Elisabeth Muhr, Denise Rich, and Jean Shafiroff chaired the 65th Viennese Opera Ball on Friday, February 7, 2020, at Cipriani 42nd Street, New York City, under the patronage of The President of the Republic of Austria, H.E. Alexander Van der Bellen. Actor Nathan Lee Graham emceed the Ball, celebrating the cultural and economic relationships between Austria and America, connecting two continents, two cities and two centuries in one glamorous evening.
âThere is nothing like this in America with pageantry that could only come from the Habsburg Royal Housesâ said President and Executive Director Silvia Frieser, âJust as in Europe, the celebration began with our Debutantes, wearing beautiful tiaras donated by Austrian jewelry company Ciro and white gowns, dancing the Polonaise and Alles Walzer with their partners in white tie.â Artistic Director Daniel Serafin presented an operatic concert with Ewa PĹonka, Limmie Pulliam, Michael Spyres and Corinne Winters performing alongside a full orchestra conducted by Matthias Fletzberger. At Midnight, a Quadrille that enlivened the dance floor until 4am.
The Viennese Opera Ball proudly supports charitable projects of New York and Vienna. This year, appropriately benefiting the musical therapy program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center through Denise Richâs Gabrielleâs Angel Foundation for Cancer Research. While the Viennese Opera Ball is inspired by the famous Vienna Opera Ball in Austria, it is older and itâs own American 501 (c)(3) not for profit foundation, held under the auspices of the U.S. Austrian Chamber of Commerce.
The Honorary Gala Chair was The Honorable Michael Ludwig, Governor, and Mayor of Vienna. Notable guests included Host Committee members Janna Bullock, Joanna Fisher, Ana Saucedo, Randi Schatz, and Marisa Rose Van Bokhorst, Honorary Guests Florence Hvorostovsky and Ann Ziff, Junior Chairs Emily Mohr and Colgate Rumbough, Junior Vice-Chair Briana Lestage, as well as Star Jones, Ricardo Lugo, John Paulson, Karlheinz Muhr, Martin Shafiroff and Stifel Investment Services, Hikmet Ersek (CEO of Western Union), Actress Samantha Mathis, Lukas Barwinski-Brown (CEO, Lang Lang International Music Foundation), Trisha Willis, John Willis, Diandra Douglas, Sandra Stockmayer (Viennese dancing school Svabek), Agnieszka and Witold Balaban, and U.S. Military Academy West Point Cadets who marched in with flags representing America, Austria, and the European Union before singing the three respective anthems.
Sponsors included The City of Vienna, Royal Flowers, A.E. Koechert, Aida, as well as a selection of donated Austrian wines and spirits by Schlumberger, Sonor Wines, Esterhazy, Rick Gin and Manufaktur Mueller, and Hallstein Water. The debutantes wore beautiful donated tiaras by Austrian jewelry company Ciro, and were exclusively styled, together with the opera singers, by The Salon at BG.
Aimee Anne-Caroline Auguin of New York City
Daughter of French conductor Philippe Auguin and opera singer Jena Ruchek
 Natalie Aldridge of Mequon, Wisconsin
Daughter of Thomas Lee and Jane Marie Aldridge
 Rachel Barcellona of Palm Harbor, Florida
Daughter of Frank and Barbara Barcellona
 Despina Drougas of New Fairfield Connecticut
Daughter of Demosthenes and Carmela Drougas
 Rachel Engelberg of Vienna, Austria
Daughter of Martin Engelberg, Member of the National Council of Austria and Danielle Spera, Director of the Jewish Museum of Vienna
 Clara Heupgen of Munich, Germany
Daughter of His Excellency the Austrian Ambassador to Portugal, Thomas Stelzer, and Helene Heupgen
 Asia Hickman of West Point, New York
Daughter of Marc Hickman (U.S. Department of Defense) and Major Jamie Hickman (U.S. Army)
She is the 2017 Miss New York Teen America
 Katherine Kuhl of New York City
Daughter of the late Dr. David Kuhl and Diane Kuhl of the American Ballet Theatre
 Luisa Majnoni dâIntignano of New York City
Daughter of Giovanni Majnoni dâIntignano, a Director of the Bank of Italy and Bonizella Biagini of United Nations Development Programme
Proudly representing the country of her birth, Italy
 Anastacia Grace Weyerhaeuser McCarthy Markoe of White Bear Lake, Montana
Daughter of James Admire Markoe, Jr. and Sarah Jane McCarthy
 Christiane McCabe of New York City
Daughter of Michael J. McCabe and Aline Rizk
 Olivia Maria McNaughten of New York City
Daughter of Anthony McNaughten and Rossana McNaughten
 Yaelle Shaked of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Daughter of Alon and Lorraine Shaked
Currently attending Harvard University
 Doris Winkler of Vienna, Austria
Daughter of Harald Swoboda and Brigitte Winkler
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65th Viennese Opera Ball Benefits Music Therapy Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Elisabeth Muhr, Denise Rich, and Jean Shafiroff chaired the 65th Viennese Opera Ball on Friday, February 7, 2020, at Cipriani 42nd Street, New York City, under the patronage of The President of the Republic of Austria, H.E.
