"Transcendent." In a word, gala co-chair Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein captured the essence of the remarkable recital that internationally-renowned soprano Ana María Martínez gifted upon the University of St. Thomas in a truly exceptional fundraiser for its planned Performing Arts Center.

The Hobby Center's intimate Zilkha Hall has never hosted a more glorious evening than that in which Martínez enchanted the gathering of 370 UST supporters and opera fans with an hour of her heavenly singing.

A bit of opera from her Houston Grand Opera performances in Madame Butterfly and The Barber of Seville, a sprinkling of art songs, a touch of zarzuela and seasonal songs ("Ava Maria" and "O Holy Night") left the audience —some actually in tears at the beauty of her voice —in an almost stunned exhilaration.

Congratulations to gala chairs Cohen Fein and her husband Martin Fein and Marianne Ivany, wife of UST president Bob Ivany and co-chair of the university's Performing Arts Society. Marianne Ivany, who shares the society chairmanship with Priscilla Plumb, orchestrated the connection between Martínez and UST.

Explaining this most generous gift to the university, Martínez told CultureMap, "I love the community of the University of St. Thomas and I love what they stand for, giving a complete, well-rounded education to their student body that really shapes them to be the most complete human beings that they can be, grounded in faith and emphasizing the liberal arts no matter what their specialty is. So you're really seeing the beautiful formation of outstanding individuals.

"So when they asked me to give them a recital to help their fundraising efforts, I felt very blessed and privileged and it fills me with great joy."

The recital and dinner that followed in Artista raised $250,000 for the planned center. The evening honored Margaret Alkek Williams with special recognition for her generosity and her family foundation which provided funding for plans for the center by Studio Red Architects. Those plans were revealed on stage by Bob Ivany.

The center will include a black box flex theater for dramatic productions, a proscenium theater for musical performances and lectures, classrooms, offices and additional meeting spaces. Ivany and others described the new building, which will occupy an entire block, as another "jewel" in the crown that is the city's Museum District.

In addition to traditional UST supporters such as Raye White, Trini Mendenhall Sosa and Frank Sosa, Mary and Vincent Kickerillo, Kelli Kickerillo and Todd Forester, and Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Fiorenza, there were cultural and social leaders in the audience. HGO music director Patrick Summers and managing director Perryn Leech and wife Caroline, Houston Symphony CEO Mark Hanson and wife Christina, Donna and Bob Bruni, Phyllis and Tony Mandola and Lucia and Michael Cordua, who hosted the dinner in Artista, were among the notables.

For the record, Martínez, who has called Houston home for several years, joined the dinner and stayed late into the night visiting with the well-heeled crowd that included Cora Sue and Harry Mach, Jan Duncan, Ginger and Jack Blanton, Donna and Bob Bruni, Betty and Jesse Tudor, Isla and Tommy Reckling, Denish Bush Bahr and Philip Bahr, Beth Madison and Ralph Burch and Olga and Gerald Bush.