An Evening of Music, Hellos and Goodbyes

Philharmonic Gala supporters--650 of them--got their money’s worth Wednesday evening at the Music Center’s fall symphony opening benefiting the pension fund. Beyond a doubt. They brought diva Kathleen Battle back to the stage for accolades four times, after she and the orchestra performed Andre Previn and Toni Morrison’s “Honey and Rue” with the orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Battle rewarded the applause with an emotional a cappella “Over my head, I hear music. There must be a God somewhere.”

Even before she sang, Battle was a showstopper in a yellow satin strapless gown and an amazing magenta stole, twice her height. Designed by London’s Michael Stennett, it draped over her arms like a work of art.

The Art Deco party that followed the concert was called “magical” by many. It was. With the foresight of co-chairs Ferne and Stan Margulies and Derek and Diane Lidow and designer David Tutera’s creativity, the party area to the east of the Lipschitz sculpture on the plaza was gowned with a white tent and towering white chiffon tied-back draperies. Stylized calla lilies 16 feet high were placed around real palms. Tables were lush with lilies and gardenias on black taffeta plaid cloths over black satin. Patrick Healy designed the menu.

But the most important ingredient of any party is the people. The crowd had the opportunity to wish Ernest Fleischmann, outgoing executive vice president and managing director, fond farewells (though he remains a consultant) and to meet his replacement, Willem Wijnbergen, 39, managing director of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. The newcomer’s wife, Noelle, arrived from Holland just three hours before the party. In July, she’ll return to set up home in Hancock Park with the couple’s four children.

Eli Broad, chairman of the Oversight Board for the Walt Disney Concert Hall, home-to-be of the Philharmonic, pronounced it “a wonderful evening; it could only be better in the Disney Hall.” And that, he said, “will open in October 2001.”

He added, “We’re at 80% now, and we have some new commitments to announce in about three weeks.”

Diane Disney Miller, major hall donor, was thrilled with the concert, strolling to the party with, among others, Disney Hall architect Frank Gehry and MOCA Director Richard Koshalek with wife Betty.

The most chic place to be at intermission was the Founders. An elbow-to-elbow crowd sipped Perrier or wine. Among them: new Philharmonic President Barry A. Sanders and his wife, Nancy; Philharmonic Chairman Robert Attiyeh and Linda; Nancy and Tim Vreeland; David Vogel; Father Louis E. Libbey, who bought the Panama Canal cruise offered at the pre-concert silent auction; Joseph LaBonte, former Philharmonic president and chairman, and his wife, Donna; Andrea Van de Kamp, chairwoman of Music Center Inc., and husband John.

More in the crowd were David Colter (new CEO of Bank of America) and wife Susan; Brooke Shields and Cynthia Bachman; Dennis and Victoria Hopper; Richard and Jan Colburn and Sharon Gless and Barney Rosenzweig.

Some learned only through the program that John and Joan Hotchkis have offered a $250,000 matching grant to the orchestra.