A sold-out crowd of 165 opera aficionados gathered on February 17 in the Biltmore’s elegant Loggia Ballroom for one of the premier society events of the year — Opera Santa Barbara’s annual Opera Ball. This year’s event honored Fred Sidon for his many years of service to the organization.
During the reception at this Belle Epoque–themed event, guests mingled amid a couple of lighted Eiffel Tower statues. Many of the women were adorned in elegant gowns, with Event Co-Chair Joann Younger getting into the spirit with a gorgeous gown that itself resembled the Eiffel Tower (pic below).
Interspersed with the three-course meal was an assortment of brilliant operatic performances on a center stage. The design allowed for an intimate experience for guests at every table. World-renowned Trinidadian Soprano Jeanine De Bique elated the audience with arias sprinkled throughout the evening. She performed Faust’s "The Jewel Song," La Boheme’s "Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi," and Julius Caesar’s "Da Tempeste."