The Viennese Opera Ball announced their upcoming gala at the Upper East Side residence of Sabine Riglos, a board member. “The Viennese Opera Ball is one of the highlights of the annual charity season for Austrian Americans, with performances by extraordinary opera singers and musicans” explained artistic director Daniel Serafin as he introduced mezzo soprano Nicole Piccolomini,  who sing  “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”  from  Carmen. ” Juilliard violinist Anastasiia Mazurok also performed a solo by Bach. All providing a taste of what’s to come at the 65th Viennese Opera Ball.  Silvia Frieser, president and executive director said, “With it’s long-standing tradition of 65 consecutive years, the Viennese Opera Ball demonstrates  that the ballroom and the dance floor is the best platform for cultural exchange between distinguished guests and nations.”

Each year, the Ball supports charitable projects connected to New York and Vienna. This year proceeds will benefit the musical therapy program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center through Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research. Their CEO, Jen Raniri, and Associate Director of Development, Michele Keene, also shared a few words about the importance of the program.

Among the guests were Nathan Lee Graham, who will emcee the upcoming Ball, Chair Jean Shafiroff (who will be joined at the Ball by Chairs Denise Rich and Elisabeth Muhr), Host Committee members Janna Bullock, Joanna Fisher, Ana Saucedo, and Marisa Rose van Bokhorst, Junior Chairs Colgate Rumbough and Emily Mohr, and Board Member Stefan Oehner as well as Audra Asencio, Leszek Barwinski-Brown (CEO, Lang Lang International Music Foundation), Maestro Alvise Casellati, Adrian Danchig-Waring (principal dancer, NYC Ballet),  Michael Friedl, Franz Gerhardter, Eric Huebscher, and Catherine Leung.

1 anniewatt_94705 Nathan Lee Graham, Daniel Serafin, Silvia Frieser

2 anniewatt_94683 Anastasiia Mazurok

3 anniewatt_94678 Jean Shafiroff, Martin D. Shafiroff

4 anniewatt_94675 Jillian Steward, Emily Mohr

5 anniewatt_94669 Janna Bullock, Liliana Cavendish, Nicole Salmasi

6 anniewatt_94664 Pamela Onorato, Cole Rumbough, Kristen Onorato

7 anniewatt_94648 Andre Barwinski-Brown, Joanna Fisher, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Lukas Barwinski-Brown

8 anniewatt_94630 Nicole Piccolomini, Fabiola Lwow, Silvia Frieser, Jeane Muniz

9 anniewatt_94627 Jean Shafiroff, Sabine Riglos

10 anniewatt_94623 Daniel Serafin, Anastasiia Mazurok, Emily Mohr, Cole Rumbough

11 anniewatt_94666 Maria Fishel, Ruth Miller, Paola Bacchini Rosenshein

12 anniewatt_94697 Alvise Casellati, Eva Pendleton

13 anniewatt_94692 Elizabeth Hartnett, Maria Solar, Nathan Lee Graham

14 anniewatt_94691 Maxian Jahn, Juliana Dancanet

15 anniewatt_94645 Paul Depoo, Kaitlyn Peterson

16 anniewatt_94667 Kristina Rose, Marissa Van Bokhorst, Silvia Frieser

17 anniewatt_94636 Jen Ranieri, Michele Keene

18 anniewatt_94618 Tina Samii, Sabine Riglos

The 65th Viennese Opera Ball will take place on February 7, 2020.  There is nothing like this in America with traditions that could only come from the oldest Royal houses in Austria and Europe. Just like in Europe, the celebration with both music and dance, with a Midnight Quadrille that enlivens the dance floor until 4 am. The Viennese Opera Ball is inspired by the famous Vienna Opera Ball in Austria, but it is an American 501 (c)(3) not for profit association.

Photo Credit: John Sanderson/Annie Watt Agency

https://vienneseoperaball.com/