It’s not every day you get to sip wine while watching majestic trumpeter swans fly into the sunset, or dance to jazz and enjoy gourmet delicacies in a Gatsbyesque home ballroom. But these are the kinds of once-in-alifetime experiences offered by Parties of Note, a series of themed events presented by the St. Louis Symphony Volunteer Association.
“Parties of Note give St. Louisans access to unique events, set in elegant private homes and other exclusive venues that aren’t usually available to the public,” says committee chair Anne von der Heydt. “All the parties are donated by the hosts—and proceeds support the Symphony and SymphonyCares programs, which bring the healing power of music to children’s hospitals, cancer centers and assisted living facilities.” Highlights of the current season have included ‘Life on the Mississippi,’ a tour of the Audubon Center at Riverlands in Alton, Ill., followed by live music and hors d’oeuvres; and ‘West Meets East,’ where guests were entertained by belly dancers and a Middle Eastern feast. The season finale on April 25, ‘Slatkin’s Back—with Halen,’ features conductor laureate Leonard Slatkin on the piano and concertmaster David Halen on the violin, making beautiful music together in Centene Auditorium.
Next season runs from May 2014 through April 2015. “We’re always searching for imaginative ways to put people, places and artists together,” von der Heydt notes. “The coming season promises to be the most exciting ever.” Plans are in the works for a wine-tasting dinner hosted by a St. Louisan who owns a California winery, a jazz concert by a prominent local educator, and an evening with Karin Bliznik, the Symphony’s new principal trumpet. “We’re bringing in a wider array of experiences and artists, not just musicians. And, as always, performers won’t just do their thing and leave. They’ll play and stay, chatting with guests and enjoying the party. That’s the beauty of it!”
The downside? “There are only about 30 events per season, and some of the venues are relatively small, holding anywhere from 10 to 100 guests,” von der Heydt says. “Tickets go fast.” The solution: Pick a Party!, an annual affair that gives St. Louisans first shot at tickets. This year’s event, chaired by Linda Lee, takes place April 27 at Plaza Frontenac’s Center Court. “Sign-up tables are cordoned off until 6:30 p.m. on the dot, then guests make a first-come, first-served dash to reserve tickets for their favorite experiences,” von der Heydt explains. “We sell up to 60 percent of our Parties of Note tickets on this one night alone.”
After the dash, guests can restore their energy with food and drink from Bricktop’s, John Mineo’s, Fleming’s Steakhouse, Cafe Napoli and The Cakery. “We’ve got some amazing surprises in store for the coming season, but the underlying theme is always the same: to offer opportunities you can’t get elsewhere and put the proceeds toward a good cause,” von der Heydt says. “It’s all about enriching people’s lives through the power of music.”
by Tony DiMartino
