Catherine D. Anspon | Photos by Jenny Antill
- Posted:
- July 06, 2012
- Event Date:
- September 10, 2011
It’s considered the trumpet call to the season — the performing arts and the social calendars both begin with the Houston Symphony Opening Night Gala. This fall’s black-tie act had all the pomp and pleasure befitting its program: the immortal Beethoven’s final symphony and one of the composer’s best-loved compositions, No. 9: Ode to Joy. The sublime performance in Jones Hall, with Maestro Hans Graf on the podium, featured a jubilant choral component and a standing ovation, bookended by champagne cocktails at the Corinthian, then a return to the venue’s colonnaded halls (decked out in vibrant ribbons by Rebekah Johnson) for a post-concert seated dinner catered by Jackson and Company and dancing to Richard Brown Orchestra. In all, 456 revelers partook of the musical and culinary feast, which was duet-chaired by Kathi and Bill Rovere. The noteworthy night honored orchestral angels Helen and Jim Shaffer, as well as Community Partner The Methodist Hospital System, with its innovative Center for Performing Arts Medicine.