Party Pictures 3/18/03 - London Symphony Orchestra 2003 New York Gala

London Symphony Orchestra 2003 New York Gala

Recital featuring Petra Lang and 1st violinist Alexander Janiczek

Two Thursdays ago the London Symphony Orchestra celebrated the 75th birthday of Sir Colin Davis at its New York Gala which was held at the Metropolitan Club. Sir Colin has been conducting the LSO, as it’s called by its friends, for more than thirty-five years. There was a cocktail reception, a recital performed by Metropolitan Opera tenor Ben Heppner, Petra Lang, Alastair Miles, Sara Mingardo and a special tribute by the great Jessye Norman. The evening was in the presence of HRH the Duke of Gloucester, as a representative of the LSO’s royal patron, Her Majesty The Queen.

Gala co-chairmen were Mr. and Mrs. Roderick Gow (April and Roddy to their friends), Mrs. Ridgely W. Harrison (Mai to her friends) and Mrs. John S. Hilson (Gail). The Gows and the Mesdames Harrison and Hilson make it happen, including getting Sony Corproration of America as the Gala Corporate Underwriter, thanks to Sony’s generous chairman Sir Howard Stringer. Sony has recorded many of LSO’s famed recordings, including the soundtracks of the Star Wars films.

The LSO benefit committee included Mr. and Mrs. Martin Gruss, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Davidson, Mr. and Mrs. Winston Spencer Churchill, Sir Thomas and Lady Harris, Mr. and Mrs. Baird Ryan, Mrs. Randolph Hearst, Ms. Alexandra Munroe and Mr. Robert Rosenkranz, Mr. and Mrs. Alan Quasha, Mrs. Shirley Lord Rosenthal, Ambassador John L. Loeb and Ms. Sharon Handler, Sir Jeremy and Lady Greenstock, Mrs. Anna Moffo Sarnoff, Mrs. Elizabeth Stribling, Ms. Yue-Sai Kan and Mr. Philip Warner.