The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia celebrated its 50th anniversary with a concert at Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall on Sunday May 10, 2015. After the performance a champagne toast reception was held at the Hamilton Garden where Garces Catering provided small plates of delicious food. Guests included music director Dirk Brossé; Geert Bourgeois, minister-president of the government of Flanders; former Governor Ed Rendell; as well as friends , supporters and members of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

There were toasts to the staying power of the orchestra and to the exciting future that lays ahead . Also on hand was Kenneth M. Jarin, board chair; who with Dirk Brossé, conductor; and Susan Schwartz McDonal,, president  of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia Board of Directors. They honored Marc Mostovoy, founder of the chamber orchestra, and recognizing Conductor Laureate Ignat Solzhenitsyn for his service.

The concert was conducted by Maestro Dirk Brossé conducted can be heard this Sunday, May 17, 5 to 6 pm on WRTI.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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This past Saturday, more than 1200 alumni, faculty, and dignitaries attended the 250th Celebration Gala for the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine — also known as Penn Med — held at the top of the Philadelphia Art Museum steps in the largest tent that’s ever been erected at that location.

It was an evening like no other filled with warm memories, reunions among faculty and alumni, and a concert by Harry Connick Jr., and grand fireworks display to cap-off the evening. The evening began with a cocktail party inside the Art Museum, where guests enjoyed pass hor d’oeuvres and cocktails. At 7:30pm, bagpipes made their way down the grand staircase guiding guests through the front doors and into the tent for dinner and the program, which included honoring a remarkable video called “The First”, which noted many of the remarkable achievements of the University of Pennsylvania’s school of medicine — including being the first medical school in the country. After the gala dinner, guests returned to the Grand Hall of the Art Museum for a dance party, and a VIP meet-and-greet with Connick.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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The Radnor Hunt Races celebrated its 85th Anniversary on May 16th during the spring tradition of steeplechasing at the Radnor Hunt. Six exciting races featured horses vying for purses totaling $180,000. Guests dressed in fashionable derby party outfits, with many of the ladies wearing hats of elegance and style. They enjoyed tailgate picnics, buffet luncheons in the sponsored tents and just took in the fresh air while watching the races along the fence with friends and family. All proceeds from the Radnor Hunt Races benefit the land and water preservation programs of the Brandywine Conservancy in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. BNY Mellon celebrated 31 years as lead sponsor of the Radnor Hunt Races.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Edmondo Blando last night celebrated his 10th year operating Salon Vanity with a party at the 1701 Walnut Street establishment. Many well-coiffed guests came out to celebrate Blando’s achievement, including Fox 29’s Mike Jerrick, who has his hair done by Edmondo, and was just chosen by Get Good Head as the best head of hair on a newsman in Pennsylvania. He heard about the salon through Kacie McDonnell, who still flies in monthly to get her hair done at the salon. Other notable clients include Sheena Parveen, Dawn Timmeney, Jillian Mele and Eva Pilgrim.

Guests dined on a spread by Whole Foods, enjoyed Andrea Blando‘s (Edmondo’s dad) homemade limoncello, and enjoyed a specially designed chocolate chip cake from Sophisticakes Bakery in Drexel Hill. In his speech last night, Edmondo thanked his wife, Santi, for her support, his parents for letting him pursue his dreams — which started in their garage — and his staff, who uphold his motto: ”We help people feel better about themselves, especially if they’ve had a bad day.”

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Last week The Voice Foundation held its annual gala, the Voices Gala of Summer 2015 Awards Dinner, at the Westin Hotel. The gala fundraiser was part of the foundation’s 44th annual symposium held at the hotel over the weekend. The event draws doctors, voice teachers and students from all over the world to discuss the latest treatments, knowledge and expertise in the care of the professional voice user.

The evening began with a jazz reception and cocktails, followed by a concert by scientists and doctors. Afterward, Dr. Robert T. Sataloff, board chairman of the Voice Foundation, presented the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Award to two award-winning stars of stage and screen: Joel Grey and Stacy Keach. (Keach accepted the award via a pretaped speech.) The international and Metropolitan opera star Dolora Zajick was honored with the The Voice Education Research Awareness (VERA) Award. Special recognition went to the Voice Foundation’s new board president, Dr. Stuart Orsher.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Last night Michael B. Welsh’s much anticipated Brick and Mortar (BAM) opened up at 12th and Pearl Streets in the Loft District of Philadelphia. The New American tavern seats up to 110 people and is located on the first floor of the Goldtex Building, which features large windows letting in a lot of light and banquet style tables as well as having a community table for large parties. Chef Brian Ricci’s menu will serve lunch and dinner, as well as late-night snacks, plus the best cocktails you could imagine.

