Sorry, Wolfie, the cake and the singing wasn’t for you.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart would have been 250 years old that day, but celebrating the composer’s birthday isn’t why Denver Lyric Opera Guild was partying up a storm at Cherry Hills Country Club on Jan. 27.
“It was purely by chance that we picked this date,” said president Jolayne Lowell as she welcomed the largest crowd ever to turn out for the Patron Dinner that the guild has staged over the past two decades to raise prize money for its annual vocal competition. The dinners have allowed DLOG to award $500,000 to aspiring opera singers and opera education programs in local secondary schools and universities.
The 2006 competition is being chaired by Dr. Lyn Barber. The preliminaries begin March 4 at First Plymouth Congregational Church, 3501 S. Colorado Blvd. The finals are March 11 at the same location. Admission is free.
Helen Santilli, a past president of the Opera Colorado Guild, shared the happy news that she and Barber were celebrating their 30th anniversary by adopting a Siberian husky puppy. Their tablemates at the Patron Dinner included Opera Colorado co-founder Nat Merrill and his wife, Pamela Meyers Merrill; Cathy Auman; B.J. and Dr. Robert Lewis; Mary Ann Ross and Jack Race.
DLOG past presidents Terry Biddinger and Mary Hayes were seated nearby, with Biddinger talking up the annual Celebration of Success Dinner that benefits the University of Colorado at Denver School of Business. It takes place May 17 at the new Hyatt Regency Denver with cable magnate John Malone as the guest speaker. “He never does stuff like this,” Biddinger said of the intensely private Malone, “so we feel we’ve scored quite a coup.” Others at the Biddinger-Hayes table were CU-Denver Chancellor Jim Shore and his wife, Chris; Biddinger’s husband, psychiatrist John Biddinger; mezzo-soprano Melissa Malde, who performed after dinner with her University of Northern Colorado colleague, baritone William Wilson; and Tom and Ann Cope.
Helen Burns founded DLOG in 1965, and her daughter, Marcia Hoehler, attended the dinner with her husband, Richard. Alice Maercklein, one of the founding members, was there too, along with Sally and Jim Kneser (she’ll be the speaker at the guild’s next Opera on Tuesday brunch, discussing how opera enthusiasts can better train their ears to appreciate nuances in the music); Gloria and Guy Andrus; Mary Ann Norblom; Carley Warren; Bob and Jackie Writz; Mike and Carole Cruson; Jolee Fraterelli; and event chair Trish Pansze and her husband, Art.
Also taking part in the fundraiser: Jackie Schreiner; Pat and Duane Lambert; Dorothy Broscovak; Carol Hoffman; Rod and Phyllis Wicklund; Sarita List; Jeanne Carpenter; Deanna Leino; Mignone Chapman; Helen Martz; Dar Ried; Glo Hess; Larry and Jeanette Thrower; and Carol Koclanes.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
