William & Mary Music Professor Sophia Serghi’s composition “Dragonflies” headlines a new album of classical music that just won a gold medal from the Global Music Awards, considered the industry’s “golden seal of approval.” 

“Dragonflies” is the first track on “Symphonic Stradivarius,” performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The album contains 12 contemporary compositions performed by the orchestra with soloist Davide Alogna playing a 1690 “Stephens” Stradivari, which takes its name from Alfred Stephens, who bought the violin in 1928.

“It’s not every day you get to write a piece for a solo Stradivari,” Serghi said, “and the soloist did a wonderful job. It is not an easy piece to play. It’s very virtuosic.”

According to Alogna, the 1690 “Stephens” Stradivari belongs to the first group of red-varnished violins ever made. It has been on loan to gifted violinists during the past 10 years through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship and is considered one of the best-sounding Stradivari instruments ever created.

Serghi reports that the album has gotten “quite a bit of interest” in the world of classical music. “It’s gotten some great traction, and winning the ‘golden seal of approval,’ marks it as one of the best contemporary classical albums,” she said. “It’s not why we write music, but (the award) is definitely a wonderful surprise.”

The piece was initially commissioned by the Ardelia Trio for violin, cello and piano, and premiered as part of the Ewell Concert Series in Ewell Recital Hall in November 2022. 

Serghi started at William & Mary in 1998 and teaches music composition, film scoring and songwriting in the music department. In 1994, she graduated summa cum laude from Lewis and Clark College in Oregon, where she was named a Fulbright Scholar. Subsequently, she earned an M.A. and D.M.A. from Columbia University as a Mellon Fellow.

“My contribution to the ‘Symphonic Stradivarius’ album was made possible with the generous support of William & Mary, through the Dean of Arts & Sciences Faculty Grant Fund Award, the Department of Music and private funds,” Serghi said. “I would specifically like to thank Provost Peggy Agouris, Dean Suzanne Raitt, and Professor Richard Marcus for their support of my work.”

The album was released by Parma/Navona Records in January 2025 and is available on YouTube or through streaming services listed here.