Miami, FL – November 2, 2019 – Over 240 philanthropists and music lovers gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel Miami for Young Patronesses of the Opera (YPO)‘s 64th annual benefit to raise funds for music education. “An Evening Where No One Sleeps” drew inspiration from one of the most beloved arias in all of opera – the soul-stirring ‘Nessun Dorma’ from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini. YPO President Marianne Kircher, and Gala Co-Chairs Marta Alfonso, Magita Rojas and Lurenda Turner thanked benefactor Swanee DiMare for her 30 years support of YPO. Trish and Dan Bell were also honored for their generous contributions to YPO over the years. The elegant affair was sponsored by Fidelity Investments, Bunny Bastian, Morris & Anita Broad Philanthropic Fund, Marianne and Peter Kircher, Marta Alfonso and Annie Esformes. Ancient China, the setting of Turandot, Puccini’s final opera, was the theme of the elegant evening as guests moved through the silent auction along ‘The Silk Road’ and into the ‘Zen Garden’ filled with plum blossoms for cocktails, and finally into ‘The Imperial Palace’ for dinner and dancing. The highlight of the night was when tenors Graham Fandrei, Chad Johnson and Kuyna Rowley performed such a powerful rendition of ‘Nessun Dorma’ that the audience leapt to their feet in a standing ovation.

Marianne Kircher

Marianne Kircher & Swanee DiMare

Marianne Kircher, Dan & Trish Bell

Gloria Danovitz, Lesli Brown, Swanee DiMare, & Hadley Henriette

Peter & Marianne Kircher

Ernesto & Patricia Scerpella, Tony Cardona, Josiane Apollon, Amal Solh Kabbani, & Todd Saunders

Lise-Marie Wertanzl, Janice Russell, Debbie Campbell, Barbara Reese, Renee Gross, Rebecca Spinale, Julie Todaro, Lucir Spieler, & Gail Pinon

Carolina Frebhoff, Lurenda Turner, & Marta Alfonso

Sanela Ebbeskov Jankovic, Susan Feldman, & Michele Reese Granger

Victoria & Jason Randolph

Georgia & Gene McLean

Hadley & Yannick Henriette

Renee Lopez Cantera, Swanee DiMare, & Bronwyn Miller

Ricky Elias, Leslie Lott, Julie Todaro, Lise-Marie Wertanzl, Rebecca Spinale, Carolina Frebhoff, Josiane Apollon, & John Frebhoff