The Friends of the Budapest Festival Orchestra held their gala kick-off party with guests of honor Ambassador Donald Blinken and Governor George E. Pataki at Sylvia Hemingway’s Fifth Avenue residence. The hostess served Hungarian wine from her DHP Vineyard. “Egészségedre!” toasted Sylvia (Cheers! in Hungarian).
Friends chairman, Stephen Benko, flew in from Budapest for the occasion, announcing in his toast the April 6th benefit dinner and concert at Carnegie Hall, as well as the plans for a second Vicenza Opera Festival, opening October 20th, 2019.
Guests included: Kristina Allegra, Steven M.L. Aronson, Ambassador Nancy Brinker, Dr. Karen Burke, Joan Hardy Clark, Aaron Feinstein, John and Carole French, Susan Gutfreund, Cheri Kaufman and Bill Sclight, Michèle Gerber Klein, Aimee and William Maroney, Reni Rothschild, Daisy Soros, Stephanie Stokes, Barbara and Donald Tober, Annette Vass, and Máté Vincze (director of the Hungarian Cultural Center).
Pictured:
Sylvia Hemingway, Ambassador Nancy Brinker, Jennifer Lang, Governor George E. Pataki