Houston’s classical music lovers swapped their concert hall seats for a musicale of glitz and swing as Mercury Chamber Orchestra hosted its 2025 gala, “Moonlight Serenade,” on February 28 at the chic Thompson Houston. The affair, chaired by Ally Shell and Martijn Van Koolwijk, hit all the right notes — raising more than $350,000 to support Mercury’s artistic and educational programs.
Photo by Jacob Power
Jen Grigsby, Kimberly Rawlins, Anna Winter, Vanessa Weeke, and Sherry Weiner.
Blending the elegance of Baroque music with the rhythms of big band, the evening transported guests to the golden age of swing. Mercury musicians teamed up with the Houston Jazz Orchestra to fuse styles, proving that Bach and Basie can, in fact, be besties. The gala theme was inspired by Glenn Miller’s namesake American swing ballad, a recording of which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1991.
The live auction, helmed by the energetic Johnny Bravo, kept adrenaline levels high. Coveted items included the chance to step onto the conductor’s podium as Mercury’s Conductor for a Day, a golf retreat at Bluejack National, and a seven-night escape in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. The most unexpected auction item? A 1,100-pound live heifer, which had guests both gasping and laughing in equal measure.
The funds raised will directly support Mercury’s concerts, community programs, and educational outreach efforts.
Spotted were Brian Ritter, June and Steve Barth, Brittany Wetterer, Stacey Lindseth, Kendra Smith, Donae Chramosta, Sarah Leftwich, Kim Padgett, Jen Grigsby, Kimberly Rawlins, Anna Winter, Vanessa Weeke, Sherry Weiner, Jimin Kim, Brennan Owen, Gabby Owen, Kenny Owen, Martin Mathus, Tara and Francisco Merchan, Lloyd Kirchner, Amy Waldorf, Chree Boydstun, Lisa Bordelon, Sarah Prudhomme, and Marissa and Shane Gilroy.
