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Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi, devoted and longtime supporters of Festival Napa Valley, have a love of art, wine, and hospitality imbued by the rich traditions of their Persian heritage. To them, these are essential elements of a life well lived—and generously shared.
On this exclusive occasion, the Khaledis welcome donors to a lavish dinner and private concert at their magnificent Napa estate, a remarkable compound inspired by the ancient capital city of Persepolis. The evening’s concert will take place in the winery’s majestic amphitheater. Soprano Serena Sáenz, violinist Francisco Fullana, cellist Sophia Bacelar, and guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas will reprise selections from their much-acclaimed concert at last fall’s inaugural Raimat Arts Festival in Catalonia.
The Khaledis’ passion for music is rivaled only by their artistry in making outstanding wines, and tonight’s Persian-inspired dinner, prepared by Executive Chef Sean Massey, will be paired with Darioush’s exquisite Bordeaux-style wines. Capping off the evening is the crown jewel of the estate, the limited-production Darius II, an intense, elegant, and age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon.
Serena Sáenz appears as part of the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Vocal Arts Series
Performers
Spanish soprano Serena Sáenz has been lauded by the press for her “musicality, good taste in ornamentation and luminous high notes with a good arsenal of bel canto resources” (Scherzo). In spite of her youth, Serena Sáenz is already a frequent guest at some of the most renowned opera houses in the world.
Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana, winner of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, has been hailed as “an amazing talent" by Gustavo Dudamel and “frighteningly awesome’” by the Buffalo News, with the BBC Music Magazine observing has observed that “he manages to combine Itzhak Perlman's warmth with the aristocratic poise of Henryk Szeryng.”
A Festival Napa Valley favorite, Cuban-Chinese cellist and interdisciplinary artist SUUVI (formerly Sophia Bacelar) is conversant and active in various artistic disciplines, including fashion, film, photography, and visual art. Recent projects range from a Carnegie Hall recital to video art with dancers and touring the world as the solo cellist in The World of Hans Zimmer.
Praised as “the soul of the Spanish guitar,” he has become a worldwide sensation known as this generation’s great guitarist. Pablo Sáinz Villegas has been acclaimed by the international press as the successor of Andrés Segovia and an ambassador of Spanish culture in the world. Since his early debut with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos at Lincoln Center, he has played in more than 40 countries and with orchestras such as the Israel Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the National Orchestra of Spain.
Venue
Darioush
