Ralph Fiennes, royalty and the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra celebrate South Coast Plaza’s 50th anniversary
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At a gala celebration of South Coast Plaza’s 50th anniversary,
“Perhaps of all arts, music is the one that can sidestep language,” said the two-time Academy Award nominee . “Music reaches straight to the soul, putting borders and political and national differences out of focus. Music, I believe, is the great healer. It’s the great unifier.”
Fiennes then spoke of the night’s theme, “Art, Excellence and Friendship,” which he said epitomized the life and work of the late Henry Segerstrom, the visionary behind the Costa Mesa shopping center, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the surrounding complex of art, hospitality and real estate.
The event
A part of South Coast Plaza’s 50th anniversary year, the black-tie affair paid tribute to the many decades of support for the arts by the Segerstrom family. Both the concert, presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, and dinner took place at the Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
The dinner
More than merely foie gras, a mélange of baby beets, loup de mer and a dessert trio, the dinner also featured a performance by classical pianist Denis Matsuev and the Pacific Chorale’s rendition of “Hallelujah” and “Let the River Run.”
The crowd
South Coast Plaza and its co-managing partner Elizabeth Segerstrom couldn’t have brought together a much more diverse and impressive group, which included arts icons, business leaders and what Fiennes called a “legit Brit royal,” Princess Michael of Kent. Also in the mix were Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren, director Taylor Hackford, opera legend Plácido Domingo, video artist Bill Viola, architects
The quotes
“I was blessed with the fantastic opportunity to become a friend of Henry Segerstrom,” Gergiev said onstage at the program’s conclusion. “This concert was devoted to his life, a celebration of his life.” The maestro called the program choice, “Ein Heldenleben, Op. 4,” or “A Hero’s Life,” by Richard Strauss, “a total coincidence,” but added, that Segerstrom will be remembered as “a hero who lived here for many, many decades and did so much for Californians…”
In an earlier conversation, Elizabeth Segerstrom said of her late husband, “The first day we met, I saw he was a visionary, He was exceptional… and for him, the arts had to be at the heart of whatever he touched — in retail, in real estate, in everything, it was always the arts.”
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Ellen Olivier is the founder of Society News LA.
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