Party Pics: The Curtis Institute of Music's Appassionato Gala Weekend

On Saturday, October 22, and Sunday, October 23, 2011, The Curtis Institute of Music celebrated the launch of the school's 2011-12 Appassionato season and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra's season premiere concert with a gala weekend. Guess enjoyed cocktails at Lefest Hall on the school's campus and also at the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel where a gala dinner was held. On Sunday, October 23, the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and conductor Michael Stern, music director of the Kansas City Symphony, kicked off the orchestra’s 2011-12 season with a concert of works by Barber, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and the premiere of a new work by Curtis faculty member David Ludwig. All proceeds from the event benefitted the school’s Student Assistance Fund, which provides financial support for students' living expenses. Photography by David DeBalko.