Last week, the oldest white tie charity gala in New York, The 62nd Viennese Opera Ball, was held at the Waldorf Astoria in the Grand Ballroom under the auspices of the U.S. Austrian Chamber of Commerce.
Supporting charitable projects connected to the communities in New York and Vienna, The Ball, celebrated the 150th anniversary of Austria’s unofficial national anthem, Johann Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltz and benefitted ‘Leonard Bernstein — A New Yorker in Vienna,’ a project of the Jewish Museum in cooperation with the U.S. Friends of the Jewish Museum of Vienna.
Led by Silvia Frieser – Executive Director, President and Co-Chair, Michael Pecnik, Co-Chair, Director and Treasurer, Eva Chickering – Director and Board Secretary, and Dr. Stefan Eder – Co-Chair with Artistic Director Daniel Serafin, 16 debutantes including Miss Kiera Rumbough from New York, Miss Marie-Sophie Höfer from Austria, Miss Zhiqiao Cui and Miss Emily Christina Mohr from China, and Miss Milana Guseinzade from Russia made their formal presentation to international society. They were accompanied by their white tie and tail clad escorts.
Nearly 500 guests including the Austrian Ambassador to the United States Wolfgang Waldner and the Former U.S. Ambassador to Austria H.E. Alexa L. Wesner attended along with Kiera Chaplin – Granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, Former Today Show anchor Tamron Hall, Michelle Obama’s Hairstylist Johnny Wright, Jean Shafiroff, Gary Keszler, Carl and Renee Landegger, Ursula Stenzl, Dr. Christine Frissora, Harald & Inge Serafin, Guenther Greiner, Albert & Judy Kurpis, Irena Holiat, Jane Scher, and R. Couri Hay.
Pictured:
Eva Chickering, Kiera Chaplin, Michael Pecnik, Silvia Frieser