A sold-out crowd of 300 music lovers, philanthropists, and star warriors embarked on an out-of-this-world adventure as Pacific Symphony hosted its most stellar event of the year: the Starry Night Gala, held on May the Fourth (also known as Star Wars Day).
On this legendary day, a powerful force awakened at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, with an interstellar journey like no other, artfully created by Gala Co-Chairs Judy Whitmore and Scott Seigel of Newport Beach.
The festive event raised more than $2 million in support of the Symphony’s artistic, education, and community engagement programs.
Major gifts from philanthropists were announced toward the end of the event by Symphony President and CEO John Forsyte.
“I am grateful for the wonderful bidding on our live auction and the generous fund-a-dream donations that were matched by Sandy Segerstrom Daniels’ $150,000 challenge grant. We are also grateful to John Tu who pledged $150,000 to match Sandy’s contribution and further add a $200,000 challenge grant for annual fund donors through June 30, 2024.” Forsyte continued, “As we close the evening, our Gala Co-Chair Judy Whitmore and her husband Wes, have decided to make public their plan to commit $2.5 million to endow the Associate Concertmaster Chair. It will be named the Judy and Wes Whitmore Chair.”
The evening began with a cocktail reception at 5 p.m. where everyone was immediately transported to a cosmic realm of elegance and enchantment. Gala-goers arriving—many attired in Star Wars and Star Trek cosplay—were greeted by a hologram of the Symphony’s Principal Pops Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez dressed as a mighty Jedi master, which was created by Trigg Watson of America’s Got Talent and Masters of Illusion.
Serenaded by a “Star Wars Cantina Band” (aka The Jake Brown Quartet), attendees socialized and enjoyed the signature drink HAL-9000 (Champagne cocktail with hibiscus liqueur and a raspberry garnish) as well as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a fully stocked hosted bar.
They enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres, which included watermelon feta bites with mint boba pearls; blue potato chips with crème fraiche, caviar, and chives; and prosciutto-and-melon skewers with fresh basil. There was a special virtual reality station for exploring the outer reaches of the solar system or making music with virtual light sabers; a special James T. Kirk’s Captain’s Chair, complete with “Star Trek” sounds and voices; and a TARDIS (“Time and Relative Dimension in Space”), a hybrid of a time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series “Doctor Who” and its various spinoffs.
At 6 p.m., everyone proceeded to the sit-down dinner in the blue-lit ballroom with planets from the Milky Way suspended from the ceiling and twinkling stars projected on all the walls. The décor was futuristic with table centerpieces of a stylized “Death Star” decorated with blue orchids and anthuriums.
The elegant dinner curated by Michelin-starred chef Tony Esnault, chef/owner of Knife Pleat and served by Chef Joseph of the Hyatt Regency Irvine, began with a Spring Salad composed of cracked bulgur, snap pea, cucumber, carrot, fines herbes, and lemon vinaigrette. The entrée was Wild Alaskan Halibut garnished with white asparagus, fava beans, artichoke, capers, parsley, pistou, and olive oil.
Pacific Symphony’s Chairman of the Board Arthur Ong took the podium to welcome the guests saying, “I want to personally thank each of you here tonight who help make Pacific Symphony’s continued success possible. Thank you for your continued and unwavering support. We had many community individuals, organizations, and businesses whose sponsorship and assistance made tonight’s event possible.”
Ong introduced Gala Co-Chair Judy Whitmore, who greeted everyone, saying: “I’m so grateful to be part of our wonderful Pacific Symphony family, and I’m honored to co-chair this year’s Gala.”
She then introduced her Co-Chair Scott Seigel, who made a dramatic entrance to sounds of the “The Star Wars Imperial March” accompanied by several Storm Troopers. He commented, “We are all passengers on the Starship Pacific Symphony with our Captain Carl St.Clair leading the charge and his Commanding Officer John Forsyte at the helm. Their 45-year mission has been to explore remarkable music, to seek out elite musicians…to provide inspiration to our youth and to boldly take Southern California audiences where no one has gone before.”
Together the Co-Chairs concluded by saying: “Thank you all for being here. Welcome to our Starry Night!”
Chef Esnault created the distinctive dessert that was served: Jivara chocolate mousse, hazelnut crunch, mango, and passion fruit hidden under a chocolate-molded mask of Darth Vader.
