The Scene:

The Westgate Hotel was brimming with 18^th Century elegance and Italian charm as Mainly Mozart staged its Festa Italiana including music, cuisine, silent auction, and surprises. The perfect San Diego location to celebrate Mozart’s three Italian journeys, the Westgate’s crystal chandeliers and heroic-size paintings formed a backdrop for period costumes, music both formal and informal, and a cultural setting worthy of the great maestro.

Who Was There:

Festa Committee co-chairs Esther Nahama and Reinette Levine welcomed hundreds of stylishly-attired patrons to the celebration, among them Dr. Irma Gigli, Nancy Bojanic, Arzo Mansury, Kit and John Wells, Caitlin Weil, Sam Nasiri, Matt Weil, Kate Leonard, Peter Manes, and Yoko Sakaguchi. Donna Fabbri and Ernie Ligon were among the handful of guests who lingered in Westgate’s luminous lobby as the party moved upstairs to take part in a colorful silent auction. Jean Obenchain, Regina Kurtz and Ron Leonardi, Andrea and Kurt Culver, and Tom and Pat Nickols had fun reviewing the attractive array of items available for bidding, while Chuck Freeburn, Darla Banaga and Stella Dier sampled the delectable tray-passed appetizers presented by the Westgate’s gracious catering staff.

The Good-hearted:

Honorary Chairs Richard and Arlene Esgate joined Concert Sponsors Christopher Weil & Company (Chris was in a chef’s hat to mark the occasion), the Weil Family Foundation, the Mandell Weiss Charitable Trust, Reinette and Marvin Levine, Jo Ann Kilty, Esther Nahama, Alexandra Pearson, and a committee of dedicated volunteers to bring this year’s Festa Italiana to life. A generous gift from Irene Chandler and Jim Shultz made a CD sampler of the 2010 Mainly Mozart Spotlight Series available to each guest.

The Cause:

Founded in 1988, Mainly Mozart’s mission is to enrich the lives of today’s and tomorrow’s passionate music lovers by connecting them to the music of Mozart and the Masters, to world-class musicians, and to each other. In addition to its centerpiece Mainly Mozart Festival, the organization offers a Spotlight Series, music education, and binational programs. Proceeds from Festa Italiana benefit the Mainly Mozart Festival and the organization’s esteemed educational outreach programs, which touch the lives of more than 40,000 children annually.

The Creative:

Guests were treated to a resplendent backdrop of fragrant floral displays, beautifully decorated silent auction tables with proud Italian flags and banners, costumed friends, and The Roman Holiday Ensemble, a charming troop of Sicilian-inspired musical troubadours. Before dining buffet-style in the Fontainbleau Ristorante, where tables adorned with tightly-packed rose centerpieces accented the graceful Westgate décor, guests were treated to a performance by the Aiana String Quartet, making for a warm and sumptuous Sunday afternoon and evening.

Get involved:

Bring a Living Composers assembly program to your favorite school. These informative and entertaining assemblies engage children in interactive mini-plays set to the music of master composers Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Mainly Mozart’s signature Spotlight Series, featuring internationally-acclaimed chamber musicians and ensembles performing works of the Masters at three beautiful regional venues, begins February 11^th. For more information, please visit: www.mainlymozart.org

Link to more photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50146795@N02/sets/72157625715791523/