Kick Off Celebration For The 65th Viennese Opera Ball

Actor and VOB Emcee Nathan Lee Graham, VOB Artistic Director Daniel Serafin, VOB President and Executive Director Silvia Frieser

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.

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 4am. 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.

Photos courtesy of John Sanderson/Annie Watt Agency