Page 13 - Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens - February '24

Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens, Page 13
Palm Beach Opera Toasts To 2024 Gala Chairs

And Benefactors At Private Palm Beach Home

In an exciting overture to its upcoming 2024 Gala, Palm
Beach Opera (PBO) honored its Gala Chairs and Host Committee
with an intimate performance in the Palm Beach home of Paulette
Koch on Jan. 6.
Koch welcomed 65 guests and thanked her cochairs Judy
Harpel and Diane Sculley and the hardworking gala council and
host committee for their tireless efforts in creating what will be
a truly outstanding gala.
The Palm Beach Opera Gala at The Breakers Palm Beach
on Feb. 5 will showcase an exclusive recital by mezzo-soprano
Isabel Leonard, a three-time Grammy Award-winner who
®
made her PBO debut as Musetta in La Bohème in the company’s
historic 2021 festival.
Guests enjoyed dinner, cocktails, and passed hors d’oeuvres.
PBO Chair of the Board of Directors David Genser reminded Sanford and Isanne Fisher Robert and Julie Desnick Rebecca and Randell Doane Lee and Jeffrey Alderton
guests that the opera’s largest annual fundraiser not only supports
the company’s world-class productions but also its three-tiered
artist training programs as well as the numerous education and
community engagement initiatives provided at no cost across
Palm Beach County.
General and Artistic Director David Walker recognized the
Gala Host Committee, Gala Council and Gala Chairs and thanked
the evening’s hosts Paulette Koch, Judy and Jerry Kaufman and
Joan and David Genser.

Dennis and Roseanne John and Diane Sculley Judy and Jerry Kaufman
Williams Joan and David Genser
Walker then introduced three of this season’s Benenson
“From our transformative studio training program for high Young Artists: Maria Vasilevskaya, Devin Eatmon and Cloe
school students and the Cornelia T. Bailey Apprentice Artist SanAntonio. Accompanied by pianist Shelby Rhoades, the
Program that creates a bridge to a professional career for recent talented singers performed arias from Carmen, La Bohème, La
music school graduates to our acclaimed Benenson Young Artists Traviata, and the operetta Das Land des Lächelns to the delight
Program that receives applications from emerging artists around of the guests.
David Walker and Paulette Char les and Merr ill the world, your support of the gala is a commitment to the future
Koch Gottesman of Palm Beach Opera,” Walker said. Palm Beach Opera on page 14