Grand Finales

Music Director Lorin Maazel conducting the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall.

The opening night of the New York Philharmonic’s 2008/2009 season was titled “Opening Night and Lorin Maazel – a Grand Finale” at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. This was a fundraising evening for the season that marks the end of Maestro Maazel’s tenure as the Philharmonic’s conductor. Sir James Galway was the Guest Artist. The program: Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9 (1843-44); Ibert Concerto for Flute and Orchestra (1932-33) with Sir James and his flute. After the intermission the orchestra returned to play Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36 (1877).

Dinner in the tent in Damrosch Park under the Swarovski crystal chandeliers.

The concert was followed by a gala dinner for several hundred in the tent in Damrosch Park.

Agnes and Gerald Hassell

Behlam Forsa and Anna Benton

Alan Greenspan and Andrea Mitchell

Charles and Anne Niemeth

Diane and Paul Guenther (Chairman of the New York Philharmonic)

Chuck and Carol Schaefer

Daisy and George Soros

Benjamin and Donna Rosen

Dennis and Kathleen Manning

Frank and Lolita Savage

Fred Krimendahl and Emilia Saint-Amand

Jamee and Peter Gregory

Cosby George

Diahn and Tom McGrath

Eugene and Sue Mercy

Gillian Miniter

Bruce Levingston and Katie Ford

Jill and John Chalsty

Larry and Dalia Leeds

First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson (of New York)

Sandy and Stan Warshawsky

Honey Kurtz

Jessica Cerka

Jessie and Rand Araskog

Karen LeFrak

Kevin and Karen Kennedy

Ingeborg and Ira Rennert

Klara and Larry Silverstein

Lizabeth A. Newman

Paula Root

Ronnie Heyman

Sung Han-Andersen and HaeJin Shin

Marina and John French III

Liz and Jeffrey Peek

Yasunori and Harumi Yokote

Music Director Lorin Maazel with his wife, Deitlinde Turban

Yasunori and Harumi Yokote, Robert and Mary Henrikson, and Gerald and Agnes Hassell

Paul Calello of Credit Suisse

Robert and Mary Henrikson

Suzanne and William McDonough

Doubles, the private club in the Sherry Netherland opened for the new season, unveiling its “new look” by designer Tom Britt. “The rejuvenation of Doubles was based on the glamour days of the mid-20th century: young, fun and exciting,” declared Mr. Britt, who with his associate Valentino Samsonadze, created the clubs dazzling new décor. Wendy Carduner, the popular chairman of the club’s board celebrated with a dinner dance last week, and yes, it’s still red.

The guests that night: Tara and Michael Rockefeller, Somers and Jonathan Farkas, Jill and Andrew Roosevelt, Sharon Bush and R. Couri Hay, Felicia Taylor, Mark W. Smith, Christine Schott, Kevin Krier, Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, Katharine Bryan, Bartle Bull, Ellen Niven and Chris Deery, Mark Gilbertson, Jennifer Creel, Geoffrey Bradfield, Debbie Bancroft, Richard Mishaan, Alexandra Lebenthal, Jake Bright, Jackie Astier, Peter Davis and Jackie Rogers were among the first to head down the fabled staircase – with its new pastel burgundy striped walls hung with beautifully framed Sem prints that are on view for the first time.

Walking down the rejuvenated staircase.

The bar was buzzing with old friends being introduced to new ones including Ann Downey, Geoffrey Thomas, Michelle Marie and Jon Heinemann, Tom’s wife Julie Britt, Christopher Mason, Frances Schultz, Doug Steinbrech, Michèle Gerber Klein, Jeff Sharp, Alison Minton, Jason Grant, Georgina Schaeffer, Alex and Shafi Roepers, Katrina Pavlos, George Gurley, Hilary Heard, Roric Tobin, Mona de Sayve, the tromp l’oeil artist Gregg Lewis, Diane Mellina, Caroline Dean, Rose Sachs, Sasha Bonvikh, Jennifer Ceaser, Tom Farley, Lauren Ezersky, Mark Langrish, Beth Landman, Norah Lawlor, Carol and Sonny Dellaire, Montgomery Frazer, Christine Cachot with Michael Foggio, and Lauren Thierry Watkins.

Doubles is famous with its international membership for its fabulous (usually luncheon) buffets. Chef Steven Mellina, who was instrumental to the entire redecorating process, served up an inspired buffet in the game room.

The menu comprised cold buffet selections of Smoked Fish Platter; Bronzini Escabeche, Green Salad, Grilled Calamari, Smoked Salmon and Dill Crepes; Grilled Asparagus with Toasted Almond and Orange Rind, Baby Artichoke, Sun Dried Tomato and Olive Salad,Miso Eggplant Salad; Quinoa Tabbouleh, Cold Spinach and Goat Cheese Pie, Greek Orzo Salad, Jamaican Spiced Charred Shrimp with Jicama Turkey Tunato, Proscuitto with Figs and Blue Cheese; Roasted Pepper Hummus, Roman Cauliflower Salad, Portobello and Roasted Peppers, Tomato and Mozzarella, Broccoli Rabe and Pine Nuts.

And the following hot buffet selections: Leek and Proscuitto Gratin, Baked Mushroom and Phyllo, Mini Crab Cakes; Five Spiced Duck with Citrus Sauce; Mediterranean Whole Fish with Fennel; Lamb Chops with Lemon Pignoli Crust.

