With glamour and style, Napa Valley Festival del Sole (FDS) celebrated ten days of exquisite wine, superb food, opera, ballet and healthy living.
Going nine years strong, the uniqueness of Festival Del Sole resides in the fact that it offers entertainment customized to a wide range of interests.
Some of the many highlights:
– The A list gathered on Opening Night as Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell delivered and electrifying performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the courtyard of the Tuscan-inspired Castello di Amorosa.
Joshua Bell Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Joffrey Ballet School Dancers at Opening Night – Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Sophie Azouaou and Dr. Clara Shayevich (in Vasily Vein Couture) Credit: STEPin2
Athena and Timothy Blackburn Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
– The Dance Gala featured classical ballet phenomena Polina Semionova who performed graciously with an all-star cast of dancers from American Ballet Theatre, StaatsBallett Berlin, Stuttgart Ballet and National Ballet of Canada.
Polina Semionova – Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Among the performances: Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Eugene Onegin and The Sleeping Beauty; Weber’s Le Spectre de la Rose; and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.
Performance Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
– A tribute to Bella Sophia Loren at Far Niente.
Sophia Loren – Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Stars and San Francisco’s best gathered to celebrate the life of the true legend.
Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Redford and Francis Ford Coppola paid their tribute and shared some key moments in her life.
Richard Walker, Whoopi Goldberg, Carlo Ponti, Sophia Loren & Robert Redford Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Gordon Getty and Sophia Loren – Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
The evening also featured the debut of LA Virtuosi, the chamber orchestra co-founded and directed by Sophia Loren’s son, Maestro Carlo Ponti, Jr.
– Festival Del Sole 2014 came to a close with the Opera Gala which took place at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville.
Sophia Loren greets the Sphynx Orchestra Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Opera stars soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor Matthew Polenzani enthralled the audience with some of the most beloved Italian Operas such as Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata and Giacomo Puccini: Carmen.
Opera performance Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Opera lovers and VIPs such as Gordon Getty, Maria Manetti and Jan Shrem, Timothy & Athena Blackburn and Sophia Loren, came to enjoy the Opera performances and support Maestro Carlo Ponti, Jr. (Sophia Loren’s son) who conducted the debut of the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra.
Maria Manetti, Matthew Polenzani, Jan Shrem and Nadine Sierra Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Maestro Carlo Ponti, Jr paid an emotional tribute to the life and career of his mother Sophia Loren.
Sophie Azouaou (in Vasily Vein Couture) & Maestro Carlo Ponti – Credit: STEPin2
Rolando Beramendi, Greg Lopez, Nadine Sierra, Gary Danko, Craig Card and Alex Chases Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Nina Kotova, Jean Charles Boisset and Tatiana Copeland Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Following suite VIP guests were whisked away to a five course dinner at Chimney Rock where Sierra treated them to a private serenade.
Sierra’s Private Serenade Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Tatiana Copeland and Carlo Ponti Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Edoardo Ponti, Maria Manetti Shrem and Carlo Ponti Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Chimney Rock Dinner – Credit: STEPin2
“Festival del Sole gets better year after year. We are fortunate to have earned the recognition among many for creating a singular summer celebration that pairs the wine, food and beauty of Napa Valley with the artistry of the world’s finest performers. As we look to the festival’s 10th anniversary next July, we are excited to present what is sure to be our best season yet, ” states executive director Richard Walker.
Festival Del Sole has brought glamour to our beloved Napa Valley and raised the standards when it pertains to the celebration of the arts.
We hear the magical forces behind the festival’s success are already gearing up for the 10th anniversary grand celebration next year.
Be prepared to be awed…. See you next year.
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