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 In summer, when the days are long
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The Women’s Board of Ravinia hosted the festival’s annual Gala Benefit Evening in Chicago. |
Last Tuesday night at Lincoln Center they opened the 42nd Mostly Mozart Festival, the sixth season under the artistic direction of conductor Louis Langrée.
This year's festival, which spreads 60 music, dance, film and video events over nearly four weeks, began with two very different symphonies: Mozart's Symphony No. 40 and Das Lied von der Erde by Mahler.
Although the two Austrian composers were born nearly 100 years apart, they shared a knack for composing transcendent music under extreme emotional pressure.
In the summer of 1788, Mozart was under extreme financial pressure.
His six-month-old daughter had died and his wife was in ill health and the composer had to borrow money to support himself and his wife. The stress, however, did not prevent him from writing his three final symphonies that June, July, and August.
His Symphony No. 40 which was performed on the Festival’s opening night last week, was completed on July 25, 1788.
Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde was also written under stress for its creator who’d just lost his daughter and was diagnosed with a heart ailment at the time of its writing.
He might have called this symphony No. 9, which it was, but decided not to because he believed that no composer could top Beethoven’s writing of 9 symphonies. So he called it Das Lied. Ironically Gustav Mahler died before it was finally performed for the first time in Munich in 1911. |
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Peter and Jamee Gregory |
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Richard and Kathy Ravitch |
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Renee and Robert Belfer |
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Martin and Edith Segal |
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Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Hon. Mario Cuomo |
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Jennie and Richard Descherer (honoree) |
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Donald Newhouse and Marlene Hess |
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Chris Descherer and Amanda Honeycutt |
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Lillian Vernon, David Hochberg (her son), and Barbara Block |
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Ann and Thomas Unterberg with Pam Schneider |
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Mary Lake Bennack and Frank A. Bennack, Jr. with the Hon. Mario Cuomo |
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Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz |
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Music Director Louis Langree and Lincoln Center President Reynold Levy |
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Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Richard K. Descherer, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg |
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A hop, skip and a jump to Chicago, Illinois where the Women’s Board of Ravinia hosted the festival’s annual Gala Benefit Evening on Saturday, July 19, 2008. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who made international television history by singing at the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer, performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ravinia Music Director James Conlon in a program featuring works by Verdi, Richard Strauss, Schreker, Canteloube, Bizet, Puccini and Cilea.
This special black-tie evening began with cocktails on the north lawn followed
by the concert. Immediately following the performance, dinner was served under the Gala marquee. There were approximately 1,000 guests, and the evening -- the only performance fund-raiser benefiting America’s oldest not-for-profit music festival, including its education and community partnership initiatives -- raised approximately $1.2 million.
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Dinner under the tent |
The 2008 Gala was overseen by the Women’s Board committee headed by Gala co-chairmen Bobbie Besant Denison and Claudia Stewart Lane. Mrs. John E. Van Horn and Betsey N. Pinkert served as the Gala Benefactor co-chairmen and Lucy Minor and Joseph Gregoire served as the Trustee Benefactor co-chairmen. Jane D. Casper was the Women’s Board chairman.
The evening’s opulent décor was created by Kehoe Designs. Dinner was catered by Jewell Events Catering with wine generously provided by Terlato Wines International. |
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Joseph and Claire Gregoire |
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Claudia Lane and Bobbie Denison |
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Welz Kauffman and Jane Casper |
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Kathy Ingraham and James Jacobson |
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Mamie and Greg Case |
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Dale and Betsy Pinkert with Welz Kauffman |
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David and Jane Casper |
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Kate Lovejoy |
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Katherine and John Bueller |
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Lester and Renee Crown |
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Ana Silva |
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Rob and Anne Krebs |
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Paul and Susan Lovejoy |
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Toni-Marie Montgomery and Raymond Tymas-Jones |
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Anne and Alan Lerner |
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Fran Maher and John Edwardson |
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Audrey Rubenstein |
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Neela Seenandan and Jason Hanold |
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Julie Denison |
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Dr. Maria Ashley |
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Ann Mastrapa |
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Mary Hoppe |
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Dolores Kohl Kaplan |
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Victoria Appel |
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Dame Kiri Te Kanawa |
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Jennifer Ringo Conlon |
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James Conlon and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa |
