The Vienna Philharmonic Society, chaired by Marifé Hernández, hosted its annual gala at a private club in New York. Guests were welcomed the evening before the orchestra’s three sold-out nights at Carnegie Hall. “The Vienna Philharmonic has always stood for artistic independence and extraordinary tradition,” said Hernández. “Tonight, we support that same standard of excellence as it continues with the next generation of musicians.”
“We’re celebrating, in my entirely unbiased opinion, the best orchestra in the world,” said VPS President, Matthias Ederer. “The only way you do that is if you have the best young talent, which is why we have the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Academy, a tuition-free training program of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.” Michael Bladerer, General Manager of V.P.S. and the orchestra’s contrabass, added, “The Academy is an incredible success for the orchestra. We have now nine former Academy musicians within our orchestra, and two of them were hired in the last year. The inception of The Academy we owe to our American Society.”
The gala honored twin sisters Casey Cole and Timolin Cole Augustus, daughters of Nat King Cole and sisters of Natalie Cole. Through their Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Foundations, which support music education for underserved communities, they have pledged $50,000 annually for three years to the VPOA. “The Vienna Philharmonic represents one of the great musical traditions, and the Cole family represents the best of the American songbook,” said Hernández. “Bringing these legacies together marks the beginning of an important partnership and to create opportunities for the next generation of musicians.”
