A celebration of music and summertime: Perlman Gala welcomes supporters
The Perlman Music Program’s annual Summer Gala returned to the Shelter Island campus on Friday night, July 30, with guests encouraged to enjoy the “camp experience” as well as refreshments and an evening of music under the tent.
Beginning at 6 p.m., cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were served, followed by a concert. The Littles — the PMP program for young musicians — sang and played works by Schubert, Poulenc, Respighi and Grieg. A seated dinner was served following the concert.
The COVID-19 pandemic had curtailed some of PMP’s programs on the Island in the last few years and is not entirely in the rear-view mirror; guests were required to show proof of vaccination and masks were required in the tent.
With a perfect July evening for the event, guests enjoyed strolling around the campus, with a spectacular view of the Peconic Bay beachfront. An auction offered opportunities to bid on unique experiences. A private 30-minute concert in the bidder’s home by The Renaissance String Quartet hailing from New York City, was purchased for $9,500. The four members of the group, violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass first met in 2012, while studying together at the Perlman Music Program.
Two bottles of wine, chosen by Maestro Itzhak Perlman from his personal cellar, went for $2,600 in the auction. An $800 bid garnered lunch at The American Hotel in Sag Harbor, dinner at Cove Hollow Tavern in East Hampton, craft vermouth from Channing Daughters, a gift tote from Vine Street Market, and a gift card to Sag Harbor Florist.
Visitors to the campus remarked at the opportunities given to the young musicians to not only receive world-class tutoring, but enjoy the fun of a summertime stay at the beach. “It’s a wonderful cause,” said guest Philip White. “These kids come from all different countries, and they not only get along, but form a real community. They set a good example that adults should follow.”
