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NEC Alumnus Kebra-Seyoun Charles ’20 Wins First Place in 25th Annual Sphinx Competition

February 4, 2022

NEC Alumnus Kebra-Seyoun Charles ’20 Wins First Place in 25th Annual Sphinx Competition

The double bassist took home the top Robert Frederick Smith Prize in the senior division of the Detroit-based competition.

Kebra-Seyoun Charles ‘20, a graduate of New England Conservatory in double bass performance, is the first place winner of the senior division and $50,000 Robert Frederick Smith Prize in the recent 2022 Sphinx Competition held in Detroit, Michigan. The competition highlights the talents of young Black and Latinx string players.

In addition to the prize winnings, as senior division laureate, Charles will be featured as a solo performer with major orchestras across the country.

You can watch the entire competition, including Kebra-Seyoun’s winning performance (which begins at 47:04), in the Sphinx Organization’s video above.

Congratulations to Kebra-Seyoun!

Learn more about the competition

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