THE CROWD:

Local glitterati converged upon the fashionable Harry Winston Salon at South Coast Plaza on Monday evening for a little cocktail conversation mixed with a preview or two of a fabulous piece of diamond jewelry.

Harry Winston is a presenting sponsor of the Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom Select Series, which debuts Oct. 1 in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Lang Lang, the world renowned sensation on piano is set to star opening night. The Philharmonic Society of Orange County is behind the Segerstrom Select Series, which will inaugurate the 55th season of musical excellence on the California Riviera. Lang Lang’s piano recital Oct. 1 will mark his first West Coast appearance since performing at the 2008 Beijing World Olympic Games.

Excited local society patrons came to Harry Winston to discuss final details for the big opening night soiree that will be followed by an ultra-deluxe after performance dinner celebration at the sophisticated new dining room known as Charlie Palmers at Bloomingdales, South Coast Plaza.

Party planners are also scheduling a pre-concert reception and a special cocktail party at mid-performance for generous donors supporting the Segerstrom Select Series.

Elizabeth Segerstrom, looking very chic in a dark green brocade cocktail dress and five-inch pointed heels, welcomed her supporters including the elegant Caroline Graham, in from Los Angeles and looking stunning in a tailored cream and apricot raw silk suit, Sabra Bordas, Betty Huang, Angela Hsu, Dee Higby, the very fashionable Danuta Schenke of the Newport Coast, and Philharmonic Society boss Dean Corey and his wife, Kaly.

Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom recently returned from an extended excursion to China taking part in all the Olympic excitement. Elizabeth commented, “An outstanding experience, absolutely eye-opening. China is a very complex society, we were very impressed.”

She continued sharing excitement over traveling to the Great Wall of China and seeing the old-world meeting the ambitious new civilization of some 1 billion people.

While the crowd sipped champagne and raised the financial bar over the upcoming appearance of Lang Lang, the Harry Winston Salon staff, led by Director Randy Soto, was very busy displaying dazzling jewelry including a multimillion dollar, 20-carat natural yellow diamond ring and a fluid diamond collar comprised of 127 carats of very fine white diamonds priced at $925,000. The ladies were having a very fine Monday evening toasting champagne glasses and trying on the gems.

Earlier in the summer social season the ladies and gentlemen in support of the Segerstrom Select Series gathered for a pre-event luncheon at the Bower’s Museum in Santa Ana.

In attendance were many of the patrons who mingled at the Harry Winston event this week along with Cynthia Harriss, Ishani Dhillon, Elizabeth An, Sharon Lebon, Leslie Reeves, Gloria Brandes, Michelle Rohe, Jeule Stein, and Linda Beinfohr.

The committee has spent months planning the Lang Lang concert and has hired Greg Christy, an internationally recognized lighting designer to create a fabulous light sculpture in the lobby of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall as part of the special visual theatre designed to kick off the second year of the Select Series.

Following Lang Lang, the Israel Philharmonic led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel will make its Orange County debut Nov. 23, and then the San Francisco Symphony led by Michael Tilson Thomas will perform at the Center on Jan. 28.

On Feb. 17 mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, who has preformed in Orange County on previous occasions to the delight of the concert crowd will return. Then the London Symphony Orchestra led by Valery Gergiev will conclude the season March 18.

For more information on the Segerstrom Select Series and the Lang Lang performance call Chantel Chen at (949) 553-2422 ext. 231.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.