parties

Symphony Opening Night Channels New York’s Gilded Age with Dvorak and Glam Gala

Symphony Opening Night Channels New York’s Gilded Age with Dvorak and Glam Gala

Sippi and Ajay Khurana (photo by Thomas Campbell)

IN ITS USUALLY grand way, the Houston Symphony’s Opening Night festivities delighted music lovers and gala goers alike.

Some 300 formally attired guests gathered for champagne in the Jones Hall mezzanine before taking in the season-premiere performance. “The performance featured Juraj Valčuha, music director and Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair, leading the orchestra alongside the Houston Symphony Chorus,” said a rep for the Symphony. “This year’s concert featured Dvorak’s The New World Symphony drawing inspiration from his arrival in New York City in the late 1800’s and showcasing themes of America’s landscapes, traditions and cultural exchanges.”

Per the custom, gala guests were loaded into luxury busses and transported to the Corinthian, the regal two-tiered, marble-bedecked event space done up with crystal-dripping chandeliers and copious florals, a la New York’s Golden Age. Think antique blue hydrangea, light blue delphinium, red hanging amaranth, golden cymbidium orchid and more in varying heights. Table settings included vintage stemware. Live jazz and standards were played all night, thanks to Julie Johnson.

Dinner was elaborate. It “began with a baby arugula salad topped with prosciutto San Danielle, long stem artichoke heart, shaved pecorino Romano, toasted pine nuts and white balsamic vinaigrette,” noted the Symphony rep. “For the main course, guests delighted in pan-seared islandic cod drizzled with a lemon-caper Velouté and accompanied by wild rice pilaf with butternut squash, fennel and almonds, and sauteed haricots verts with roasted red peppers.”

The evening’s festivities were chaired by Mary Lynn Marks, and raised more than $550,000 for the orchestra’s education and community-engagement initiatives. ConocoPhillips served as the concert sponsor and a lead gala underwriter for the 39th year. Other patrons included Lindy and John Rydman and Lisa Rydman Lindsey of Spec’s Wine, Spirits, & Finer Foods, who provided wine paired for dinner.

VIP guests included Margaret Alkek Williams, John and Lindy Rydman, Bill and Sharon Bullock, Betty and Jesse Tutor, Sippi and Ajay Khurana, and Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees.

Ann and Jonathan Ayre (photo by Thomas Campbell)

Margaret Alkek Williams (photo by Jacob Power Photography)

Imani Guillory (photo by Jacob Power Photography)

Tablescapes at The Corinthian (photo by Jacob Power photography)

Betty Tutor (photo by Thomas Campbell)

Marguerite Swartz and Mary Sage (photo by Jacob Power Photography)

Tammie and Charles Johnson (photo by Thomas Campbell)

Juraj Valcuha (photo by Thomas Campbell)

Marguerite Swartz and Mary Sage (photo by Jacob Power Photography)

Steve Marks, Mary Lynn Marks and Elizabeth Condic (photo byJacob Power Photography)

Betsy and Ric Weber (photo by Thomas Campbell)

Joan and Bob Duff (photo by Jacob Power Photography)

The scene awaiting guests after the Opening Night concert (photo by Jacob Power)

Svatopluk Sem, Mariana and Robert Simpson (photo by Jacob Power Photography)

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Parties
promoted

Thrive & Inspire: Alchemy’s Arquella Hargrove ‘Inspired by People Making an Impact in the World’

Thrive & Inspire: Alchemy’s Arquella Hargrove ‘Inspired by People Making an Impact in the World’

Arquella Hargrove, Chief Culture Officer and Owner of the Alchemy Consulting Group

WHAT IS THE secret to running a successful business? The secret to a successful business is a rockstar team. With a rockstar team, clients experience the transformation within their culture. This also is connected to other success factors — a commitment to relentless change, communicating courageously, and collaborating to win. The ultimate goal is to be the change for our clients and to create a culture where team members thrive and grow exponentially.

Keep Reading Show less
food

Októ Joins Mi Luna and Marmo as Hot Spots at Mediterranean-Marvelous Montrose Collective

Paella Valenciana at Mi Luna

THOUGH IT'S BEEN in Houston less than a decade, Sof Hospitality has made major inroads with foodies and critics alike. Its concepts include Doris Metropolitan, Hamsa and Badolina Bakery, all of which deliver the rich flavors of Israeli cuisine in complex, photogenic and delicious dishes. Its newest, Októ, opened earlier this year, one of several energetic restaurants to bow in the Montrose Collective, just in time for the holidays.

Keep Reading Show less
Food
art

Five Fabulously Diverse Exhibits Are Arriving at Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Bill Viola’s ‘Ascension,’ on display as part of ‘Living with the Gods’ at MFAH

THE ARTIST WHO ushered in the expressionist movement in the early 20th century was not, in fact, Picasso or Matisse. It was Paul Gauguin, whose career spanned the decades just preceding the turn of the century. The French painter is the subject of the Museum of Fine Arts’ latest exhibit, Gauguin in the World, which was organized by Henri Loyrette (formerly of the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris). The show, just one of the museum’s diverse winter season shows, debuted in Australia in June and will be on display through Feb. 16, 2025, at the MFAH, the only U.S. venue for the survey.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment