Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Chicago, L.A., Miami, and Palm Beach Social Diary

Liri Dancers performing in front of Symphony Center before the event begins.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Gala Opening Night was held on Saturday, September 20th at Chicago’s Symphony Center. The star was pianist Lang Lang. Conducting the CSO was Charles Dutoit, chief conductor, The Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor of the Royal Philharmonic.

The Gala Celebration included a cocktail reception at 6 pm in Symphony Center’s Buntrock Hall and the Grainger Ballroom followed by the concert with a post-concert dinner dance in Millennium Park.


	Anne Fraumann

Lang Lang joined the CSO opening night performance playing the Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2. The CSO was featured in Sibelius’ Finlandia and Mussorgsky’s Picture at an Exhibition – all audience favorites. Per tradition, the program opened with a rousing rendition of The Stars Spangled Banner. Lang Lang is considered by the New York Times to be the “hottest artist in the classical music planet."

The evening was entitled "Northern Lights" and the dinner décor followed the theme with each table hosting Scandinavian-inspired risers containing a profusion of northern larch pine and lower vessels filled with orange, cream roses and smoke bush on a purple cloth. The menu included a Seafood trio, followed by an entree of Squab Breast and Poached Lobster, ending with a multi colored dessert of Cranberries, Orange Chantilly and Almonds. Guests Danced to the music of The Entourage. Trolleys carried the guests from Symphony Center to the massive tent at Millennium Park.

Lang Lang, Conductor Dutoit and several of the Orchestra’s musicians attended the dinner – this added additional excitement to the Gala evening. Corporate sponsors included BP, Northern Trust, Baxter, Diamond, ITW, Boeing, National City Bank, Motorola and Winston & Strawn.

Chairing the Gala Evening Celebration concert and dinner at Millennium Park were Chester Gougis and Shelley Ochab of Chicago, Vice-Chairs were Kenneth and Jane Pigott of Winnetka. Members of the committee included Wayne and Nancy Boberg, Joseph and Madeleine Glossberg and Penny and John Van Horn of Chicago. From the north shore were Dora and John Aalbregtse, Cathy and Bill Osborn of Winnetka, and Byron and Diane Karzas of Lake Forest.

Chet Gougis, co-chair of the Gala, with Carol Prinz and John Hart

Lang Lang with Crystal Ashby of BP — major Gala sponsor

Cindy and Randy Lyon

Zhanna Ishmurzima and Rebecca Mills

John and Penny Van Horn — Penny is president of the Women's Association of The CSO

Sara Chaffetz, Deborah Rudder, president of the CSO, and Peter Chaffetz

Laura Snyder

Russ and Pam Strobel with Ashley Wheater, artistic director of the Joffrey Ballet

Jenny Berg, Amalie Drury, and Jeff Corney

Last Wednesday night in Costa Mesa, California, Lang Lang the brilliant Chinese concert pianist who played at the opening of the Beijing Olympics, changed the note at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. The Monday before he played it on Jay Leno and then on Wednesday for the Polish first lady of Orange County, Elizabeth Segerstrom.

Lang Lang the most famous pianist in the world, a rock star in China and recently profiled in The New Yorker, wore a black silk suit with a rocket-like pin of diamonds attached to the jacket and crocodile patent shoes for the recital. At times compared to Liberace and Elton John, he is a unique and charming 26-year-old, and was the last person at the after party on Wednesday night. The recent book "Lang Lang Playing with Flying Keys" chronicles his amazing journey from China to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Dean Corey, Lang Lang, Elizabeth Segerstrom, Charlie Palmer, and Henry Segerstrom

Last Wednesday night was the very glamorous Harry Winston sponsored opening of the Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom Select Series at the Hall.

The virtuoso concert artist stroked and pounded the keys of the black German Hamburg Steinway, 40,000 lbs of string pressure, playing Schubert, Debussy, Chopin and a very fast Flight of the Bumble Bee.

For the first time ever a digital Sony screen projected his hands onto a large screen as he played.

Lang Lang performs.

At the glamorous after party at Charlie Palmer's, Lang Lang talked to everyone. He spoke of his kids program in New York and his kids book "Playing with Flying Keys".

"I was so intensely involved with his music and movements" said actress Jackie Bisset. "His music is so sensitive. It can take you into a reverie."

Elizabeth Segerstrom, chair of the evening to benefit the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, wore a sapphire blue Oscar de la Renta fishtail evening gown with Harry Winston jewels. She raved about Lang Lang's remarkable stage presence, charm, whimsy and humor.

LA Models dressed in Valntino and & Harry Winston.

Among those at the soiree were Betty Huang in a lace Valentino, the co-chair, with her CalTech rocket scientist husband S.L. Huang, Gloria and R.J. Brandes, Sally Crockett, Dean Corey, President of the OC Philharmonic Society and his wife
Kaly; Robin McMonigle, in black Carolina Herrara, and her husband the developer John McMonigle, Jackie Bisset, and Tim Vreeland.

Lang Lang enthusiastically was arranging to return to the Concert Hall next year and bring an Orchestra. "A citizen of the world, he will build bridges through music and bring people together" said arts patron Henry Segerstrom.

The troubles of the week were forgotten for several hours of joy on Wednesday night. A young musician had changed the tune! Next up in the Segerstrom Series is Gustavo Dudamel, the young prodigy conductor, 27, from Venezuela who will conduct the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on November 23rd. Next year Dudamel becomes the conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra, one of the best in the world, when Esa Pekka Salonen retires.

