Society / The Seen

Musical Wine Dinner Turns Into a Surprise Grammy Pre-Party: Houston Symphony Wins Big Even Before it Makes History

BY // 02.01.18
photography Daniel Ortiz, Wilson Parish

Only two nights before the Houston Symphony and former music director and conductor Hans Graf would win the organization’s first Grammy, symphony patrons gathered in black-tie on stage at Jones Hall for an evening of wine and fine food that was initiated under Graf’s tenure in 2001.

The Austrian maestro is well known for his extensive wine collection and knowledge of the grape. Thus, the “Maestro’s Wine Dinner and Collector’s Auction,” with the participation of the Rydman family of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods, quickly became a popular fundraiser with Graf always attending. With his departure in 2013, the evening was renamed simply the “Wine Dinner and Collector’s Auction.”

The 2018 edition found a sellout crowd of 350 contributing close to $570,000 to symphony education and community programming. The funds were raised through the silent auction of 130 wine lots and raffle tickets for a curated collection of 12 special 100-point wines. The raffle raised $12,000 and Maureen Higdon was the lucky lady loading up her car with that priceless collection.

In a lovely addition to the evening, a trio of symphony musicians — Sergei Galperin and Ferenc Illenyi on violins and Michael Gorman on double bass — performed two lilting melodies from the center of the stage. (Shame, shame on those in the gathering who viewed the brief performance of these lauded musicians as background music and chatted throughout.)

The evening was the debut of Houston Symphony executive director and CEO John Mangum, who took the helm only two weeks prior. In brief remarks to the black-tie crowd, he praised the “incredible orchestra with world class musicians” and his table host, Margaret Alkek Williams, “a wonderful supporter of the Houston Symphony.”

The trés tasteful evening was chaired by Elizabeth and Alan Stein with Beth Madison serving as honorary chair and Bob Weiner as Collector’s Auction chair. City Kitchen provided the lavish three-course dinner while Lindy and John Rydman and Lisa Rydman selected the impressive wine pairings.

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Music matters: Symphony board president Janet F. Clark, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and Gwen, Ann and Jonathan Ayre, Gina and Dr. Devinder Bhatia, Joella and Steve Mach, Cora Sue and Harry Mach, Tara and David Wuthrich, Vicki West and Ralph Burch, Susan and Dick Hansen, Beth Wolff, Robin Angly and Miles Smith, Mary Lynn and Steve Marks, Betsy Garlinger, Sybil Roos, Omana and Sam Abraham, Jena and Buddy Clark and Ishwaria and Vivek Subbiah.

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