Musical Offerings
featuring Gabrielle Després, violin, 2020 1st Place Winner & Coleman Itzkoff, cello, 2016 2nd Place Winner
Libations & treats
Light refreshments with good company
2026 Arts Champion
John Wineglass, ®Emmy-Award Winning Composer & 2024 Commissioned Klein Competition Composer
Our Silent Auction
Open in-person on September 26
Our 2026 Arts Champion and Musical Guests
2026 Arts Champion: John Wineglass
JOHN CHRISTOPHER WINEGLASS has written several scores for shows on MSNBC, CNN, NBC, CBS and ABC as well as documentaries on Headliners & Legends with Matt Lauer for The Brady Bunch, Kathy Lee Gifford and Farah Fawcett. Having scored mainly independent films, several of his nationally syndicated commercials include music for the United States Army, American Red Cross and Texaco as well. As a recipient of three (two consecutive) ®Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series, and three ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards, Mr. Wineglass holds seven ®EMMY nominations.In the classical music genre he has garnered commissions from the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music w/Maestra Marin Alsop to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, with The Washington Post describing his concert-hall work as having ‘iridescent colors in the world premiere of a beautifully crafted suite’ while conductor Marvin Hamlisch introduces and congratulates the occasion by commenting ‘… with a name like Wineglass, it had to be good.’
His latest symphonic 2019 premiere of three movements, Unburied, Unmourned, Unmarked: Requiem for Rice was dedicated to the lives of millions and numerous contributions of African and African-American forced laborers who cultivated the immense, expansive, and particularly wealthy rice economy in the Lowcountry. With a libretto and extensive research by historian Dr. Edda Fields-Black of Carnegie-Mellon University, this work has taken them with a team of researchers and film documentarians from the shores of South Carolina to the inner villages of Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and The Gambia. A 2020-2021 world premiere of six movements with full chorus in Washington, DC in conjunction with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) where Dr. Fields-Black has an installation is planned accompanied by the moving images by LA-based filmmaker and director Julie Dash.
In just the one season of 2021-2022, he made his debut symphonic recordings released on Navona Records with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Zabreb Festival Orchestra, the Brno Philharmonie and lastly the esteemed London Symphony Orchestra at St. Luke's recording his stunning mini-violin concerto #elijah - a direct tribute to not only the life of Elijah Jovan McClain but to the lost lives of many people of color at the hands of those who are entrusted to serve and protect.
Mr. Wineglass is currently serving as Composer-In-Residence with the Monterey Symphony where both of his pandemic response works, Alone for Solo Violin, Live EFX and Electronica and Alone Together for Percussion, Harp and Strings have been curated to be included in the permanent collection of the COVID-19 response art at the Library of Congress. The subsequent film for Alone for Solo Violin, Live EFX and Electronica directed by filmmaker Doug Mueller has won international acclaim.
John received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Composition with a minor in Viola Performance at The American University and later received his Master's degree in Music Composition with an emphasis in Film Scoring for Motion Pictures, Television and Multi-Media at New York University, studying primarily with Justin Dello-Joio of the Juilliard School.
For more information, about Wineglass and his work, including audio clips and score samples, visit www.johnwineglass.com
Musical Guest: Gabrielle Després
Praised for her “gorgeous, rich tone” and fresh, insightful interpretations, Canadian violinist Gabrielle Després has emerged as a compelling young artist, enjoying a diverse career as a soloist and chamber musician. As a recent finalist of the 2025 Sibelius International Violin Competition, she was also first-prize winner of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and the Juilliard Concerto Competition, and a top prize recipient at the Michael Hill, Elmar Oliveira, and Washington International Violin Competitions. She has garnered major honors including the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award, Verbier Academy’s Prix Reyl, and Juilliard’s distinguished William Schuman Prize. In 2020, CBC recognized her artistry by naming her to its list of 30 Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30.
As a soloist, Gabrielle has appeared with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra, Spokane Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton, and Peninsula Symphony, among others. Her recital credits span leading series and festivals, including the Schiermonnikoog Festival, Gualala Chamber Music, St. Albert Chamber Music Society, and Kelowna Chamber Music Society. During her two-years as Concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra(2021–2022), she led concerts under eminent conductors, including a celebrated performance of Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben with Sir Antonio Pappano.
A passionate chamber musician, she has performed at the Marlboro Music Festival, ChamberFest Cleveland, Music in the Vineyards, IMS Prussia Cove, and the Edmonton Summer Solstice Music Festival, and collaborated with ensembles such as the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players and CMS of Lincoln Center’s Meet the Music series. Committed to using music as a force for connection, Gabrielle has served as a Gluck Community Engagement Fellow at Juilliard, creating interactive programs for hospitals and nursing homes throughout New York City, and collaborates with Project: Music Heals Us, teaching and performing in carceral facilities across California. Alongside her dear friend Coco Mi, she is the co-founder of the NYC-based concert series, Lyrical Libations, which features pairings of chamber music and cocktails in intimate bars.
Gabrielle earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the Juilliard School as a proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship and is now pursuing an Artist Diploma there, studying with Catherine Cho. Her formative mentors include Donald Weilerstein, Joseph Lin, Masao Kawasaki, Robert Uchida, and James Keene. Her artistic development has been supported by major awards from her home province of Alberta, including the Queen’s Jubilee Award, the Anne Burrows Music Foundation Award, and the Winspear Fund Scholarship, as well as immersive summers at leading programs such as Aspen Music Festival, Kneisel Hall, the Perlman Music Program, and the Verbier Festival Academy.
