The Unforgettable event and its team of 100 volunteers have raised almost $200,000 for the opera and symphony in Victoria.
"The gala for music was a huge success and a wonderful example of collaboration in the arts community," said Deedrie Ballard, who co-chaired the May 9 fundraiser with Barbara Hubbard.
"Working together, Pacific Opera Victoria and the Victoria Symphony combined their strengths to create this very successful event," she noted, adding the artistic excellence of both is something that everyone in Victoria should be proud of.
Clive and Anne Piercy were given the Unforgettable award for their financial support of both the opera and the symphony over two decades, and for the "unforgettable experience they provide to artists who come to Victoria from all over the world" and stay at their hotel. "Guest artists who have stayed at Chateau Victoria often remark that they are made to feel like family," Ballard said.
Hundreds of local companies, corporate sponsors, artists and volunteers collaborated on the event, donating an array of 110 auction items, including a suite of Beatles prints that sold for $7,000.
More than 350 people attended the event, which featured operatic performances by Charlotte Corwin and Stephen Hegedus, and the full symphony conducted by Brian Jackson with Terence Tam on violin and Giuseppe Pietraroia on saxophone.
