Sphinx Gala Concert The Sphinx Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to violinist W. Sanford Allen, who was the first black member of the New York Philharmonic (1962-77). Tommasini, Anthony. Music in Review; Sphinx Chamber Orchestra - The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/27/arts/movies/music-in-review-sphinx-chamber-orchestra.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share. Accessed 7 July 2026. benefit performance chamber orchestra performance 2006-10-24T18:00:00