The Friends
of the Budapest Festival
Orchestra held their gala kick-off party with guests
of honor Ambassador Donald Blinken and Governor
George E. Pataki at Sylvia Hemingway's Fifth Avenue
residence. The hostess served Hungarian wine from
her DHP Vineyard. "Egészségedre!" toasted Sylvia
(Cheers! in Hungarian).
Friends
chairman, Stephen Benko, flew in from Budapest for
the occasion, announcing in his toast the April 6th benefit
dinner and concert at Carnegie Hall, as well as the
plans for a second Vicenza Opera Festival, opening
October 20th, 2019.
Guests
included: Kristina Allegra, Steven M.L. Aronson,
Ambassador Nancy Brinker, Dr. Karen Burke, Joan
Hardy Clark, Aaron Feinstein, John and Carole
French, Susan Gutfreund, Cheri Kaufman and Bill
Sclight, Michčle Gerber Klein, Aimee and William
Maroney, Reni Rothschild, Daisy Soros, Stephanie
Stokes, Barbara and Donald Tober, Annette Vass, and
Máté Vincze (director of the Hungarian Cultural
Center).
For more
information, see: http://friendsofthebudapestfestivalorchestra.org