On Saturday night, some 2,400 classical music buffs donned tuxes and gowns and headed to Symphony Center for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's opening night. Soprano Renee Fleming—herself clad in a sweeping blush and gray gown—headlined the evening's musical performance, and inspired the look of a dinner-dance that drew 650 gala ticket holders to the Hilton Chicago after the concert.
When planning the event each year, "we look at who's performing and what's being performed" to find a theme, said senior project manager Kim Duffy. Last year's gala included dinner in a northern-woods-themed tent—a cue taken from the evening's program of Finnish music, but "this year we looked at photos of Renee for inspiration," said Duffy. "She just exudes femininity, and that was our theme. There was no need for a play on words or anything. It was just her—queen of the opera world."
At the Hilton, guests found Renee Fleming CDs at each place setting; the cover bore an image of the soprano in a copper-hued silk ensemble. "We took that image and carried it over into our print pieces and our invites," Duffy said. "Heffernan Morgan then took the invitation and transformed it into what we saw in the ballroom: a very feminine, gorgeous setting" with russet linens and draping, candles in etched hurricane globes, magnolia leaves, and blush pink roses.
A new component of this year's event was a partnership with the Glass Slipper Project, a nonprofit that donates formal attire to underprivileged women. In their programs, guests found a donation pledge card asking for items such as evening bags, jewelry, and unused makeup. Donated items will be accepted at Symphony Center through early November. The partnership between the symphony and the charity was a "nice marriage," Duffy said. "People are definitely choosing where they're donating these days, and by having the Glass Slipper Project as a part of this event, I think we demonstrated that we're really thinking outside the box in terms of giving back. We're not just making monetary donations, and that showed our guests that we're being very conscious of our funds as well. It set a good tone for the evening."
