AFA S.

DWORKIN

I greatly admire Afa Dworkin’s leadership and service to the field.  She represents a rare combination in one person of being an imaginative artistic curator, a rigorous business executive, and a strong believer in collaboration, all of which are vital elements in a visionary leader.  We at Carnegie Hall highly value our partnership with Sphinx and share Afa's vision for a thriving future for music achieved through shared values.

─ Clive Gillison, Executive and Artistic Director, Carnegie Hall

ABOUT

Afa Sadykhly Dworkin is a music industry thought leader and cross-sector strategist driving national programming that fosters excellence and innovation in classical music.

Since 2015, she has served as President and Artistic Director of the Sphinx Organization, the nation’s leading organization transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. She has been named one of *Musical America’s* “Top 30 Influencers”, has received The Kennedy Center’s Human Spirit Award, Chamber Music America's Arts Advocate of the Year Award, and is a member of the Recording Academy®. She serves as a Trustee to the League of American Orchestra, CultureSource Detroit, VisionIntoArt, New Canon, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Global Music Society, and other non-profits.

In all she does, Afa Sadykhly Dworkin demonstrates that how you do something is just as important as what you do. Afa combines her dedication to effective work with an infusion of meaningfulness, which creates quality results. And she won’t stop until the job is complete.

─ Jane Chu, eleventh chairperson, National Endowment for the Arts

PRESS

Afa Dworkin is a leading force in the broader cultural sphere. An exceptional leader, she has championed diversity and positioned the Sphinx Organization as a key player in the music industry in both America and Europe. Her passion for music and justice has inspired numerous industry members and students, truly contributing to much-needed systemic change.

─ Matic Gajsek, co-founder of OnstageAI and director for Europe at Europe - Asia Center

CONSULTING PRACTICE

Having dedicated my life to the arts and their social impact, I am passionate about the field. I have had the privilege of working on an advisory and consulting basis with a number of organizations:

If you are interested in discussing artistic planning/programming curation; inclusion and representation; innovation and leadership, please drop me a line!

Afa supports emerging leaders with the same energy and enthusiasm that she supports emerging musicians. Her clear vision of the future of the field has helped us all to see what is possible and how our talents can be a part of it. I couldn't have dreamed as big as I have without Afa's constant encouragement and advocacy.

─ Alexa Smith, Associate Artistic Director/Director of Cultural Transformation, The Public Theater

SPEAKING APPEARANCES

I have had the privilege to deliver speeches and presentations all around the world! Topics include music education; value of the arts in our greater society; leadership and innovation and beyond.

If you have an idea on an exciting guest lecture, please drop me a line to discuss it! Feel free to use the contact form below.

CONTACT

Afa is a visionary and transformational leader in our field, but perhaps more importantly, she is a connector - of people, of ideas, of the creative impulses that can coalesce to form a bright future for American music. Her work is courageous and constant, and makes change happen every day and in many ways. She's an inspiration!

─ Lara Downes, Billboard-chart topping concert pianist, Host of NPR's Amplify with Lara Downes

SPHINX ORGANIZATION

The Sphinx Organization is dedicated to transforming lives through the power of the arts and has reached more than 100 million people worldwide. Focused on increasing representation in classical music and celebrating excellence, Sphinx programs serve beginner students, seasoned classical music professionals, cultural entrepreneurs, and artistic administrators by addressing the systemic lack of access within Black and Latino communities. Based in Detroit, Michigan, with global reach, Sphinx envisions a day in which our art form reflects our greater society, where every young person has the opportunity to express themselves and learn classical music, where audiences reflect the breadth of our community, and where leadership – on stage and off – includes all deserving voices.

Afa is focused, passionate and thoughtful.  I continue to believe that the trajectory of her career is limitless.

─ William H. Carson, M.D., Chairman, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development and Commercialization, Inc (OPDC), and Sozosei Foundation; Chair Emeritus, Sphinx Organization

GALLERY