Guests were greeted as the Symphonettes hosted their 50th anniversary celebration Fashion and Auction fundraiser at The Ritz Carlton in Coconut Grove. Performances from the Miamians, Miami Children’s Theatre, Florida Youth Orchestra and FIU School of Music highlighted the occasion.
Under the leadership of club president Jeannie Szomstein, a junior at Ransom Everglades, a dedicated and hardworking group of Symphonettes members planned and worked for nearly a year to create the highly attended and successful event that pays tribute to the graduating seniors.
Event fashion show chairs Rhona He, Olivia Perdigon and Kaityln Roberts worked diligently to ensure an elegant affair from designing the creative centerpieces and elegant invitations to planning the special anniversary brunch. Katarine Birnberg, Nathalie Han, Julia Irvin and Lauren Marx served as auction chairs and secured numerous luxury items generously donated by various local stores, restaurants and members of the Symphonettes.
Giving back to the community is the biggest lesson the Symphonettes learn through teamwork, organization and thorough planning. Their hard work paid off when the fashion show and auction brought in proceeds of more than $30,000. The Symphonettes have been committed to benefiting art-related organizations in the community since 1966. This year, 61 girls from 10 different high schools have dedicated their time to ushering and community service shifts for organizations such as Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Miami Children’s Theatre, Actors’ Playhouse, Miami Symphony Orchestra, St. Martha’s Concert Series, Barry University, and South Florida Youth Symphony, among others.