Last night’s opening served as a fundraiser to support Friends of The Rail Park, attracting supporters including Inga Saffron, Connor Barwin, Sam Sherman and Paul Steinke, who enjoyed signature cocktails + hors d’oeuvres crafted by the BAM staff. Friends of The Rail Park had a lot to celebrate last night as the Philadelphia Art Commission had given final approval for the anticipated park’s design on Wednesday. During the event Philly’s favorite rapper, Chill Moody performed with Yufi Zewdu & DJ Ricochet.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Last week, Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) held its sponsor and supporter party at the home of Nivedita and Shruti Singhal (2 of the 8 co-chairs of the gala)in Bryn Mawr. The rain held off long enough for the party to take place on their deck overlooking their well-maintained, beautifully landscaped backyard, where an intimate invite list of 75 enjoyed delicious Indian food and scrumptious drinks while discussing the upcoming gala, “The Black and White Butterfly Ball,” to be held Saturday, October 24, 2015 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel.

Many of the honorees were in attendance, including this year’s Going Beyond Award recipients Jewel Ajibade, Lynn Folkman Auspitz and Dana Donofree, all women who have used their personal experience with breast cancer to help and inspire others.Donna Noce Colaco, president of White House | Black Market, will receive the Founder’s Award for her longstanding and incredible support to LBBC. Greatly missed was Debra Strauss, who was at home recovering, but her husband Ed was on hand. Our thoughts are with Debra at this time.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Friday night was opening night for Opera Philadelphia’s much-anticipated Charlie Parker’s Yardbird at the Kimmel Center. Tenor Lawrence Brownlee stars as Charlie Parker with soprano Angela Brown, who mesmerizes as his mother, Addie Parker. Baritone Will Liverman makes his debut as jazz icon Dizzy Gillespie. The opera is set in the famed NYC jazz club Birdland. About 100 Opera Philadelphia theatergoers attended the opening night party on the second tier of the Kimmel Center, including Ann Ziff from the Metropolitan Opera in NYC, Mayor Michael Nutter, First Lady Lisa Nutter and several people from the Apollo Theater in NYC, where Yardbird will appear later this year. Guests dined on cuisine from Jose Garces Catering, walked the red carpet, posed for photos and relished in the evening’s show, which concluded with a standing ovation. I wish I could say go see it, but it’s completely sold out.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Last night the Career Wardrobe hosted its annual gala, “A Perfect Fit: Change Your Suit. Change Your Perspective. Change Your Life,” at the Crystal Tea Room in Center City.

The evening started with a cocktail party, where guests enjoyed buffet stations lined with delicious appetizers and dinner. During the cocktail party, guests were able to participate in an extensive silent auction. At around 7 p.m., guests were ushered into the grand ballroom for dessert, coffee and the program, which included the very popular fashion show with local news reporters, notable Philly businesswomen, and former clients of the Career Wardrobe. The proceeds from the event go toward helping ease the transition of women from welfare to work and education, empowerment programs to assist women back into the work force, and guidance about what to wear for job interviews.

Did you know you can pick up decent second-hand clothing from the Wardrobe Boutique store at 1822 Spring Garden Street? Goals for the Career Wardrobe this year include moving their office from inside Center City to the Spring Garden location, and accepting men’s clothing at the boutique to help men make the transition into the workplace.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) at Thomas Jefferson University hosted its SKCC Next launch reception at the Ritz Residences for members of the next generation of supporters, as well as potential members. SKCC Next is not a “young friends” organization, but the next generation of supporters of any age, business leaders and philanthropists interested in getting involved with SKCC through funding, volunteering and collaborating in innovative ways to support the Center and its goal of finding a cure for cancer.

Guests enjoyed two hours of networking with their peers, as well as with Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, Ph.D. (director of urology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center); Paul Gunther (director of development, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center); Joseph Weiss, (chair of Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center advisory board); and the leaders of SKCC Next. They enjoyed complimentary cocktails, light hors d’oeuvres and music by Fishtown Beats. For more information on this organization, contact the office of protocol and special events by phone at 215-955-9100 or via email at events@jefferson.edu.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Last night, The Friends of Rittenhouse Square and Arthur Wolk (The Wolk Law Firm) & Boo (the law firm’s house pooch) hosted the 32nd annual Ball on The Square. A record number of people attended the soiree, which sold out by June 1.  Over 400 well-dressed guests attended, dining on Starr Events Catering and listening to the Eddie Bruce Orchestra while surrounded by the beautiful decor of Evantine Design, all to raise funds for the popular park.

