONE WHO REALLY ENJOYED CLASSICAL MUSIC.

SO SHE WAS THE ONE WHO GOT ME INVOLVED IN THAT WORLD, KIND OF.

I STARTED GOING TO THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERTS AND THAT'S MAINLY HOW I CHOSE THE VIOLIN.

THE FIRST THING YOU SEE IN THE ORCHESTRA IS THE FIRST VIOLIN SECTION.

IT'S COOL TO GET TO PLAY WITH ORCHESTRA.

IT'S ALSO SUCH A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT TO GET TO THE FINALS.

I'M PART OF THE AMAZING COMMUNITY.

WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG, AROUND 13, I HAD DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO DO THIS FOR LIFE.

IT HASN'T CHANGED AT ALL.

� [APPLAUSE] >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME TO THE STAGE GREG RUVOLO, MANAGER OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS & ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS AT MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES, TO ANNOUNCE THE AUDIENCE CHOICE >> [APPLAUSE] .

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

I'M GLAD TO BE HERE FOR THE SPHINX COMPETITION FINALS.

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TO ATTEND.

IT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT TO SAY THAT I AM DEEPLY IMPRESSED.

MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES IS PROUD TO SPONSOR FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR AND IT IS MY HONOR TO SHARE WITH YOU THE DIFFICULT DECISION THAT YOU, THE AUDIENCE, JUST MADE.

THE WINNER OF THE AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD OF $1,500 IN THE 18TH ANNUAL SPHINX COMPETITION FINALS SENIOR DIVISION IS EDUARDO RIOS.

[APPLAUSE] >> AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE SPHINX ORGANIZATION, AARON DWORKIN.

[APPLAUSE] >> THE LIFE OF THE ARTS, FAR FROM BEING AN INTERRUPTION, A DISTRACTION IN THE LIFE OF THE NATION, IS VERY CLOSE TO THE CENTER OF A NATION'S PURPOSE AND IS A TEST OF THE QUALITY OF A NATION'S CIVILIZATION.

THE WORDS OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ECHO MANY MY MIND AS WE -- IN MY MIND AS WE WORK TO ENSURE THE ARTS REFLECT THE RICH MOSAIC THAT COMPRISES THE DIVERSE TAPESTRY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE 18TH ANNUAL SPHINX COMPETITION FINALS WHICH HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE DTE ENERGY FOUNDATION.

[APPLAUSE] .

I WOULD NOW LIKE TO ASK OUR LAUREATES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF SPHINX'S MAJOR PARTNERS TO COME TO THE STAGE FOR THE PRESENTATION OF OUR FINAL JURY'S DECISION.

[APPLAUSE] AND NOW THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, THE WINNERS OF THE 18TH SPHINX COMPETITION.

HERE TO PRESENT THE THIRD PLACE AWARD IS SHAWN WILSON, DIRECTOR OF CLIENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS FOR THE PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP.

[APPLAUSE] >> GOOD AFTERNOON.

IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU TODAY REPRESENTING PNC.

WHETHER IT IS THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED TO YOUNG STUDENTS IN THE CITY OF DETROIT, PNC IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE TRANSFORMATIVE WORK BEING DONE BY THE SPHINX ORGANIZATION.

SO IT IS MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT THE THIRD PLACE AWARD.

THE WINNER OF THE THIRD PLACE AWARD OF $10,000 IN THE 18TH ANNUAL SPHINX COMPETITION IS ANNELLE GREGORY.

[APPLAUSE] >> IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THE FINAL AWARD PRESENTER.

THE DTE ENERGY FOUNDATION HAS ENRICHED THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR OVER A DECADE.

AS THE LEAD PRESENTER OF THE ENTIRE SPHINX COMPETITION, DTE ENERGY FOUNDATION HAS COMMIT -- I'M PROUD TO INTRODUCE DTE ENERGY'S VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS AND CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER.

HERE TO PRESENT THE FIRST AND SECOND PLACE AWARDS OF THE COMPETITION.

[APPLAUSE] >> GOOD AFTERNOON.

I'M ACTUALLY THRILLED TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY.

AND THE DTE ENERGY FOUNDATION IS SO VERY PROUD TO PRESENT THE 18TH COMPETITION.

WE KNOW THAT MANY THINGS ARE CRITICAL TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH WONDERFUL ASSETS IN OUR REGIONS.

THE BREADTH AND THE EXCELLENCE OF THE ARTS IN OUR REGION ARE THE ENVY OF CITIES AROUND THE WORLD.

AND NOW IT'S MY HONOR TO PRESENT FIRST THE SENIOR DIVISION SECOND PLACE WINNER.

AND THE WINNER OF THE SECOND PLACE AWARD OF $20,000 IN THE 18TH ANNUAL SPHINX COMPETITION SENIOR DIVISION IS MICHAEL CASIMIR.

[APPLAUSE] >> THE WINNER OF THE FIRST PLACE AWARD OF $50,000 IN THE 18TH ANNUAL SPHINX COMPETITION SENIOR DIVISION IS EDUARDO RIOS.

[APPLAUSE] >> IT FEELS AMAZING.

I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS AT ALL.

SINCE THE BEGINNING, I JUST DID MY BEST.

I AM SO HAPPY HOW THINGS TURNED OUT.

IT IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY AND TO HAVE ALL THESE AMAZING CONCERTS COMING UP.

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.

IT'S ABOUT HAVING THIS HUGE OPPORTUNITY IN MY LIFE.

I'M THANKFUL FOR MY TEACHER, MY FAMILY IN PERU, EVERYONE IN SCHOOL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

� [APPLAUSE] >> THE BROADCAST OF THIS YEAR'S SPHINX COMPETITION IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE DTE ENERGY FOUNDATION AND ITS ONGOING COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY.

DTE IS DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING THE FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR LOCAL CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS AND EDUCATORS.