Your Passport to Poland: Diamonds & Divas 2009
Happy Holidays from Spokane Opera! Today, we’d like to introduce you to Diamonds & Divas, Spokane’s most elegant New Year’s party and fund-raising event. We kick off the festivities with a live auction offering fine wines, concert packages, and very special surprises! As we prepare to bring you the night’s entertainment at the end of the month, we’d like to highlight the music you’ll be enjoying, on the theme of this year’s Diamonds & Divas, Passport to Poland.In addition to a menu of Polish-themed delicacies by the Davenport Hotel’s own executive chef Bryan Franz, you’ll experience some of the lesser-known, but vastly enjoyable, music of one of Poland’s most skilled composers. Some of these pieces, performed by Polish violinist Mateusz Wolski, Polonaise Brillante No. 2 in A, Op. 21, and Legend, Op. 17 by Henryk Wieniawski, are rarely performed in Spokane.
Wieniawski, born 1835 in Poland, was considered a genius at violin, and toured extensively throughout Europe. Wieniawski must have been a compelling performer and musician: One of his compositions (which will be performed at Diamonds & Divas), Legend, Op. 17, was composed to change the minds of his fiance’s parents, who were opposed to their marriage. When they heard the piece, they were so moved that they gave their blessing to the young couple. His music was known for its extreme difficulty and his violin playing for superb technique. He is credited with inventing the “Russian bow grip” which enabled the performer to play very rapid staccato.
Click here for information on how to register for Spokane’s premier New Year’s Eve party. Spokane Opera and the Davenport Hotel will offer discounted accommodations to Diamonds & Divas attendees: $549 per couple, including a guest room. Valet parking is available for all Diamonds & Divas attendees. Click here to start your reservations.
Continue reading after the break for a tentative schedule of the night’s events.
- 6:30 pm Champagne Welcome and Live Auction Preview, Hors d’oeuvres served
- 7:00 pm Live Wine Auction
- 8:00 pm Violinist Tracy Dunlop performs, Silent Auction preview
- 8:30 pm Dinner (wine included)
- 9:15 pm Musical program: Pianist Greg Presley performs
- 9:45 pm Musical program: Mateusz & Dawn Wolski, Greg Presley perform, Spokane Opera Orchestra performs, conducted by Dean Williamson, Waltzing
- 10:45 pm Late Night Dancing with Brent Edstrom Trio & Friends, Silent Auction tables close
- Midnight Champagne Toast, Late Night Dancing continues
Schedule subject to change without notice