[Click here for a Noozhawk photo gallery from the event.]
The first charity event held at the revamped Orient-Express El Encanto Hotel nestled in the hills of the Riviera welcomed the CAMA Women’s Board and Board of Directors for the Rite of Spring 2013 luncheon and fashion trend presentation by Saks Fifth Avenue.
“We are the first nonprofit event that they have hosted and it’s just beautiful — the setting, the gardens and the interiors are very beautifully done,” said Judy Writer, CAMA Women’s Board member. “It’s been a wonderful day. Everyone has come up and said the food is wonderful, the service — everything was exquisite.”
More than 150 guests gathered on a lush and scenic terrace for champagne and hors d’oeuvres graced with soulful strumming of Chris Fossek on classical guitar that heightened the tranquil and joyous.
Inside the lovely ballroom, beautiful harp tones played by Lynette Johnson provided sweet sounds for a lunch provided by the El Encanto’s new executive chef, Patrice Martineau, and included curried green asparagus soup, grilled Atlantic salmon or herb-roasted organic chicken with fingerling potatoes, or penne pasta al arrabiatta topped off with CAMA’s classical Manjari chocolate tart with banana rum whipped cream.
Auctioneer Steve Epstein raised the volume and energy, offering an intriguing array of live auction items, including dinner for 10 at a French country estate in Montecito, an afternoon of adventure with Channel Islands Aviation flying to Santa Rosa Island for a four-wheel-drive tour of the island, brunch and recital in the historic 1930s-era home of Deborah and Peter Bertling and four nights at a New York City condo.
Saks marketing manager Kristi Marks coordinated a fashion trend presentation with models Chris Emmons, Michele Saltoun and Betty Stephens; CAMA board members Carla Hahn, Ed Birch, Judith Hopkinson and Robert Montgomery, and first vice president Patti Ottoboni adorned in elegant Saks Fifth Avenue apparel.
This fashion show brought smiles from excited fashionistas and thanks were offered to committee chairs Bitsy Bacon, Beverly Hanna, Patti Ottoboni and Diana Phillips from CAMA Events, and the CAMA Women’s Board was represented by Deborah Bertling and Ruth Matuszeski.
CAMA is now in its 95th concert season, and the nonprofit organization now in its 62nd year as a support group to CAMA presented this lovely afternoon event to support CAMA’s music education program in Santa Barbara schools and concerts at the Granada and Lobero theaters, raising $22,000 toward this community treasure.
“CAMA has done a fabulous job of bringing musical talent to our city for 95 years, and we’ve also provided wonderful music in the public school education system that has been hugely successful and has expanded to 17 different schools and thousands of students have been affected by this music education program,” Writer said.
Other key programs that CAMA offers to the community include the International Series and Masterseries concerts and music education programs that reach 1,500 elementary, junior and high school students in Santa Barbara County.
The CAMA International Series 2013-14 concert season will showcase an amazing lineup of recitals and world-class orchestra by some of the world’s finest classical musicians at concerts held at the Granada Theatre with a Season of the Violin, including appearances by Itzhak Perlman in recital on Sept. 19, Pinchas Zukerman with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Jan. 21, 2014, and Joshua Bell with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields on March 21, 2014.
The Masterseries concerts, established in 1982, host classical recitals at the Lobero Theatre and feature an eclectic mix of instrumental soloists and outstanding chamber music performed by internationally acclaimed musicians, such as two of the world’s top pianists, Stephen Hough in recital on April 8, 2014, and Richard Goode in recital on May 14, 2014.
CAMA’s extensive music educational programs, such as Music Matters now in its 11th year, reach students in fourth through sixth grade from dozens of local elementary schools. The three-year, 24-unit curriculum program combines the study of folk and classical music tradition with performances by musicians demonstrating these traditions at school assemblies.
CAMA graciously thanks the Rite of Spring 2013 sponsors:
» Concerto level: Leatrice Luria
» Sonata level: Peter and Becky Adams, Bitsy and Denny Bacon, Patricia and Larry Durham, Sheila Bourke McGinity, Bob and Val Montgomery, Patti Ottoboni, Ellen Parton, and Mr. and Mrs. George Writer
» Rondo level: Suzanne Bock, Bridget Colleary, Dr. and Mrs. Robert Failing, Granville Harper, Maren Henle, Karin Nelson and Eugene Hibbs Jr., Lynn Kirst and Lynn Matteson, Lois Kroc, Doris Murray Kuhns, John Lundegard, Mary Lloyd Mills, Regina Roney, Susanne and Gary Tobey, and Barbara and Sam Toumayan
— Noozhawk iSociety columnist Melissa Walker can be reached at mwalker@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
