Pacific Symphony featured a beach party theme at its annual gala, which raised $1.6 million while honoring Music Director Carl St.Clair’s 25th anniversary with the orchestra. The gala drew more than 400 to the Hotel Irvine, where guests enjoyed an al fresco scene, complete with cabanas, surfboards and a mechanical shark, before adjourning to the ballroom for the program. Chaired by Lynn Freeman and Ellie Gordon, the gala featured speeches and video tributes honoring St.Clair, as well as a surprise flash mob-type performance of Beethoven’s Ninth, courtesy of PSO musicians. It rocked, as did the dance floor as John Tu’s band ended the event in style.
