Photo Credit: Shawn Lee
Afa Dworkin
President and Artistic Director, Sphinx Organization
Speaking at Opening Session
Afa Sadykhly Dworkin is a nationally recognized music-industry thought leader and cross-sector strategist who advances excellence, innovation, and equity 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 the arts. Afa oversees Sphinx’s strategic, fundraising, and artistic vision, expanding access to education and supporting a national roster of distinguished artists. Sphinx’s work reaches 100 million people through live and digital platforms and partners with more than 300 organizations worldwide.
Named one of Musical America’s Top 30 Influencers, Afa is a recipient of The Kennedy Center’s Human Spirit Award and Chamber Music America’s Arts Advocate of the Year. Her writing appears in The New York Times and Strings. A violinist with 30+ years in the field, she also draws on international corporate experience in Baku, Azerbaijan.