At Frilly and Floral Rienzi Spring Party, Guests Raise a Glass to 25 Years

Wilson Parish
At Frilly and Floral Rienzi Spring Party, Guests Raise a Glass to 25 Years

Julia Davis, Sophia Cantu, Christiana Reckling, Julia Hotze, Randa McConn

AN INTIMATE GATHERING of around 125 guests toasted the 25th anniversary of Rienzi, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's house of European decorative arts. Beautiful blooms in shades of pink, white and blue, complemented by blue-toile linens, were found all around the verdant grounds, illuminated by simply chic string lights hanging from above.


The annual al fresco fete included a dinner catered by City Kitchen, and an oh-so-sweet dessert spread that included sorbet, gelato, chocolate mousse shooters, fruit tarts, and gooseberries dipped in chocolate. Nick Serena provided a live poolside soundtrack for the evening, which took inspiration from the Portrait of Eleanor, Countess of Lauderdale painting in the Drawing Room at Rienzi.

Chaired by Meg and Nelson Murray, the Spring Party raised nearly $95,000 for Rienzi's operating budget.

Ann Weston, Mitchell Cox

Mary and John Craddock

Anna and Alan Chambers

Maddy and Harrison Schuhmacher

Bagpiper at the 2024 Rienzi Spring Party

Linda Burdine, Jane DiPaolo, Jenny Elkins

Carroll and John Wessels

Natassia Horowitz, Monica Hoz de Vila

Celina Hellmund, Courtnay Elias

Gillian Sarofim, Selim Baysal, Lauren Gray

Chairs Nelson and Meg Murray

Eddie Allen, Eric Bing, Jeff Firestone

Parties

Dessert Gallery cake and cookies

PRIDE MONTH IS on the horizon, Houston! The city is ready to paint the town with all the colors of the rainbow this June. From parades, to pool parties, and colorful food, drink and dessert specials, here’s a taste of what’s happening.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

Rachel Willis-Sorensen (photo by Olivia Kahler)

THIS WEEKEND, ON June 1 and 2, the Houston Symphony celebrates the work of Richard Strauss with a concert of two very different works: An Alpine Symphony (Eine Alpensinfonie), an epic tone poem completed by Strauss in 1915 that depicts a dawn-to-dusk Alpine mountain ascent and includes subtle references to the music of his close friend Gustav Mahler, who died in 1911; and Four Last Songs, which Strauss completed in 1948 at age 84 and was destined to be the composer’s final completed work. HGO Studio alum Rachel Willis-Sørensen, now one of the world’s most in-demand operatic sopranos, joins Music Director Juraj Valčuha for a performance of these majestic, sublime compositions for voice and orchestra.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment