Recap: Houston Chamber Choir Gala, Heart & Song
WHAT: In keeping with the 2022-23 season theme A Heart for the Choral Art, 160 partygoers gathered for the Grammy® Award-winning Houston Chamber Choir’s 2023 gala, Heart & Song, at the iconic Petroleum Club in downtown Houston to celebrate 28 years of making beautiful music. The diverse crowd of music lovers began arriving at 5:30 p.m. for the VIP cocktail reception, mixing and mingling before dinner was served. Along with wine and champagne, they sipped on a specialty bourbon cocktail with pomegranate juice and ginger beer, called “Ain’t It a Pretty Night” and sampled delicious appetizers. Pre-dinner entertainment was provided by pianist Marvin Gaspard, a noted Houston musician, composer and arranger. The dinner program got underway at 7 p.m. with emcee duties handled by arts and culture expert St. John Flynn, a long-time supporter of the choir. In celebration of his five years of collaborative work with the Houston Chamber Choir, the choir members delighted the audience with a beloved carol arranged by Gaspard, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” The dinner was interspersed with solos by Choir members, including Rebecca Castillo, Rameen Chaharbaghi, Wayne Ashley, Emily Wolfe, Melanie Piché Miller, Paul Steffan and Patrick Schneider. Dr. Andreea Muţ provided piano accompaniment.
The live auction, in the capable hands of Traci Yeaman, featured opportunities unique to Houston Chamber Choir supporters, including conducting a rehearsal, which was won by Dr. Warren Ellsworth IV. Patrons also bid on sponsoring the various choir sections - Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. The singers in each category took to the stage to whip up enthusiasm for their sections. The soprano section, the last opportunity presented, brought in the highest dollar amount this year. Each sponsor will have exclusive naming rights for their section, appearing on all digital and print promotional materials in the 2023-2024 season. A highlight of the evening was when Houston Chamber Choir Founder and Artistic Director Robert Simpson made a special announcement of a generous anonymous gift of $200,000 that will act as seed capital to establish the permanent financial future of the organization to guarantee the security of the Grammy Award-winning ensemble.
Closing out the evening, the choir sang “Drinking of the Wine”, and paddles were up to add to the coffers to benefit the choir’s education programs. This includes the “Hear the Future” program that features the best of school choirs in concert and a workshop led by noted leaders in the choral field. The gala brought in more than $400,000 to support the Houston Chamber Choir’s mission.
UNDERWRITERS:
Silvercrest Asset Management - 2022-23 Season Underwriter
Talos Energy - 2023 Gala Beverage Sponsor
Auction Sponsors:
Apollo Chamber Players
Ars Lyrica
DaCamera
Mercury Chamber Orchestra
ROCO
WHEN: Sunday, Mar. 26 (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.)
WHERE: Petroleum Club of Houston Houston, 77002
GUESTS:
Board Members
Rick Kellogg and wife Jan Kellogg
Dr. Warren Ellsworth IV
Alli Bittner and husband Dr. Sean Bittner
Jack Byrom
Jacob Malinoff and wife Amanda Malinoff
Johanna Wolfe and husband Richard Wolfe
Angela Bongat and husband Dr. Justin Seaman
Calvin Dotsey
Rebecca Castillo
Sunil Metil
Staff
Robert Simpson, Founder and Artistic Director with wife and Choir member Marianna Parnas- Simpson
Brian Miller, Executive Director
April Harris, Director of Operations
Olivia Duncan, Communications Manager
Additional Guests
Cece Fowler
Sonja Bruzauskas and Houston Haymon
William McKenzie
Pat Hardesty and Glenda Fontenot
Frank Hood
Betsy Cook Weber and Frederic Weber
Kathryn Ketelsen