School of Music cello student Patrice Jackson didn't allow herself to be consumed by stress when it was her turn to perform in the final round of the prestigious Sphinx Competition, where she was pitted against some of the best string musicians in the nation on Feb. 10.
Having emerged from the semifinal rounds as one of only three finalists, Jackson had one goal in mind as she performed movements from concertos by Elgar and Haydn: to go onto the stage and "play my heart out."
The 19-year-old cellist did just that, but was utterly shocked when it was announced that she was the first-place winner of the annual competition, which showcases the talents of the top young African-American and Latino string players in the country.
"Being the youngest finalist in my division, I just expected that the judges would look at me and say 'Oh, she's young, she has more time, other chances to win,'" recalls Jackson, who competed against a 24-year-old violinist and a 21-year-old violist. "I was thoroughly prepared to come in third place."
As the first-place winner, Jackson received l$10,000 in prize money and will be offered opportunities over the next year to perform as a soloist with some of the nation's major orchestras, including those in Detroit, Chicago, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh, as well as in Puerto Rico.
"It's an opportunity of a lifetime," says Jackson, a student in the School of Music's highly competitive Certificate in Performance program, which allows gifted musicians who do not hold bachelor's degrees to study intensively with music school faculty. One of only four cellists in the program, Jackson is a student of the renowned cellist Aldo Parisot, the Samuel S. Sanford Professor (Adjunct) of Music.
The national recognition that Jackson will gain as the winner of the Sphinx Competition brings her a step closer to realizing a dream that she has had since she was a young teenager.
"I'd like to be the first famous African-American solo cellist," states Jackson. "I'd like to be as well known, say, as Yo-Yo Ma. Right now, there are no solo African-American string players on the professional circuit."
It is not a lust for fame, however, that drives the young musician. Instead, it is a love for performing music that has made Jackson "reach for the stars," she says. She began playing the cello when she was 8 years old, after playing the piano for five years. Her mother was a pianist and clarinetist, and was Jackson's first music teacher. Her father is an orchestra teacher at a high school and middle school in Jackson's hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Her great-grandfather played blues guitar; her great-grandmother is a church pianist and organist; and her great-great grandfather, a plantation slave, played the fiddle.
"I'm the sixth generation in my family to play a musical instrument," says Jackson. "I guess you could say it's in my blood."
Jackson studied with local teachers until her father, impressed with his daughter's talent, took her to audition for the internationally known Hungarian cellist Janos Starker, who teaches at Indiana University. Once a month, Jackson, who was then in high school, made a four-hour trip to her lessons with Starker, who took her on as a student without charging her for the sessions. She later met Parisot during a summer stay at Canada's Banff Center for the Arts, and he encouraged her to come to Yale. Jackson is now in her second year of the three-year Certificate in Performance program.
"I'm very thankful for the opportunity to be here," says Jackson. "I had originally planned to go to the Juilliard School after high school and earn my bachelor's degree there, but the School of Music is such a collegial and encouraging environment. By taking one course each semester in Yale College, I'm able to be around students my own age. I'm having a great experience here."
In addition to her musical study, which involves practicing the cello four hours daily, Jackson performs with other School of Music students in the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale and with campus chamber music groups, including The Yale Cellos, conducted by Parisot.
Jackson says that she has no fears about debuting with some of the world's best-known orchestras as the winner of the Sphinx Competition. "I know that Mr. Parisot will help me to be ready," she says of her teacher. "As long as I'm prepared, there's nothing to be nervous about."
Parisot says that his student is "absolutely" prepared to be in the national -- and even international -- spotlight.
"Patrice is a very gifted young lady," he says. "She has a chance to become a very fine soloist and play with orchestras all over the world. She works very hard and is a great pleasure to have at Yale. I will do everything I can to help her in her goals."
He adds that in addition to her musical talent, Jackson also has a wonderful personality -- which, he says is an essential quality for a performer. "Everybody likes her," comments Parisot.
Noting that African-American and Latino students are traditionally underrepresented in classical music performance, Parisot says that School of Music Dean Robert Blocker is committed to helping change that by drawing talented musicians such as Jackson to Yale and preparing them for careers in music.
As a Sphinx Competition winner, Jackson will serve as a role model for other up-and-coming African-American and Latino musicians. The competition is offered each year by the Sphinx Organization, a national nonprofit organization that promotes arts education and awareness, with a particular emphasis on minority and youth involvement in classical music. As part of that mission, Jackson and the other participants in the Sphinx Competition were coached throughout the contest in master classes and seminars led by renowned musicians and music professionals. Members of the Sphinx Symphony, a group of top musicians from minority backgrounds, also worked with the young competitors and served as the orchestra for the competitors during the contest.
The final competitions for the Sphinx prize featured a performance by noted jazz and classical saxophonist Branford Marsalis and other acclaimed guest artists. Meeting Marsalis was one of the highlights of the event for Jackson.
The Yale cellist's long-term goals haven't strayed much from her big dreams as a 13-year-old. After she completes Yale's Certificate in Music program, she intends to go to Juilliard for her bachelor's degree. After that, she just wants to play her cello on the stage.
"I want to go out and play my best for my audiences," says Jackson. "Mr. Parisot always reminds me that it is not the judges you should think about when you play, it's the non-musicians in the audience. They are the ones who come back to hear you. So whenever or wherever I play, I just want to play my heart out for them."
-- By Susan Gonzalez
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