Kaly and Dean Corey

Betty and SL Huang

Elizabeth Segerstrom, Charlie Palmer, and Pamela and Steven Hoefflin

Lang Lang and Henry Segerstrom

Priscilla Morgan and Charles Fabius

Eve Kornyei, Debra Gunn Downing, and Heather Kralik

Gianna Weiss and Christina Lyon

Robin McMonigle and Joni Brice

Lang Lang and Jacqueline Bisset

Mickey and Ishani Dhillon with Randy Soto

North America’s only Blumarine Boutique at the Village of Merrick Park held an event benefiting Fashionably Conscious for Coconut Grove Cares. A life size blow up of the September cover of Social Affairs magazine featuring beaming heiress and philanthropist Sarah Arison dressed in Blumarine was the centerpiece of a swank party that kicked off the Miami social season.

The event was hosted by Social Affairs publisher Norma Quintero as well as Blumarine boutique owners Filippo Alzetta and Helena Cisneros-Alzetta. Co-Chairs of the event Liza Gallardo Walton and Marcia Martinez joined Sarah’s mother Giselle Kovac, Sanford and Dolores Ziff, Tina Carlo, Carlos Navarro, Diane Ares, Candido Viyella, Jeanne Coness, Christina DePaul, Ali Codina, Aldo and Ramona Busot, Tim Johnson, Fernando Wong, Luis Quintero, William Meyersohn, Elyze Held and Jorley Rotella for an evening of gorgeous gowns and ice cold Grey Goose Martinis.

Diane, Aristoteles, and Adrian Ares

Jeanne Rouco-Conesa and Maria Elena Rouco

Karon and Monica Noboa

Norma and Alessandra Quintero

Andrew and Raquel Waters

Sarah Arison, Jon Batchelor, and Lucy Morillo

Helena Cisneros-Alzetta, Norma Quintero, William Meyersohn, and Sarah Arison

Marcia Martinez, Katharine Rubino, and Liza Gallardo Walton

Amy and Steve Poliakoff

Lucy Morillo, Giselle Kovac, Tim Johnson, and Sarah Arison

Anabella Viyella, Alexandra Baker, and Patricia Rodriguez

Zurami Pascual and Carlos Navarro

Maria Elena Rouco, Ernesto Mendoza, and Leslie Munsell

Angie Ochoa and Ysset Boan

Norma Quintero wih Sanford and Dolores Ziff

Patricia and Rolando Rodriguez

Julie Ferguson and Fernando Wong

Orlando and Ileana Martinez, Berna Hoytink, and Orlando Martinez , Jr.

Down in Miami Epic Residences and Hotel, located in the heart of downtown, played host with a booksigning to New York author/fashion writer Tatiana Boncompagni and her first novel Gilding Lily. The sunset cocktail party in honor of the author drew many adoring book enthusiasts and guests, all who enjoyed Roberto Cavalli martinis and pink Prosecco.

Clever, juicy, and nearly impossible to put down, Gilding Lily [Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers], by noted style columnist Tatiana Boncompagni, is a hilarious roman à clef set amid Upper Eastside play dates, designer-clad yummy mummies, loaner gowns, and socialite specialists. Tatiana takes readers behind-the scenes of New York’s catty and competitive social world and into the mind of a young woman trying desperately to balance her roles of good mother, good wife, and rising social star.

Amanda Akerman, Selmin Arat, and Carol Bell

Marysol Patton and Kathryn Boza

Francesca Traldi, Tatiana Boncompagni, and Karen Quinn

Renaud Dubois and Marcela Braga

Tatiana and Epic girls

Veronica Cervera and Alexandra Goeske

Marysol Patton, Harry Kohlmann, and Gina Arcic

Wyn Bradley and Patrick Jeary

Roxanna Susanebar, Gustavo Urbina, and Silvia Souza

Lily Espinaza, Maxine Earle, Carmel Dubuque, and Amy Deve

Marcela Braga, Renaud Dubois, Ula La Madrid, and Franck Vlasseman

Ivonn Goihman and Monique Saka

Tatiana Boncompagni and Nickel Goeske

Rich Hayworth and Lindsay Jackman

From Palm Beach. Whatwith the world as we know it rearranging itself before our very eyes, one can easily forget the challenges that existed before the Wall Street Bailout and the upcoming Presidential election — namely the HIV/AIDS crisis that took and continues to take our loved ones from us with such a cruel hand.

Even in tony Palm Beach, CAP (the Comprehensive AIDS Program of Palm Beach County) continues to fight the relentless HIV/AIDS battle in a county that, while home to America’s richest of the rich, is also the scene to unspeakable poverty, and new infections, especially on its western fringes of sugar fields, citrus farms and tumbledown towns that bring tears to one’s eyes and makes one question how “this is America?”

Tom Shaffer and Peter Cromarty

Steven Stolman and Michel Witmer

For 20 years, CAP has been there for all, providing testing and educational outreach programs, treatment counseling and management, and social services as basic as procuring food, clothing and shelter to those fighting for their own lives along with those of their families.’

To kick off this year’s CAPPY Awards (CAP Persons of the Year,) local tastemakers Allan Reyes and Tom Miller opened their spectacular new MOMA-like home for a hundred plus folks. There: honorary chairmen Barbara and Michael Crimi, CAP CEO Yolette Bonnet, John Castagna and John Strangi, Don Burns and Greg Connors, Lydia Crozier, Peter Cromarty, Tom Shaffer, Mark Montgomery, Liz Quinn, Penny and Alan Murphy, Jack Young, Stewart Krever, art expert Michel Cox Witmer, Eric Telchin, Scott Kent, Sandra Saldrigas, Dan Hall, Ryan Gill and so many more who quaffed champagne and nibbled on Jade Kitchen’s stunning hors d’oeuvres while eyeing their watches to dash home in time for the Biden-Palin debate.