The annual celebration brings much-needed funds for the maintenance of the well-liked square; last night was especially sweet as the Friends of Rittenhouse Square announced that they have raised $1.6 million in the past 3 years from the galas. The evening’s gala was held around one of the benefits of these galas — The Duck Lady Fountain — which has been restored and was flowing freely last night.  Other improvements included increased lighting, security cameras, the restored and cleaned balustrade, and the illuminated guardhouse and lion.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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The Women’s Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a party celebrating the museum’s new exhibit: “Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel and the New Painting” The opening gala was held on Saturday, June 20, 2015. The exhibit features works by world-famous painters such as Mary Cassatt (a Pa. native), Cézanne, Degas, Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley, and others. The event began with champagne toasts on the East Terrace, followed by hors d’oeuvres in the Great Stair Hall, where guests could enter the exhibition halls to see the great artworks. Guests also enjoyed live entertainment and festive summer fare by Stephen Starr Catering. They then ascended the grand staircase to enjoy dinner in the balcony overlooking the Grand Hall. After dinner, there was a dance party with a DJ and desserts served in the Grand Hall. The exhibit opens to the public on Wednesday,
June 24 and runs through September 13.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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A replica of the 18th-century ship L’Hermione visited Penn’s Landing this past weekend as part of the Tall Ships traveling exhibition. The ship, a 216-foot-long, 1,260-ton replica of the French frigate that took the Marquis de Lafayette on his second journey to the United States during the Revolutionary War. Yann Cariou, captain of the French tall ship L’Hermione, welcomed Councilman Mark Squilla on board on Friday night for a cocktail party to celebrate the arrival of the ship in Philadelphia. Afterwards, there was a reception — including a small program — hosted by Moet & Chandon Imperial Champagne in the courtyard of City Tavern. Then it was inside for a re-enactment of a dinner that occurred on the voyage when it was docked in Philadelphia. The dinner was prepared by Chef Walter Staib. Staib is culinary ambassador to the voyage, and he had filmed a PBS special onboard the ship in June 2014 in Rochefort, France, in anticipation of this voyage. He is preparing a similar re-enactment dinner in Boston on July 11.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Tuesday night was the launch of The Walnut Club at Positano Coast in Old City where they served some of their most popular dishes, along with specialty cocktails and beer. The Walnut Club is a new networking club which introduces ambitious women to the best people, resources and events for advancing, connecting and playing in Philadelphia. Many of Philly’s movers and shakers, turned out to learn about the club from founder Marla McDermott, who you might know from her business “I Heart PHL.”, she certainly does and that’s why she wants to take the guess work out of who women should network with to create the business they want to have. Check out to see if it’s a fit for you.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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On Wednesday, 95.7 Ben FM with Marilyn Russell hosted a “Woman of the Week” Networking Luncheon at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, with special guest Alex Holley from FOX29’s “Good Day.” “Woman of the Week” is a weekly program on 95.7 Ben FM hosted by Russell — the morning DJ — and highlights women in the Delaware Valley who are making an impact in the community. After a short networking period, guests sat down to enjoy a delicious Jose Garces Catering buffet luncheon and enjoyed the program, which featured speakers including Holley, who talked about her career path and how she’s adopted Philadelphia as her second home. Check out the interview with the Woman of the Week here.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Last night I went to a Vertical Block Party in the new building on Chestnut and 15th – the Avenir. The building features sleek apartments — ranging from “flats” (just 300 square feet) and studios to one- and two-bedroom (835 square feet) units — as well as amenities like a screening room, a community room and a state-of-the-art exercise facility, as well as several “Think Rooms” for studying or for zen moments I imagine.

The party was open to influencers, and business leaders who enjoyed local bites and spirits. Avenir promotes itself as “micro living” at it’s best, but it didn’t feel claustrophobic, and 300 square feet didn’t seem as small as that number. (Be forewarned, micro living doesn’t mean micro rents.)

The location of Avenir is sweet, across from City Hall and Dilworth Park, near public transportation and a few blocks from the mega chic shopping on Walnut Street as well as a stones throw from the Shops of Liberty, where it was just announced the new Bloomingdale’s Outlet will be opening.

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In 2013, the Post Brothers bought the prestigious Presidential City and are underway with a $100 million renovation of the highly visible complex on the edge of Fairmount Park and the drives. Last week they held a party to celebrate the first of the four buildings renovated, which already has tenants moved in. The Presidential was built in the 1950s, and maintained that style of living all the way down to the window air conditioning units that dotted the building’s exterior.  Since the renovation, the Post Brothers installed central air in the units, expanded some of the windows to create a floor-to-ceiling effect, replaced the wiring, upgraded the piping and completely gutted each unit, installing top-of-the-line appliances. The Presidential offers studios to two-bedroom penthouses with wrap-around views of Fairmount Park, soaking tubs and showers. There are plenty of amenities that make the Presidential apartments very attractive as a new home, including the Sora Pool Club with its pool, saunas, massage rooms and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Citizen Diplomacy International of Philadelphia held its annual fundraiser, American Summer Experience, at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, attracting international guests, students and notables from our area. Attendees enjoyed French and Italian wines, domestic and imported beer and a buffet dinner by Catering by Design. Funds raised from the event benefited CDI’s “Today I Met” Education Program and their State Department & Sister Cities Exchange Programs for the country and region. CDI is Citizen Diplomacy International, formerly the International Visitors Council of Philadelphia.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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The Young Friends of the National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH) presented A Midsummer’s Eve at the museum on July 30th. Guests wore white in the spirit of the holiday tradition while enjoying a kosher dessert reception by Betty the Caterer and an open bar. The event — a celebration of Tu B’Av, the Jewish holiday of love — was held in the ballroom at the NMAJH, which overlooks Independence Park. Guest mingled with other young friends, posed for photos in front of the step-and-repeat, enjoyed views from the expansive fifth floor terrace, danced to the tunes of DJ Adrian Hardy and checked out the Richard Avedon: Family Affairs portraiture exhibit, which ended its run on August 2nd.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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