Greeting the year of the Rooster just in time for the start of Chinese New Year on January 28th, this lively group of PCLAP members, spouses and friends enjoyed a tour of the world famous Chen Art Gallery.  The gallery houses many priceless Chinese artworks from antiquity and modern times, as well as European art and Faberge eggs.  After the tour, the group had lunch at nearby Japanese restaurant, Nozomi, completing the Amazing Asian Fusion package that was sold at last year’s Auction.  The tour and lunch was hosted by Marian Duntley, Karen Gottlieb and Jane Beseda.  Great way to start the year!

Attendees, left to right:  Marian Duntley, Janet Ceske, Jane Beseda, Donna Day, Diana Honeycutt, Sara Jane Bettge, Darlene Vlasek, Karen Gottlieb, Jim Vlasek, Marian Hall, Karen Tozer, Peggy (Tricia’s Mom), Linda Bhatia, Tricia Paulsen

The Peninsula Committee’s Music in the Garden is only two short months away. Mark your calendar for Sunday, March 5, 2017, 12:00-4:00 PM. Once again the South Coast Botanic Garden will be the venue for a wonderful afternoon of entertainment provided by young musicians from the Peninsula and South Bay schools. This will be held during the Garden’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival so come listen to the music and enjoy the beauty of the Cherry Trees!

music-in-the-garden-flyer-2017_rev3

PCLAP Members Denise Clement, Cheryl Graue, and Darlene Vlasek with with performers at Fanfare for Fall. Photo: Meredith Grenier

A hearty “thank you” to freelance writer Meredith Grenier for attending our Fanfare for Fall event held at the Palos Verdes Golf Club on November 6.  She has a knack for vividly capturing delightful tidbits from the performance along with quips from audience members, while emphasizing our fundraising goals of supporting the LA Philharmonic Orchestra and youth music programs in our community.  Enjoy the full text of Meredith’s article posted in the “Daily Breeze” on December 4, 2016.

Peninsula Committee’s Fanfare for Fall, “Beat, Bubbles and Bites” will be held at the Palos Verdes Golf Club on Sunday, November 6, 2016, from 4:00-7:00 PM.  Beverages and hearty hors d’oeuvres will be served prior to the concert.

The evening promises to provide exciting musical entertainment while supporting the LA Phil and school music programs.  The performance will feature violinist Etienne Gara with the Sunset Trio, piano duets by Drs. Kookhee Hong and Minji Noh, and baritone Partick Bell performing Opera-Kadabra.

Praised for the warm tone and expressiveness of his playing, French born violinist Étienne Gara has performed extensively worldwide, appearing in such renowned venues as the SOKA Performing Art Center and the Sagerstrom Center for the Arts in the Greater Los Angeles Area, the Jordan Hall in Boston, the Marigny Theatre in Paris, the Wiener Saal and the Marmor Saal of the Mirabell Palace in Salzburg. Since making his orchestral solo debut in 2005 with the Savaria Symphony Orchestra in Hungary, he has continued his soloist career with orchestras in Europe and the United States.

He had the honor to be appointed concertmaster for the grand opening of the new Auditorium of the Mozarteum in Salzburg and since then, acts regularly as concertmaster for orchestras such as the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra and the Kontrapunktus Chamber Orchestra. He also appears as guest principal violin with many ensembles in halls including the Disney Concert Hall and the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

Dr. Kookhee Hong is active as both a pianist and an educator. A prizewinner at esteemed competitions such as the Carlet International Competition, Maria Canals International Competition, Andorra International Competition and the Panama International Competition, she appeared as a soloist with the Tenerife Symphony, the Manhattan Symphony, the Carlet Sinfonia, the Gran Canaria Philharmonic, and the Panama National Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Hong received Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees in Piano Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, under the direction of Dr. Solomon Mikowsky. Her book, The Piano Teaching Legacy of Solomon Mikowsky, is currently being published all over the globe in Chinese, English, Korean and Spanish.