Gabrielle performs on a violin of Zosimo Bergonzi and a bow of Étienne Pajeot, graciously provided to her by CANIMEX INC., from Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, and gratefully acknowledges the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation for its invaluable support of her artistic journey.
Musical Guest: Coleman Itzkoff
Hailed by Alex Ross in The New Yorker for his "flawless technique and keen musicality," cellist Coleman Itzkoff thrives at the intersection of multiple musical worlds. A versatile soloist, chamber musician, and ensemble member, Coleman brings equal passion and mastery to the exploration of historical instruments and contemporary music, to curating chamber experiences and directing festivals, to premiering new works and arranging for orchestras. Across all of these roles, he is equally committed to exploring the boundaries of what the cello can express and to the deep collaborative work of building ensembles and shared artistic vision.
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Coleman was born in 1992 into a musical family and began playing cello at age 4. He studied under Eric Kim, Desmond Hoebig, Timothy Eddy, and Ralph Kirshbaum, earning a BM from Rice University, an MM from the Thornton School of Music at USC, and an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School. These formative years—and especially the colleagues he has worked with—have shaped his artistic direction and approach to music-making.
Since becoming a founding member of the American Modern Opera Company (AMOC) in 2017, Coleman's artistic practice has expanded in unexpected directions. AMOC has created an ensemble devoted to discipline-colliding work that merges traditional and experimental artistic processes, and Coleman has become a key creative voice in shaping that vision. Working closely with composers Doug Balliett, Keir GoGwilt, and Matthew Aucoin, Coleman has premiered countless works and continues to expand AMOC's repertoire and reach. In 2022, AMOC made history as only the third ensemble to hold the Music Directorship in the Ojai Festival's 75-year history, and in Summer of 2025, the ensemble curated and directed the RunAMOC Festival at Lincoln Center.
Beyond his musical performing, Coleman's work with AMOC has led him to explore acting, dancing, and theatrical collaboration. He has performed in choreographer Bobbi Jene Smith's pieces 'Lost Mountain' and 'Broken Theatre' (presented as a feature-length film in festivals worldwide), and collaborated with the choreographer Or Schraiber on 'The Cello Player,' an experimental work exploring the instrument's theatrical possibilities. He has also arranged and orchestrated music for ballet and new theatrical works, most notably arranging for 'Procession' for the National Ballet of Canada.
In recent years, Coleman has deepened his engagement with Baroque and Renaissance music on period instruments. He is a core member of two thriving ensembles: Ruckus Early Music, known for its adventurous programming and commitment to historically-informed performance, and Twelfth Night Ensemble, dedicated to exploring the rich repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries. This engagement with period practice—studying performance style, tuning systems, and instrumental technique—represents a parallel artistic life, one with its own depth and distinct set of creative challenges.
Chamber music has been central to Coleman's musical life since childhood, beginning with weekly quartet readings with his parents—both professional violinists—and deepening through his attendance at Greenwood Music Camp at age 10. He continues this passion today, performing at leading chamber music festivals including Marlboro Music Festival, La Jolla SummerFest, and Yellowbarn, and maintaining an active concert schedule as a soloist and chamber musician across North America and internationally.
Recent season highlights include performances with the LA Chamber Orchestra, Houston Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra; chamber performances at Caramoor, Union College, and YellowBarn; and recitals at Carnegie Hall, London's Wigmore Hall, and venues throughout Europe and Australia. His most frequent and close collaborators include musicians Keir GoGwilt, Emi Ferguson, Clay Zeller-Townson, Audrey Vardanega, Rachell Wong, and Anthony Marwood, composers Matthew Aucoin, Michael Hersch, and Doug Balliett, and dancers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber.
Throughout his career, Coleman has been committed to bringing music to broader audiences. He has received several grants and awards for this work, including the Sviatoslav Richter Grant for Music Outreach from Rice University, the Roman Goronok Fellowship from the 2016 Irving Klein Competition, and the Cleveland Clinic Arts and Medicine Award. During the pandemic, he partnered with PMHU's Vital Sounds Partnership Grants to bring live, one-on-one performances to hospital patients across the country. He regularly gives masterclasses and consultation lessons at universities where he is performing, sharing his passion for music with emerging musicians.
2026 Auctioneer: Ronny Michael Greenberg
Ronny Michael Greenberg is a pianist, producer, and musical visionary whose artistry has illuminated stages from Carnegie Hall to Vienna’s Konzerthaus. As founder and CEO of Taste of Talent, a nonprofit redefining cultural programming through innovative, multi-sensory experiences, he has established himself as a leading figure in the performing arts.
Among his producer credits are Opera Aloha, a Pacific concert tour blending opera with Hawaiian musical traditions; TILT, Grace Cathedral’s annual summer solstice concert; the Bay Area’s iconic Halloween concert Death By Aria; Merola Opera Program’s Gala; and special performances at Filoli Historic House & Gardens.
He curates and emcees the music for San Francisco Opera Guild’s annual Evening on the Stage, which has included tributes to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi, and is excited to return in that role for the 2025 celebration honoring Maria Manetti Shrem.
As a performer, producer, curator, educator, and artistic partner, Ronny has collaborated with institutions including San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, Festival Napa Valley, Merola Opera Program, Hawai’i Opera Theatre, Hawai’i Performing Arts Festival, Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago, and Music at Kohl Mansion.
Through all his work, Ronny is passionate about breaking boundaries of genre and culture, creating spaces for connection, collaboration, and artistic freedom.