1. Itzhak
Perlman
charms
the room.

2. Doreen
Hermelin
opened her
beautiful
Bingham
Farms home
to DSO
supporters.
Doreen is
shown here
with DSO
President
Emil Kang.

3. Auctioneers
Perlman, Kang
and Cummings
huddle.

4. Dr. Mel
Lester asks
Perlman
a probing
question.

5. The "ladies"
who take tea
dropped in on
the festivities.

6. DSO
Chairman
and event
auctioneer
Peter
Cummings
starts the
bidding.

7. Donning
her white
gloves, event
chair Penny
Blumenstein
shows off a
Baccarat
crystal
violin to
Pat Senecoff.

8. Event
chair Maureen
D'Avanzo
greets guests
with Pat
Nichol.

9. Oscar
Feldman,
Eugene
Applebaum
and Pam Wyett
gather for hors
d'oeuvres on
the patio.

10. Stewart
Bromberg and
Alan Schwartz
weigh in on
world affairs.

BY LINDA BACHRACK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOB BENYAS

I

never forget a good sturgeon
schnitzel," joked Itzhak Perlman,
explaining one of the reasons he
decided to accept the DSO's offer
to become Principal Guest Conductor.
DSO President and Executive Director
Emil Kang and Chairman Peter Cummings
treated Perlman to the aforementioned
sturgeon dinner at Café des Artistes in
New York, and the rest is history.
Maestro Perlman was honored recently
with a dinner reception and auction at
the home of Doreen Hermelin. Monies
raised through the auction and ticket

10 • JUNE 2001 • STYLE AT THE JN

sales benefited the DSO Annual Fund.
Hosted by the Volunteer Council and
chaired by Penny Blumenstein and
Maureen D'Avanzo, the elegant event
featured a dinner buffet catered by Paul
Kohn of Quality Kosher Catering. The
menu included such delicacies as
macadamia-encrusted Chilean sea bass,
tortellini with morel mushroom sauce
and duck medallions stuffed with mis-
sion figs in a port wine sauce.
Some 250 guests gathered in the art-
filled great room for a chat with Perlman
who touted his Perlman Music Program

for pre-college students, a joint program
with the music conservatory in Tel Aviv.
On conducting, he opined, "I'm a better
violin player since I started conducting. I
try to make music, not conduct. I just
make the music come alive."
Israeli native Asa Shani of Rochester
Hills asked Perlman what he thought of
playing Wagner's music. "If a few people
are hurt by the music, it shouldn't be
played," he said.
Perlman will lend his talent, skill and
charm to the DSO stage for various per-
formances throughout the 2001-2002 season.