John Forsyte then took the stage greeting the audience: “Thank you for coming to a celebration that transcends galaxies! Earlier you met Obi-Wan Kenobi or his alias Arthur Ong. I am his lesser-known brother, “Oboe”-Wan Kenobi. With just a simple scale performed on my oboe, the musical force can destroy a Death Star. As we embark on our great adventure, I add my gratitude to our Gala Chairs Judy and Scott, whose dedication and vision have guided us to this celestial event. Their leadership has been akin to the Force itself, guiding us through a journey to make tonight a reality.
“As we embark on this extraordinary battle against the dark side or a ‘universe without music,’ let’s raise our lightsabers in support of your galactic symphony which restores harmony to the universe. Let us remember the words of Master Yoda: ‘Do or do not, there is no try.’
Forsyte then introduced “a maestro whose baton wields the power to transport us to distant galaxies and stir the deepest emotions within us. Please join me in welcoming a true Jedi master of the orchestral realm who will soon be celebrated for his 35 years of extraordinary vision and commitment. His mastery has enchanted audiences far and wide. Welcome, Master Carl.”
Music Director Carl St.Clair took the podium saying: “As we gather here today to celebrate the remarkable journey of Pacific Symphony’s 45th Anniversary, I am reminded of the words of the Jedi Masters of old, who taught us the importance of the rhythms of the universe and the boundless potential of creativity. In this spirit, I am honored to once again recognize two whose vision and imagination have been instrumental in shaping our artistic landscape: tonight’s co-chairs Judy Whitmore and Scott Seigel. Their dedication and creative spirit have propelled us forward on this extraordinary odyssey of music and discovery.”
“The 45th Anniversary of Pacific Symphony serves as a testament to our enduring commitment to artistic excellence and community impact,” continued StClair. “Our musicians are among the finest in the country and their dedication to enriching school children, teaching instrumental music, or performing a music-and-wellness program is extraordinary.”
St.Clair expressed his gratitude to entrepreneur, philanthropist, and drummer John Tu for providing his talented “JT and Friends” ensemble who would be performing jazz favorites and popular standards to cap off the evening. He also recognized his conducting colleagues Assistant Conductor Jake Sustaita (who directs Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Family Musical Mornings series); Johanna Gamboa-Kroesen (who leads Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings) as well as Rob Istad (Artistic Director of Pacific Chorale). He summed up his thoughts by saying, “I am thrilled to introduce a group of musicians who will transport us with an imaginative musical tribute. May the Force of music be with us all.”
And with that, Pacific Symphony musicians took the dance floor for a competition between the wind players (comprised of flutist Johanna Borenstein, oboist Jessica Pearlman, clarinetist David Chang, bass clarinetist Joshua Ranz, and bassoonist Elliott Moreau) versus brass players (trumpeters Barry Perkins and David Washburn, French hornist Keith Popejoy, trombonist Michael Hoffman, and tuba player Gary Hickman). The winds and brass took turns alternately playing movie themes from “Star Wars,” including “The Imperial March,” “Duel of the Fates,” “The Force Theme,” “The Cantina Band,” and “Star Wars Main Title.” Each section was equally applauded by the audience, so the musical duel ended as a draw.
Every year’s Gala presents a “Fund-A-Dream” video that tells the story of the wonderful work Pacific Symphony is doing in the area of education and community engagement so Gala-goers can see the impact of their support. Afterwards, auctioneer Jim Nye led the lively auction as guests vied to out-bid each other on extravagant items, extraordinary travel packages, and such one-of-a-kind experiences as the following:
Fly Away to Napa: Round-trip to Napa for four on a private jet courtesy of Regency Air and a four-day, three-night accommodation at Springlight Villa, a private luxury home in Napa County.
A popular auction item was dinner at Knife Pleat with Joshua Bell & Larisa Martinez: An opportunity to sit in on a rehearsal with Pacific Symphony and Grammy-winning violinist Joshua Bell, before joining the artist and his opera-singer wife for a private dinner, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Tony Esnault and restaurateur Yassmin Sarmadi.
To complete this “Starry Night,” guests danced the night away to the sounds of JT and Friends. At the end of the evening, each attendee left with a save-the-date card for the opening night of the 2024-25 season on Sept. 26, 2024, attached to a goodie bag filled with assorted pralines from Läderach Chocolatier Suisse and a VIP one-day pass to South Coast Plaza’s VIP Access Suite.
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