Event: Cal Performances Annual Gala 2025
Date: March 7, 2025
Location: UC Berkeley’s Lower Sproul Plaza / Zellerbach Hall
Photos (134): Natalie Schrik and David Zahrobsky for Drew Altizer Photography
Cal Performances’ 2025 Gala was held on Friday, March 7, with all proceeds benefiting Cal Performances’ artistic initiatives and education programs. Gala festivities began at 5:30 pm with a celebratory cocktail reception at UC Berkeley’s Lower Sproul Plaza. At 7 pm, guests took their seats in Zellerbach Hall for a performance featuring the renowned Vienna Philharmonic, with conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and pianist Yefim Bronfman.
Following the performance, members of the Vienna Philharmonic were invited to join gala attendees in Zellerbach Playhouse for an elegant dinner onstage with a Viennese-inspired menu designed by award-winning chef Paul Canales. The wine sponsor for the evening was Hess Person Estates. The Community Sponsor was Wells Fargo, The Private Bank.
The seasoned San Francisco Bay Area event planners at McCalls Catering & Events and Got Light led the event’s design in partnership with Stuart Rentals. Auctioneer Greg Quiroga led the Fund-A-Need paddle raise. Cal Performances presented the California Performing Arts Visionary Award to Lead Sponsors and Honorary Co-Chairs Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom in recognition of their creation of the California Orchestra Residency, which brought the Vienna Philharmonic to the Bay Area and Orange County.
The Gala was co-chaired by Cal Performances Board of Trustees Special Events Committee Chairs Sara Wilson and Janice Brathwaite, who gave remarks. Remarks were also shared by Cal Performances Board of Trustees co-chairs and donors Lance Nagel and Jeff MacKie-Mason. Trustee and Education Committee co-chair Cary Koh spoke passionately about arts education from the stage, noting that all in attendance share a “…common appreciation of sharing, giving, and helping others. Your generosity helps to ensure that these transformative experiences are available to all students.”
Jeremy Geffen, Executive and Artistic Director, shared remarks and presented the California Performing Arts Visionary Award. This moving speech thanked Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom as the visionary philanthropists who made the 2025 Cal Performances Gala evening and the California Orchestra Residency across both the Bay Area and Orange County possible. Geffen shared, “Together, Elizabeth and Maria have demonstrated that philanthropy is not just about giving—it’s about inspiring others to engage, create, and believe in the power of collective action. They have built an enduring legacy of kindness, creativity, and social responsibility that will continue to enrich lives for years to come. And, as much as one is aware of their generosity, please allow me to share that you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg, as so many of their contributions take place in less visible, but equally transformational, ways.”
The 2025 Gala raised more than $1 million from tickets, sponsorships, donations, and the evening’s live Fund-A-Need. All proceeds from Cal Performances’ 2025 Gala support Cal Performances’ mission to produce and present performances of the highest artistic quality, enhanced by programs that explore compelling intersections of education and the performing arts.
