Sphinx Virtuosi
J’Nai Bridges, mezzo

Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic, self-conducted chamber orchestra and the flagship performing ensemble of the Sphinx Organization, the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to transforming the arts. Comprising 18 of the nation’s most accomplished professional string players, Sphinx Virtuosi is redefining classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming, and cultural leadership.

Recognized for their artistry and commanding presence, Sphinx Virtuosi has been praised by The New York Times as “top-notch… more essential at this moment than ever.” The Strad lauds their “elegant ascent into the upper ranks of string orchestras,” a testament to their growing influence in the field. With performances that captivate audiences nationwide, their annual Carnegie Hall appearance has become a celebrated highlight of the fall season. Their critically acclaimed debut album, Songs for Our Times (Deutsche Grammophon) was hailed as “a knockout” by Gramophone, which praised their “consistently polished and passionate performances.”

Members of Sphinx Virtuosi are sought-after soloists, chamber musicians, and faculty members at top institutions. They have performed with major American orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and the Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras. Beyond the concert stage, they are artist-citizens, leading impactful community initiatives and fostering deep engagement with audiences worldwide.

Sphinx Virtuosi has collaborated with legendary artists such as Terence Blanchard, Denyce Graves, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Damien Sneed, Will Liverman, J’Nai Bridges, Abel Selaocoe, and Davóne Tines. They have also worked with cultural icons like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, with high-profile appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and the Grammy Awards broadcast.

Sphinx Virtuosi Tours are made possible through the support of Robert F. Smith, JPMorgan Chase, and National Endowment for the Arts.

Two time Grammy® Award-winning American mezzo-soprano, J’Nai Bridges known for her “plush-voiced mezzo-soprano” (The New York Times), and “calmly commanding stage presence” (The New Yorker) has been “marked out at and early stage as a singer headed for top flight” (Financial Times), gracing the world’s top opera and concert stages.

In Ms. Bridges' upcoming 2024-25 season, she will make her role debut as Maddalena in Verdi's Rigoletto at The Metropolitan Opera. Her concert engagements include performing alongside the National Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Tacoma, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She will perform a solo recital as an artist in residence at the Kaufman Music Center, and will feature as the mezzo-soprano soloist alongside the Dessoff Choirs in Verdi's Requiem for a concert at Trinity Church. Returning to Seattle Opera, she will debut the role of Didon in performances of Les Troyens, and in Spring 2025, will play the title role in Carmen at the Wiener Staatsoper,. Bridges made her Lincoln Center debut performing Peter Lieberson's Neruda Songs, and “with a voice both voluptuous and statuesque, sang with depth and serenity” (The New York Times) had a huge success performing the role of Mary in John Adams' El Niño at the Metropolitan Opera.

Ms. Bridges has emerged as a leading figure in classical music’s shift toward conversations of inclusion and racial justice in the performing arts. In 2022 she was announced as one of the Kennedy Center’s NEXT50 cultural leaders, and appeared with The National Philharmonic in the world premiere of Adolphus Hailstork’s A Knee on the Neck that same year. Bridges led a highly successful panel on race and inequality in opera with the Los Angeles Opera that drew international acclaim for being a “conversation of striking scope and candor” (The New York Times). Ms. Bridges was also featured in the Converse shoe brand’s All Stars Campaign for its Breaking Down Barriers collection, and performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel for two episodes of the digital SOUND/STAGE series. She was also a part of the Global Citizen movement’s Global Goal campaign, a program which also included Coldplay, Shakira, Usher and more and was featured as a "DVF" Woman, a campaign started by clothing designer Diane Von Furstenberg recognizing leading women who also love fashion.

Bridges is a recipient of the prestigious 2018 Sphinx Medal of Excellence Award, a 2016 Richard Tucker Career Grant, first prize winner at the 2016 Francisco Viñas International Competition, first prize winner at the 2015 Gerda Lissner Competition, a recipient of the 2013 Sullivan Foundation Award, a 2012 Marian Anderson award winner, the recipient of the 2011 Sara Tucker Study Grant, the recipient of the 2009 Richard F. Gold Grant from The Shoshana Foundation, and the winner of the 2008 Leontyne Price Foundation Competition.