Dr. Minji Noh (Lee) began her piano career at age nine as a soloist with the Baroque Symphony in South Korea and subsequently appeared with the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, State Academic Orchestra of Ukraine, and the Orange County Symphony. She is currently a faculty member at Chaffey College and Irvine Valley College. Additionally, she serves as the Orange County Director of Junior Chamber Music.

Dr. Noh received degrees in Piano Performance from Oberlin Conservatory, New England Conservatory and University of Southern California.

Patrick Bell is an Opera singer and magician. In his rich baritone voice, Patrick sings the beautiful arias that you know and love. He performs stunning magic that illustrates the story of the character, affect of the music, and meaning of the text…

Patrick has earned both Bachelors of Music and Masters of Music degrees in Vocal Performance at UCLA. He has performed several seasons with the Los Angeles Opera Chorus, and beginning January 2017, he will be on tour throughout the USA and Europe.

Tickets are $80 each.  For ticket purchase information, please contact Jann Feldman at (310) 995-3070.

By Meredith Grenier, The Daily Breeze

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Members of the Peninsula Committee for the L.A. Philharmonic have raised the bar on food and wine tastings exponentially. For starters, they invited the area’s premier restaurants to participate in their recent Grand Salon fundraiser. Add to this their venue — the exquisite seaside estate of Carolyn and Julian Elliott, who have opened their home to the benefit for the past 10 years.

Throw in an elegant silent auction, chaired by Ann Marinovich, offering goodies such as a seven-night stay in Schull Harbour, West Cork, Ireland, donated by Marinovich and her husband, Larry, or an intimate Spanish dinner for 10 at the home of Ed DeRenzis and Nancy Siskowic and donated by the DeRenzis and Van and Diana Honeycutt.

But the icing on the cake was a performance by two popular members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in the Elliotts’ living room, featuring high ceilings, a crystal chandelier, grand piano, sweeping ocean vistas and seating for about 150 guests.

The Grand Salon committee, led by co-chairs Claudia Grzywacz and Marian Hall, thought of every detail to enhance the experience. Witness the instrumental serenade as guests arrived and throughout the evening by Amuse Guitar Quartet members Ashanti Dykes, Ryan Samani, Daisy Gantner and Bijan Afshar, as well as the Palos Verdes High School String Trio — Marcus Chang, Jamie Chung and Laura Gong.

But there were other fun perks, too, such as the hard-working bartenders. How often are you waited upon by some of the Peninsula’s most successful individuals, including top corporate executives and a prominent cardiologist. These included Dave Jones, Jack McDonald, Jann Feldman, Debby McDonald, Thomas Grzywacz, Dana Takeuchi, Mike Del Vicario, Van Honeycutt, Larry Marinovich, Alan Frew, James De Flon, Tom Paulsen and Tom Connaghan. (It was no coincidence that most of the male bartenders were spouses of committee members.)

Then there were the individual greeters — Claudia Grzywcvz, Marian Hall, committee PCLAP President Paula Del Vicario, Alicia Maniatakis, Sue Frew and Shirley Farley — who set the stage for an elegant evening while Debby McDonald, Jann Feldman, Virginia Butler and Tammy Kolodny offered champagne on silver platters.

Prior to the evening’s musical program, Paula Del Vicario gave a “heartfelt thanks” to benefactors and donors as well as the evening’s restaurant sponsors, such as Chez Melange, Mar’sel at Terranea Resort, Palos Verdes Golf Club and seven others.

Next, Claudia Grzywcvz awarded the Elliotts with a plaque commemorating the couple’s 10 years of hosting the event. “You are an inspiration to us all,” Grzywcvz said to thunderous applause.

With Mike Del Vicario’s wife serving her second term as president, the doctor has a first-hand perspective of the group’s mission.

“This is a really fun group,” he said. “These guys do it for the love of music, and they are very committed to the orchestra and passionate about the community and children’s education.”