The Solti Foundation has been committed to assisting young American conductors under the age of 38 since its inception in 2000. The foundation recently celebrated its 22nd anniversary with an Award Benefit dinner held at Chicago’s Casino Club.
More than 100 guests, including Dora and John Aalbregtse, Francia Harrington, Bettie Buccheri and more, gathered for a cocktail reception, an award ceremony and a musical performance by John Bruce Yeh, assistant principal clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Over the years, the foundation has awarded $1 million in grants and opened an innovative opera resident program for award recipients. Solti awarded the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award prize of $30,000, which is currently the most substantial grant for young American conductors, to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s assistant conductor, Earl Lee.
Nora and Richard Ungaretti
Dining tables were festooned with centerpieces brimming with hydrangeas.