Obama to Nominate Aaron Dworkin to National Council on the Arts

December 2010

President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate Aaron Dworkin, BM ’97, MM ’98 (violin), to the National Council on the Arts. Dworkin is a violinist, arts educator, and president of the Sphinx Organization, which he founded in 1996. Sphinx focuses on youth development and diversity in classical music.

Former student of violin professor Stephen Shipps, Dworkin got the idea for Sphinx while still a student. “[He] is changing the face of classical music,” Shipps once told The Ann Arbor News. The nomination is only further proof. Dworkin is also a 2005 MacArthur Fellow and the recipient of countless awards and wide recognition from the arts and business community for his unstinting work.

The National Council on the Arts advises the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts on agency policies and programs. It reviews and makes recommendations on applications for grants, funding guidelines, and leadership initiatives. Dworkin joins other arts advocates on the NCA, including Karen L. Wolff, music educator and former dean of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance (2000-2005). Of the new nominees, President Obama said, "I am confident that these talented individuals will greatly serve this Administration and the American people.
I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years."