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CATHERINE D. ANSPON BASKS IN HIGH (SOCIAL) NOTES NEVER AGAIN TO BE REPRISED. PHOTOGRAPHY FULTON DAVENPORT, WILSON PARISH, ANTHONY RATHBUN AND MICHELLE WATSON. An Evening 100 Years in the Making HOUSTON SYMPHONY BALL — CENTENNIAL EDITION A Perfect Quartet Who better to chair a centennial for the august yet progressive Houston Symphony (founded by Miss Ima Hogg in 1913) than one of our first families of music and giving, the mirthful, hard- working Machs — Cora Sue and Harry Mach, and son and daughter-in-law Steven and Joella Mach. Honoring the Symphony's storied first 100 years while also anticipating its decades to come (under the baton of new hire, music director Andrés Orozco- Estrada), the chair quartet orchestrated a historic, record-breaking, white-tie evening that garnered $2.6 million for our performing arts jewel. The seven-figure funds benefit the Symphony's education and community engagement programs, Music Matters! The night began and ended at Jones Hall — so apropos, as the timeless concert venue has been the home of the symphony since it opened its classical doors in 1966. Melodious Moments Also hitting high notes, Jackson and Company devised a seated repast worthy of the occasion, starring filet mignon and quail and concluding with a signature touch: a chocolate grand piano, dessert scaled, filled with mousse, salted caramel, Genoise cake and berries. Spec's crafted the fine wine and champagne pairings, while The Events Company went all out on the floral front — 300 butterfly orchids, 15,000 peonies and 10,000 roses bedecked the lobby and concert hall, which doubled, post-performance, as a swank salon for dining and dancing, the latter to the always fabulous Richard Brown Orchestra. Gleeful How to enact a ball for 585 guests in a concert hall? Enlist David Williams' Staging Solutions to transform the orchestra level into an 8,000 square-foot set for a party to send off the centennial with an extravagant grand gesture. And that it was, with charismatic Broadway and Glee headliner Matthew Morrison appearing in an unexpected but powerful pairing with the orchestra conducted by Steven Reineke; Broadway standards reigned including "The Lady Is a Tramp" and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." And that was just the start of this fête, which unfolded in many magnificent movements. Illustrious Personages Besides the chair foursome, the well- connected and symphonically committed contributed to the big night's pomp and circumstance, beginning with conductor laureate Hans Graf (regaling us with tales of his dozen- year tenure ), CEO Mark Hanson, ball advisor Sidney Faust and auction chairs Diane Gendel and Betty Tutor (husband Jess chairs the Symphony Society executive committee). Lending sparkle and import were the night's extraordinary honorees: Marie Taylor Bosarge, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor and Margaret Williams, joined by long-standing corporate do-gooders Baker Botts, ExxonMobil, The Brown Foundation, The Cullen Foundation, The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, Houston Endowment and The Wortham Foundation. The Second Century Divya and Chris Brown amplified the energy by chairing the late-night revel, as 130 After Party-seekers flocked to the multi- levels of the Jones Hall lobby. A 50-foot light show bounced off the its handsome travertine walls, while NYC-based DJ Kalkutta rocked the turntable, and fresh flutes of bubbly and breakfast bites were passed. The next-gen melded with the one before on the dais of the dance floor, and we saw the beginning of the passing of the Houston Symphony philanthropic baton. SEPTEMBER | PAGE 12 | 2014 Randy Powers Honoree Marie Taylor Bosarge John Reger Anna Reger Hans Graf Becca Cason Thrash Jess Tutor Betty Tutor Alex Blair After Party chairman Chris Brown After Party chairman Divya Brown Chairman Harry Mach Mark Hanson Chairman Steven Mach Adam Dinitz Amanda Dinitz Vicki West Dick Hansen Susan Hansen Duncan Hipkin Liza Hipkin Joann Crassas Bill Crassas David Denechaud Katie Flaherty Maryam Afshari Lester Smith Sue Smith Viviana Denechaud Chairman Joella Mach Christina Hanson Chairman Cora Sue Mach Matthew Morrison Rita Graf Beth Madison Ralph Burch Michael Treviño Honoree Bobby Tudor Diane Lokey Farb Bill Caudell Ileana Treviño Honoree Phoebe Tudor Astley Blair Jason Arnoldy Lindley Arnoldy Stephanie Cockrell Ernie Cockrell DJ Kalkutta on the decks Honoree Margaret Williams