Sylvester and Gillian Miniter

Guy Harley, Jennifer Creel, Ellen Niven, and Tristram Deery

Jon and Michelle Marie Heinemann

Sharon Bush and Christine Schott

Debbie Bancroft and Kevin Krier

Roger Webster and Jennifer Ceaser

Hilary Heard, Bartle Bull, and Katharine Bryan

Tom and Julie Britt with Christopher Mason

Michele Gerber Klein

Alexandra Lebenthal, Somers and Jonathan Farkas, and Felicia Taylor

Geoffrey Bradfield, Felicia Taylor, and Roric Tobin

Paola and Arnold Rosenshein

Ann Downey, Geoffrey Thomas, and Mona de Sayve

Georgina Schaeffer, Wendy Carduner, and Daria de Koning

Jill and Andrew Roosevelt

Tom Britt, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Valentino Samsonadze, and Wendy Carduner

Mark Langrish and Lauren Thierry Watkins

Michael Foggio and Christine Cachot

Alex and Shafi Roepers

Peter Davis and Jacke Astier

Diane and Steven Mellina

Mark Gilbertson with Tara and Michael Rockefeller

Last Thursday the Junior Council at the American Museum of Natural History held its kick-off of the 2008-2009 season with a private screening Seas Monsters: a Prehistoric Adventure. The film explores the largely unknown world of the “other” dinosaurs, reptiles that lived beneath the water during the Cretaceous period.

Christopher Raxworthy, Associate Dean of Science for Education and Exhibition and Associate Curator in the Department of Herpetology spoke. Richard Jaffe served as Trustee host.

Co-chairs for the evening were Stephanie and Joe Benavides, Lis and Paul Canty, Christy Corgan, Sarah J. Crews, Eva and Douglas Heyman, Dana Wallach Jones and Michael T. M. Jones, Zachary Pomerantz and Lori Toub and Andrew and Zibby Right.

The AMNH’s Junior Council is one of the City’s most stimulating membership groups for young philanthropists. Founded in 1994, it supports the museum’s mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate – through scientific research and education – knowledge about human cultures, the natural world and the universe. Every year members participate in specially arranged events that offer an intimate view inside the museum’s collections, activities and exhibitions.

Co-chairs Angela Latigona and Jonathan Feldman with Gadin Rosenwaks

Co-chairs Lori Toub and Zachary Pomerantz with Sheri Toub

Speaker Christopher Raxworthy, Associate Dean of Science for Education and Exhibition, and Associate Curator, Department of Herpetology, at the American Museum of Natural History with guests

Co-chair Samuel Stahl and Ali Levie

Co-chairs Zibby and Andrew Right

Guests at the Junior Council Event

Last Monday night at Le Cirque, the restaurant’s proprietor Sirio Maccioni played host to many Palm Beach friends and a gathering of the chairwomen of POSH Palm Beach 2009, a fundraising arm of Lighthouse International.

For the first time, Le Cirque will partner with Club Colette of Palm Beach. The two restaurants have agreed to have their chefs work together to create the menu for the POSH Palm Beach gala which will take place at Club Colette on Wednesday, February 25, 2009. That evening’s event is the preview to the POSH Palm Beach sale which will take place the following day, Thursday, February 26 through Saturday February 28th at the Colony Hotel Pavilion.

The sale benefits Lighthouse International. The POSH sale is a treasure trove of new and gently used clothing, jewelry, hats, shoes and more from design houses like Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Proeza Schouler, Roberto Cavalli, Coach, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton.

Arlene Dahl is Honorary Chair of the evening. Committee members include Catherine Adler, Iris Apfel, Kathy Bleznak, Kim Campbell, Linda Donahue, Diana Ecclestone, Ellen Jaffe, Talbott Maxey, Grace Meigher, Nancy Paul, Tricia Quick and Norma Tiefel.

Melinda Porter and Susanna Cutts

Mr. and Mrs. Candee with Kim Campbell

Dr. Luis Cortes, Arlene Dahl, and Marc Rosen

Sasha and Angela Newly with Bill Eubanks

Emmanuel Burgo

Clo Cohen

Iris and Carl Apfel

Barbara Saltzman, Somers Farkas, and Roger Goldman

Joan Collins and Dr. Tara Cortes

Dan Ponton and Sirio Maccioni

Ms. Daniels with John and Myrna Daniels

Tom McCarter, Frannie Scaife, and Alfred Fiandaca

Mai Harrison and Nancy Paul

Last Wednesday night, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation hosted a shopping event at the Tory Burch boutique on Elizabeth Street in Soho. Guests shopped till they dropped while enjoying cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres. A portion of the evening’s proceeds benefited the Lung Cancer Research Foundation which supports national research studies and activities focused on developing innovative strategies for better treatments, screening, and prevention of all cancers of the lung. The host committee included Kingsley Carson, Laurie C. Carson, Alicia Bouzan-Cordon, Webb Egerton, Lisa McCarthy, Sheri Moalemzadeh, Eliza Nordeman, Elizabeth Ross, Alexia Hamm Ryan, Kimberly Kravis Schulhof, Catherine Shepard, Virginia Wettlaufer, and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.