Rolex Hosts the 10th Anniversary of the Walt Disney Concert Hall

Rolex supported a haute evening in LA this week that simultaneously celebrated the opening night of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2013-2014 season and the 10th anniversary of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic and its Music Director Gustavo Dudamel rang in the season on Monday with its star-studded Anniversary Celebration: Opening Night Gala Concert.

The entire program, led by Dudamel and featuring the music of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, was enhanced by installations created by video artist Netia Jones with input from the building’s architect and evening’s honoree Frank Gehry.

The evening, supported by the LA Philharmonic’s official timepiece sponsor Rolex, raised more than $5 million for the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s many music education programs, which serve more than 120,000 youths, families and teachers every year.

Attendees included Julie Andrews, Eli and Edye Broad, Albert Brooks, Burt Bacharach, Ty Burrell, Michael and Jane Eisner, Jane Fonda, Frank Gehry, Herbie and Gigi Hancock, Ben Harper, Alejandro Iñárritu, Cheyenne Jackson, Sherry Lansing and William Friedkin, Matthew Lillard, Chris O’Donnell, Emmy Rossum, Jane Seymour, William Shatner,  Cameron Silver,  John Williams, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and wife Julie. They were joined by LA Phil Chairman David C. Bohnett, Honorary Gala Chair Eloísa Maturén Dudamel, and Gala Co-Chairs Joan Hotchkis and Alyce Williamson.

At the pre-concert reception in BP Hall, guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres among the silver, white and metallic designs accentuated with a 15-foot-tall floral arrangement. The special evening’s honoree Frank Gehry then joined Dudamel on stage for bows.

The concert program concluded with an encore, a special arrangement of When You Wish Upon a Star, with images of Walt and Lillian Disney in acknowledgment of Mrs. Disney’s generous role in making Walt Disney Concert Hall a reality. The encore was also accompanied by a festive confetti drop of silver Mylar stars imprinted with “10^th Anniversary.”

Post-concert festivities followed on Grand Avenue, where guests were welcomed to the dinner under a tent decorated with a Starry Night theme.

Guests nibbled on salads of avocado, Dungeness crab, cucumber spaghettini, pequillo pepper coulis, micro herbs, gazpacho tomato and crescent crostini,  entrées of black olive crusted Colorado lamb loin, farmers’ market vegetable tart, Roman polenta cakes and roasted campari tomato. Dessert was a carmelized chocolate pudding, huckleberries, tonka bean Chantilly, blackberry sponge, cassis gel and currant chips. The menu was created by Patina Chef Joachim Splichal, and the meal’s Broquel Chardonnay and Malbec wine pairings were provided by Trapiche Vineyard of Mendoza, Argentina.

All Gala proceeds support the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its education programs, including YOLA, the signature program of Gustavo Dudamel.

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