Voices Carry

A record 560 guests packed into the ballroom at Fess Parker’s Doubletree when Human Rights Watch held its 11th annual Voices for Justice dinner which raised a hefty $950,000 for the nearly 40-year-old nonprofit, which is a leading defender of fundamental freedoms, the activists who uphold them, and vulnerable people worldwide in 90 countries globally.

The bustling bash, co-chaired by the tony triumvirate of Gwyn Lurie, David Rintels, and Fiona Stone, featured researchers for the worthy cause, including Peter Bouckaert, director of emergencies, Elizabeth Calvin, a senior advocate for children’s rights, Carlos Conde of the Asia division, and Grace Meng of the U.S. program.

A tribute film was presented by Bouckaert and Jane Olson, co-founder of the Santa Barbara council, while deputy executive director Iain Levine was keynote speaker.

Screenwriter, producer, and director Vicki Riskin, a stalwart supporter for 30 years, was awarded the first Human Rights Watch award for her work in starting the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara committees.

Among the tony torrent of guests were Robert Lieff, Ted Bauer, Marc Appleton. Rinaldo and Lalla Brutoco, Lois and Laura Capps, Salud Carbajal, Ron and Jill Dexter, Larry Feinberg and Starr Siegele, Robert Weinman, Allan Ghitterman, Das Williams, Stan and Betty Hatch, Lis Leader, Hannah-Beth Jackson, Sara Miller-McCune, Paula Lopez, Leslie Ridley-Tree, Justine Roddick, Sybil Rosen, Shaun and Carla Tomson, Anne Towbes, and David and Anne Gersh.

MAW Than a Feeling

Camerata Pacifica packed two magnificent works into its 80-minute concert at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall.

Giora Schmidt shone in Sergei Prokofiev’s violin sonata No.1 in F Minor with pianist Gilles Vonsattel, with the extremely entertaining concert concluding with Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time with Jose Franch-Ballester on clarinet and Ani Aznavoorian on cello joining the tony musical twosome.