Tag: 8800

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: New York Philharmonic Spring Gala Honors Barbara Tober with Dudamel, Kissin, and a Dazzling Crowd

The program alone was a work of art — luminous pinks and warm golds announcing the New York Philharmonic Spring Gala, with two names at its center: Gustavo Dudamel and Evgeny Kissin. On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, David Geffen Hall filled with the patrons, musicians, and cultural leaders who keep one of the world’s great orchestras thriving.

The evening honored Barbara Tober and the memory of her husband Donald Tober, with Elizabeth Segerstrom serving as Honorary Chair. Among the distinguished guests was H.H. Dr. Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe, there at the invitation connected to Elizabeth Bacot and the Christoph Aigner family, paying his respects to Tober and Segerstrom alike.

Music at the center

Dudamel, the Philharmonic’s Music Director Designate, led with characteristic clarity, joined by pianist Evgeny Kissin. The repertoire moved from intensity to grandeur: Mussorgsky’s Prelude and Dance of the Persian Slaves from Khovanshchina, Scriabin’s Piano Concerto, and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite — a progression that showed off the orchestra’s full range, with Kissin’s performance a focal point of technical brilliance.

The evening’s co-chairs reflected the breadth of the Philharmonic’s support: Marisa Chearavanont, LaVon Kellner, Judy Glickman Lauder, Leni and Peter May, James L. and Margo M. Nederlander, Daisy M. Soros, and Oscar L. Tang with H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang.

Honoring Barbara Tober

Tober’s story ran through the program pages: lifelong New Yorker, arts patron, publishing figure, former chairman of the Board at the Museum of Arts and Design, supporter of artists through the Acronym Fund and CODAworx, and a 2019 Living Landmark of the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Donald Tober, who passed in 2021, was remembered as her partner in a shared life of philanthropy.

Matías Tarnopolsky, the Philharmonic’s President and CEO, welcomed guests with a message framing the gala as both celebration and continuation — a nod to the orchestra’s momentum under Dudamel’s incoming leadership.

Dinner, calendar, continuity

After cocktails from 5:30 to 6:30 and the 7 p.m. concert came dinner: roasted young beets with goat cheese mousse, signature pull-apart rolls, parmesan chicken with braised leeks and Thai chili beurre fondue, and gianduja chocolate with hazelnut ganache — paired with Honig Sauvignon Blanc and Roco Gravel Road Pinot Noir.

The program also looked ahead: September 10, 2026 brings Dudamel and the Philharmonic to Radio City Music Hall; September 30 marks his Inaugural Gala honoring Peter W. May and Oscar L. Tang; February 9, 2027 is the Lunar New Year Gala; and the Spring Gala tradition continues May 26, 2027.

For Prince Mario-Max, the night was a reminder of what institutions like the Philharmonic do best: gather a city around excellence, and make continuity feel like celebration.

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Originally published on Times Square Chronicles.

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Happy Birthday to Dr. Elizabeth Segerstrom, the Beloved Queen of Orange County

Some titles are given. This one was earned many times over. On her birthday, Dr. Elizabeth Segerstrom — affectionately hailed as the Queen of Orange County — gets her flowers from H.H. Dr. Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe, who calls her “my amazing darling” and means every word.

From Costa Mesa to the wider stage of Southern California society, Segerstrom’s name is synonymous with refinement, generosity, and devotion to the arts. Her bond with the Segerstrom Center for the Arts has helped shape Orange County’s cultural identity and carry it onto the global stage.

A friendship across generations

The connection between the Segerstrom and Schaumburg-Lippe families runs deep. Prince Mario-Max’s parents, H.H. Prince Waldemar and H.H. Princess Antonia, treasured their friendship with Elizabeth — and with her husband’s sister, the legendary Ruth Moriaty Segerstrom.

The memories stack up: Elizabeth attending Prince Mario-Max’s Beverly Hills art opening, where his family portrait by Sir Daniel Wynn was showcased by Ron and Nancy Hilton alongside Oscar winner Margaret O’Brien (the subject of his documentary). Elizabeth reconnecting him with Nigel Lithgow in support of his charity work. And the backstage gathering with Andrea and Veronica Bocelli in New York that he organized through mutual friends — leading to multiple Andrea Bocelli stage contracts at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in the years since.

Modern society leadership

Beyond galas and accolades, Segerstrom represents something rarer: leadership rooted in cultural stewardship and quiet generosity. Whether through artistic patronage or personal warmth — the combination everyone who knows her mentions first — her influence reaches far beyond any visible stage.

Happy birthday to the Queen of Orange County: a woman whose grace keeps setting the standard, year after year.

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Originally published on Times Square Chronicles.