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Sara Pfaff |
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| Friends and supporters of the New York Stem Cell Foundation gathered at the East Hampton home of Jody and John Eastman to learn more about the latest remarkable breakthroughs in stem cell research. Susan L. Solomon, NYSCF co-founder and CEO, Dr. Zach Hall, NYSCF board member and former President of the California State Stem Cell Initiative, and Dr. Daylon James, a NYSCF research fellow, spoke about the foundation’s role in accelerating this cutting edge research as scientists work to discover cures for diseases ranging from diabetes to ALS and cancer. |
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Ted Hartley and Dina Merrill, John Eastman, Susan L. Solomon, and Jodie Eastman |
| Founded in 2005, the NYSCF is a privately funded foundation dedicated to furthering human stem cell research to advance the search for cures of the major diseases of our time. The Foundation opened the first privately funded human embryonic stem cell laboratory in New York City in March 2006 to serve as a safe haven for scientists to conduct advanced human embryonic stem cell research free of Federal restrictions. The organization supports the scientists engaged in stem cell research through grants, fellowships and symposia; runs collaborative, state of the art research facilities supported entirely with private funds and directly focused on curing disease; and educate the public about the importance and potential benefits of stem cell research. |
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Dr. Zach Hall, Susan Solomon, and Jodie and John Eastman |
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Donlad and Vera Blinkin with Mickey Straus and Kathy Steinberg |
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Kathleen Turner, Susan L. Solomon, and Lorne Michaels |
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Chris Browne, Marilyn Breslow, Susan Solomon, Jan Breslow, Kristin Darnell, and Andrew Gordon |
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Richard Meier and Paul Goldberger with friends |
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Dan and Cynthia Lufkin with Roy and Gail Geronemus |
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Tom Marino, Susan L. Solomon, Roy Geronemus, Laura Blankfein, Jill Marino, and Lloyd Blankfein |
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Michelle Coook and Laura Landro |
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Joel Marcus, Susan L. Solomon, and Roy Geronemus |
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Steve Kroft, Jenny Conant, Betsy Ross, and Clifford Ross |
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| Savanna's, the East Hampton hotspot, hosted a post brunch to celebrate the James Beard Foundation's Chefs and Champagne fundraiser honoring Wolfgang Puck. |
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Abby and Keith Sroka |
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Alan Lieberman and Bonnie Clearwater |
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Sirio Maccioni
with Fabrizzio |
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Elizabeth Blau, Cole Canteenwalla, and Kim Canteenwalla |
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Neal Sroka, Paul Barlotta, and Debby Sroka |
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Gayle Perry Sobel and Howard Sobel |
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Kathy and Rick Hilton |
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Paul and Julie Marshall |
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Karyn Mansour, Joe Jurist, and Ilene Wetson |
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Valerie Lonigro and Lauren Canetti |
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Ramona Singer |
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Neal Sroka, Sirio Maccioni, and Joe Jurist |
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The Hampton Designer Showhouse opened with a gala preview on Saturday, July 19. 450 guests attended. All proceeds from both the evening and the run of the showhouse will benefit Southampton Hospital.
Mrs. Alessandro di Montezemolo and Mildred Brinn were the Honorary Co-Chairs of the Showhouse. Mario Buatta was Honorary Gala Chair. Gary Crain was Honorary Design Chair and James Alan Smith was Decorative Arts Chair. Showhouse Management is provided by Tony Manning, Journal Management is provided by Kay Gilman, and Showhouse Operations are provided by Mary Lynch.
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The 2008 Designers. |
This year’s Showhouse is located at 59 Farm Court in Sagaponack, NY. The house is co-brokered by Bonny Aarons and Janette Goodstein of Prudential Douglas Elliman and Andrew Saunders of Saunders & Associates.
Prudential Douglas Elliman is the Real Estate Sponsor of the showhouse. Electrolux is the Design Sponsor of the showhouse. |
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The 2008 Hampton Designer Showhouse. |
| The Hampton Designer Showhouse runs through Sunday, August 31st. Showhouse hours will be as follows: Monday through Sunday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Children under six, infants, strollers and pets are not allowed in the Showhouse. Admission to the showhouse is $30 and includes the Showhouse Journal. For more information call 631-537-0455 or visit www.hamptondesignershowhouse.com. |
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Catherine di Montezemolo and Robert Chaloner |
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Bonny Aarons, Dottie Herman, and Janette Goodstein |
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Rod Kosann and Monica Rich Kosann |
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Andy Taylor and Nancy Stout |
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Richard Gherardi and William Landberg |
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Mario Buatta and Steven Stolman |
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Iris and Jay Dankner |
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Alexander and Tracey Furman |
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Susan Goodfriend and Tom Shaffer |
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Jamee and Peter Gregory |
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Tony Manning and Ilene Wetson |
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Kay Gilman and Herb Schmertz |
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Gary Crain and James Alan Smith |
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| Photographs by © Julie Skarratt Photography (Mozart); Ginger Popper (Stem Cell); Richard Lewin (Showhouse). |
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