Welcome to Denver, James Palermo. This is how we roll:
The Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s new president and chief executive may have landed in the midst of tough economic times, but if he was expecting a lukewarm response to the orchestra’s annual fundraising gala he was in for a big surprise.
Last Saturday’s dinner-dance might not have been a record-breaker, but with 300-some guests and a $194,000 profit it certainly wasn’t a disappointment.
Kevin Duncan, chairman of the Colorado Symphony Association board of trustees, planned the black-tie affair with his wife, Leanne Paez Duncan, and a committee made up of fellow board members Michael Burg, Tensie Holman, Gary Lutz, W. Nicholas Mathers, Heather Miller, Barney Schotters, Willie Shepherd, Lawrence Theis and James Thompson.
A good portion of the income came from a spirited auction put together by Jana Barnes and called by Kathy Kingston.
An in-home concert by classical violinist Joshua Bell the night before his May 21 appearance with the CSO went for $31,000; a violin signed by the great Itzhak Perlman brought $21,000, as did a trip to California that would begin with a stop in the Napa Valley for a party celebrating the release of Silver Oak Cellars’ 2010 cabernet sauvignon. From there, it would be on to Hollywood for prime seats at the Grammys.
Silver Oak, started by Kevin Duncan’s father and run by his brothers, was a presenting sponsor of the gala.
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Jeff Bradley Award, named for The Denver Post’s late critic-at-large, to Will Cravy, a 17-year-old junior at the Denver School of the Arts. Cravy began studying classical bass when he was in eighth grade. He dedicated the award to Amy Harr and Bennett Harper, the widow and son of his mentor, the late CSO bassist Ken Harper.
Gala-goers included the immediate past chair of the CSO board, Cy Harvey, and his wife, Lyndia; CSO Foundation chair John Low and his wife, Merry; University of Denver Chancellor Robert Coombe and his wife, Julanna Gilbert; Erna Butler with daughter Nancy and son-in-law Tony Accetta; Dick Saunders and fiancee Jeanne Portmann; Barry and Polly Gleichenhaus; Jim and Kate Taucher; Dave and Sandy Evans; David and Patty Powell; Bob and Judi Newman; Steve and Cyndi Levey; Dick and Penny Leather; and Paul Keebler, president of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra board, with his wife, Mary Winter. Last year’s Jeff Bradley Award winner, harpist Emily Levin, is a Young Artists Orchestra member.
Coming right up
Dom Perignon, Silver Oak and Caymus are just some of the wines that will be sampled tonight at the Raymond Wentz Foundation’s annual tasting at Palazzo Verdi in Greenwood Village. Incredible Wine & Spirits starts pouring at 5:30 p.m., call 720-238-5401 for last-minute ticket inquiries. . . . Expect plenty of laughs Saturday when Chicken Lips Comedy Theater entertains at Cancer League’s 40th anniversary gala. June Singer Dreibholz, Frederick Dreibholz and Yvette Mount chair this dinner and auction being held at the Grand Hyatt Denver. Sign up at blacktie-colorado.com/RSVP with the event code CLC 5/09. . . . Also on Saturday, Lannie Garrett headlines the Listen Foundation’s 40th anniversary celebration at Infinity Park Event Center (call Pat Greenway, 303-781-9440) and Art in Bloom, a benefit for the St. Mary’s Academy tuition-assistance fund, gets underway at 6 p.m. at Palazzo Verdi. Mary Frances Hummel, Rosalina Diecidue, Cathy Felling and Jackie Griggs are among those helping to plan this evening of food, music and art.
Society editor Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also,
