- September 6, 2024
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Co-Chairwomen Karol Foss and Anne Folsom Smith
Hillary Steele and Music Director Anu Tali
Honorary Co-Chairs Margery and Charles Barancik
Co-Chairwoman Anne Folsom Smith found her fun purse at a vintage store in Burns Court that has since closed.
Nicole Elbe with Co-Chairwoman Anne Folsom Smith
Joan Levenson, Deborah and Tom Trimble and Bart Levenson
Pamela Fenat and Pam Daniel
Charlie Huisking, Jeff Sebeika, Pam Daniel and George Augustine
Mark, Cristina and Sigrid Gebel with Hugh Steele
Lydia Land with Fernando Traba
Neil and Sandra DeFeo
Barry Spivey and Tami Conetta
Joan Mathews, George and Pat Edmonds and Sandy Cowing
Floral centerpieces topped off the silver tablescapes.
Elisabeth Waters and Edward Alley
Jennifer and Gordon Cooper
Heather Williams, Erin Christy and Roseanne Frano
Barbara Brizdle, Jill Levine and Mickey Fine
Tom Koski, Flori Roberts and Margaret Wise
Jocelyn Udell and Brian Lipton
Robert and Ann Jackson
Charlotte and Charles Perret
President and CEO Joseph McKenna welcomes guests.
Board Chairman David Steves gives his opening remarks.
Board Chairman David Steves gave a shout out to Gretchen Serrie, the executive director of the orchestra prior to McKenna.
The horn section was the first to play for guests.
The strings performed second.
The gala celebrated the orchestra’s 70th anniversary.
Guests were treated to a concert before dinner.
The pre-dinner concert highlighted every section of the orchestra.
The orchestra gave an emotional performance to end the concert.
Concertmaster Daniel Jordan embraces Anu Tali at the end of the concert.
Associate Concertmaster Christopher Takeda gives Anu Tali a hug after the performance.
The orchestra stands to be recognized after the performance.
Sarasota Orchestra had much to celebrate Feb. 22.
The 70th Anniversary Gala at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota honored not only seven decades of providing classical music to the people of Sarasota, but the legacy of Music Director Anu Tali, whose time with the organization comes to a close at the end of this season.
Festivities began outside the ballroom with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres before guests adjourned to the purple and pink-lit ballroom for a concert by the Sarasota Orchestra.
After guests took their seats for the pre-dinner program, President and CEO Joseph McKenna and Board Chairman David Steves welcomed guests and shared several milestones from the orchestra’s past 70 years. McKenna also asked guests to bow their heads and share a moment of silence for the late Gerri Aaron, who he said had signed on right away to be a co-chairwoman of the event. She was also the individual title sponsor.
“From their first meeting, Gerri saw in Anu a spirited, smart leader who she wanted to support,” he said of the philanthropist’s relationship to Tali.
Tali’s legacy was celebrated in between pieces performed by the orchestra when several musicians shared the impact the maestro has left on them.
After dinner, guests toasted to Tali and the 70th anniversary before the gala ended with dessert and a final performance by the orchestra’s principal harpist Katherine Siochi.
Tali’s final concert as music director of the orchestra will be Masterworks 7 “Peace and Joy” April 5-7 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
