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A Russian Revolution! Pearl the fountain girl After-party chairman Jason Arnoldy Houston Symphony Ball celebrates 99 years with a very rhapsodic evening. After-party chairman Lindley Arnoldy Honoree Hans Graf Chairman Bobby Tudor Chairman Phoebe Tudor CATHERINE D. ANSPON TAKES NOTES ON THE HIGH NOTES. PHOTOGRAPHY JENNY ANTILL, MICHELLE WATSON. Ceron Making Beautiful Music: The Players Todd Fiscus It was one for the party books when golden socials Phoebe and Bobby Tudor reigned over the Houston Symphony Ball, which was no ordinary gala. This one commemorated maestro Hans Graf's bittersweet departure after a dozen years wielding the baton as its longest serving music director, his and wife Margarita's contributions to our fair city and the finale of the Houston Symphony's 99th season. The glittering global theme, "Russian Rhapsody — A White Night Salute to Hans and Margarita Graf," was a nod to Margarita's Russian heritage and the couple's devotion to the arts of her family homeland. Sarah Cotting Margaret Williams Joanne King Herring Marie Bosarge Ed Bosarge John Eddie Williams Jim Ware Dancie Ware Ben Cotting Sarah Ludwig Frank Huang Billy McCartney Ann Stern A new decor master was charged with carrying forth this vision: Todd Fiscus, who arrived from Dallas with his legions of helpers from Todd Events. Inspired by St. Petersburg's White Nights Festival, Fiscus made a superb decoration debut by devising a splendid tented space at the chair couple's alma mater, Rice University, which was fittingly the community honoree. Outside the hallowed halls of the Shepherd School of Music — which supplies talent for the stage of Jones Hall, and where the evening began with a tribute concert — and adjoining the luminous Turrell Skyspace, Fiscus crafted an interior worthy of the poshest Tsars. He underwrote $80,000 of party props so that revelers could dine and dance amidst nearly 5,000 feet of crystal drape, 16,000 roses and orchids, and a suite of seven dramatic Swarovski crystal chandeliers. The Houston Ballet Academy supplied a quartet of ballerinas who performed pliés atop raised platforms at the tent's entrance. Elizabeth Petersen Audrey Cochran Mary Ann McKeithan Susie Criner St. Petersburg Opulence Debbie Daugherty David McKeithan Jill Jewett Cathy Chapman John Daugherty Sheridan Williams Brandon Cochran Honoree Margarita Graf Jane Ann Welch David Denechaud The Vodka Flowed, Pearl Made a PA, and &1.3 Million Later ... Jason Volz Cary Yates Kelli Cohen Fein Martin Fein Clarease Yates John Adcock Mark Hanson Harry Mach Cora Sue Mach Joella Mach Steve Mach David Leebron Christina Hanson Enlisted to prepare the perfect seated dinner was the incomparable Jackson and Company, staging champagne and vodka toasts that got the guests in the mood for the rhapsodic four-course culinary repast headlined by smoke salmon, beef tenderloin Rachael medallions à la Stroganoff, and fruit and cheese offerings that segued into handmade Volz chocolate truffles. The resplendent chairs (Miz Tudor in a twinkly columnar J. Mendel gown) joined Symphony CEO Mark Hanson and wife Christina (a Shepherd School alum), Rice's prez David Leebron and first lady Y. Ping Sun, and Shepherd School dean Robert Yekovich in welcoming a throng of 650 worthy of the Romanov dynasty, including after-party chairs Lindley and Jason Arnoldy, who improvised the clever late-night Club Russe; Lynn Wyatt with son Brad Wyatt; Symphony board prez Robert Peiser and wife Nancy; auction chair Mary Fusillo (the auction featured luxe trips to music festivals worldwide) with husband Robert; Charles Margaret Williams with Jim Daniel; Ceron; Karol and Paul Barnhart; Spain Darlene and Cappy Bisso, underwriting jazz man Jeremy Davenport, who Mayor Annise performed on trumpet and vocals; Russian Consul General Alexander Zakharov, Parker who contributed pre-concert remarks; Audrey and Brandon Cochran, sponsors of late-night DJ Zone, in from NYC; Beth Madison and Ralph Burch; Mike Stude; Betty and Jess Tutor; Marie and Ed Bosarge; Anne and Charles Duncan; Helen and Jim Shaffer; Carolina and Enrique Gonzalez; Divya and Chris Brown; Symphony League prez Susan Osterberg with husband Ed; Alie and David Pruner; Rice University's public art director Molly Hubbard, who made the Turrell commission happen; the Mitchell Center's Karen Farber with husband Stephan; gallerist Laura Rathe with artist/beau Gil Bruvel, in from Wimberley; arts patron Craig Massey; and Cora Sue and Harry Mach, joined Y. Ping by daughter-in-law Joella and son Steve Mach (the quartet, set to chair next Sun spring's Symphony Centennial Ball, will have a hard act to follow). Clocking in at six hours, with $1.3 million raised for the Symphony's Music Matters! initiatives — not to mention the captivating appearance of Pearl the female fountain, who had the gents enthralled — this was an evening worthy of Nicholas and Alexandra. SEPTEMBER | PAGE 12 | 2013