Because once a year, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra hosts a very special evening for those who do! Here are some sights from last night’s Lucas Richman Society Dinner, which honors those donors. Come along!
Theresa Stone and Sheena McCall enjoy cocktail hour in the lobby.
This year’s event went like this: cocktails and appetizers in the beautiful lobby of the Tennessee Theatre. The KSO was rehearsing on stage and guests were welcome to take their wine inside (sure wish we could do this at actual performances!) and enjoy the last 30 minutes of the rehearsal. The music was for the final Moxley Carmichael Masterworks of the season, which will be this Thursday and Friday (May 20 and 21) and will feature Respighi’s “Pines of Rome.” Rehearsal sounded great.
Dinner, which was beef tenderloin accompanied by Fleming’s famous potatoes gratin and sugar snap peas, was served in the foyer just before you enter the theater. Dessert was New York cheesecake topped with blueberries. All agreed it was a show-stopper!
Maestro Richman chuckles as he proposes a toast on the stage of the Tennessee Theatre.
Then it was onto the stage itself to enjoy the unique perspective of sitting in the musicians’ chairs to hear performances by the KSO’s principal quartet and opera singers Michael A. Rodgers and Denisha Ballew, who sang excerpts from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” accompanied on piano by Maestro Lucas Richman.
Maestro Richman proposed a champagne toast to the donors. And we proposed one to him.
Big news on the Lucas Richman front is that he has been invited personally by the legendary composer John Williams to conduct a major portion of the summer tour of the traveling Star Wars Orchestra. Richman will conduct most of the May and July dates. The 82-piece orchestra performs portions of the John Williams scores of six “Star Wars” films while Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO in the movies, provides narration. Here is a YouTube video of Richman conducting the opening night of the concert in Fort Myers. What an honor this is, not only for Richman, but for us in Knoxville who are fortunate to have such a recognized musical figure in our community.
Even if you can’t donate $5,000 to the symphony, do yourself a huge favor and buy season tickets to one of the fabulous series offered next year during the KSO’s 75th anniversary season. Click here to see all the options.
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra rehearses for this week's performances of "Pines of Rome."
From left: Kay Clayton, Amy Williams and Judith Foltz. Judith, as director of development for the KSO, was responsible for Sunday's donor event.
Cindy Hicks, principal harpist of the KSO, provided dinner music.
Jim Haslam was the dinner partner of Rachel Ford, executive director of the KSO.
Maestro Richman and Natalie Haslam at dinner.
Terry Ford and Debbie Richman were dinner partners.
Kathryn Gawne, KSO's principal violist, sat with Alan Carmichael.
Toni and Jon Lawler
Marilyn Dick and David Traver
Jane and Rich Ray
Champagne was offered on the stage. Rita Sanger selects a glass.
Denisha Ballew and Michael A. Rodgers dazzle as Porgy and Bess.
Mary and Rick Johnson pose on stage at the conclusion of the evening.
A big thank you to Fleming's, which for the third year in a row provided the entire dinner for this event free of charge. Here's one of the appetizers, bruschetta. Yum.
