A Note of Support for USC Symphony

“Unforgettable” was how one guest described an intimate dinner party Friday at the Orange estate of Rick and Nancy Muth that featured memorable music and a medley of gourmet specialties.

The Muths opened their home to honor underwriters and sponsors of the Orange County debut performance of the USC Symphony at the Performing Arts Center March 20. Those invited contributed $5,000 or more.

Night to Remember

Guests were greeted at the door by the Muths and ushered through their posh Mediter-ranean-style home. Rick Muth, an executive with Orco Block Co. (founded by his father, Peter) joked:

“Our home was built out of concrete blocks, and our company produced the pavers on the driveway.”

The Muths set up a large tent in their back yard that not only withstood heavy rain and wind but also kept guests warm, thanks to portable gas heaters.

“This is a restaurant--not a tent,” said Larry Livingston, dean of the USC School of Music. Indeed, decorators created an elegant dining room atmosphere with ficus trees strung with white mini-lights and tables set with bouquets of fresh flowers and tall lamps.

Waiters passed around exotic hors d’oeuvres such as baby red potatoes with sour cream and caviar and duck liver mousse on pumpernickel. Guests then sat down to a lavish meal that included sauteed prawns, butter lettuce with Bordeaux vinaigrette, filet mignon and a flourless chocolate cake with raspberry coulis.

Gonna Fly Now

After dinner, party-goers were treated to a close encounter with two musical talents. Bill Conti, who composed the theme to “Rocky” as well as music for “The Right Stuff,” “For Your Eyes Only” and numerous TV shows, talked about his career with self-effacing wit. He compared the work of a composer to that of a mortician:

“Sometimes we get a show that’s a goner, and it’s our job to make it look good,” he said.

Guests also saw a performance by Daniel Pollack, a USC faculty member and the first American prize winner in the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition. He played the solo for actress Amy Irving in “The Competition.”

Pollack mastered pieces by Chopin and Liszt with the sound of the rain on the tarp and a chorus of frogs in the background. If anything, the strange accompaniments added to the evening’s informal charm.

Fight On

The USC Symphony’s march to Orange County is the first step toward what the school hopes will be “an enduring connection between the university’s School of Music and the Orange County populace,” Livingston said.

“It’s a natural marriage,” he said. “Orange County has become a major urban center, and the people here want to participate in the cultural mix. Plus we have a huge alum (population) here. Orange County is Trojan territory.”

The USC Symphony, ranked by many as the best collegiate orchestra, will be joined by Pollack on piano, the USC Chamber Singers and USC Concert Choir at the Costa Mesa-based center.

“This is very exciting for the kids,” Rick Muth said. “They don’t get to play in this type of center very often. They don’t have a facility at USC that’s near the quality of Segerstrom Hall.”

For Muth, a center board member, the concert is a unique opportunity to combine his support for the center with his affection for his alma mater.

“Tonight we’re all USC and arts fans,” he said.

Others attending were Brian and Suzi Burke, Melba Figge, Harry and Diane Johnson, Gene Moriarty, Tom and Marilyn Nielsen, Barbara Robinson, Barbara Rossier, Roger Rossier, Don and Claudette Shaw and Tom and Joyce Tucker.