Hartt Celebrates 90 Years 10/16

This year's spectacular fundraising gala, Hartt Celebrates 90 Years, will take place on Saturday evening, October 16, at the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center in Hartford. Hartt's 90th anniversary gala features an elegant opening reception and seated dinner; magnificent music, dance, and theatre performances by Hartt students, alumni, and faculty; a diverse selection of wonderful silent auction items; an exciting and unique live auction hosted by WDRC radio personality Brad Davis; and an after-glow party with entertainment. If you are not attending but still would like to be part of the excitement by participating in the live auction, you can use the BUY IT NOW option. This year, some of Hartt's amazing live auction items are available for purchase in advance of our gala. If you wish to purchase any of the exciting live auction items in advance and be sure not to lose out, check out the directions below to BUY IT NOW!
Live Auction Package Preview

This year, you may BUY IT NOW!

* BUY IT NOW Instructions - If you wish to purchase any of these items prior to the auction at the Buy It Now price, call Philip Grover at 860.768.4468 no sooner than 12 noon, EST on Tuesday, October 12, 2010, and no later than 12 noon, EST on Friday, October 15, 2010. If you leave a message, you must indicate the item(s) you wish to purchase, the Buy It Now price listed, and your full name, address, and telephone number.

Buy-it-now items may be purchased by credit card only. Calls will be returned in the order received. Items will be sold to the first respondent to provide complete payment. We will attempt to contact all winners by close of business on Friday, October 15, 2010. If we are unable to do so, we reserve the right to include the item(s) in the Live Auction during the gala.

If you have any questions, contact Philip Grover at 860.768.4468.

L1 Life In The "Not So Fast" Lane

Genuine Buddy 50 "Italia" Scooter - Genuine Scooter Company's award-winning product line of gas powered motor scooters have more "buzz" in the scooter market than any other brand. Entire websites, clubs, online discussion forums, and events are dedicated solely to Genuine Scooters. Genuine Scooters are stylish enough to be featured in fashion magazines, national ad campaigns, even on network television shows. The Buddy 125 "Series Italia" was the smash hit of 2007 and started a scooter revolution in the US. Never before could people have modern reliability and classic Italian flair in the same scooter! Outside of repair shops, everyone loved the newest Buddy.

For '09 Genuine upped the ante' releasing the "Italia" with a 50cc engine, and included tubeless whitewalls and Stebel air horns as standard. In other words, if the gorgeous looks don't make people notice you, the horn definitely will! Consider the Genuine Buddy 50 "Italia" Scooter your passport to fun! And you don't need a motorcycle license, so be the winning bidder and drive it home tonight at a top speed of 30 mph and 100 mpg.

Donated by: Scooter Central

Value: $3,000

Minimum Bid: $2,500

Buy It Now: $3,600*

L2 Life In The "Not So Fast" Lane , Part 2

2009 Vespa S50 Scooter, Shiny Black with Orange Trim - Onboard a Vespa, life never passes you by. Instead, it serves notice to pay closer attention. New sights, sounds and smells all rev up your senses and the spirit of freedom, fun and adventure is suddenly in abundant supply. With the simple twist of a throttle, you're on your way to experiencing everything around you with heightened awareness and a fresh perspective.

The Vespa lives on in the imagination of many generations of Italians, Europeans and Americans. It truly is an iconic object. In 1952, Audrey Hepburn side-saddled Gregory Peck's Vespa in the feature film "Roman Holiday" for a ride through Rome. In 1956, John Wayne dismounted his horse in favor of the two-wheeler to get between takes on the set of his movie. By the end of the fifties, Lucia Bose and her husband, the matador Luis Miguel Dominguin, as well as Marlon Brando and Dean Martin had become Vespa owners. William Wyler filmed "Ben Hur" in Rome in 1959, allowing Charlton Heston to abandon horse and chariot between takes to take a spin on the Vespa. Besides "Roman Holiday," other movies that have featured Vespas are "La Dolce Vita," "American Graffiti," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Encino Man," "Revenge of the Pink Panther," "Harry Potter," and "Transformers." A motorcycle license is not required to operate this Vespa, so be the top bidder and scooter away tonight at a top speed of 39 mph and 90 mpg.

Donated by: Scooter Central

Value: $4,000

Minimum Bid: $3,500

Buy It Now: $4,800*

L3 You Won't Believe Your Ears

Meridian F80 Audio System with iPod Docking Station. Meridian designs, engineers and manufactures state-of-the-art audio and video home entertainment systems. Audio equipment of such high quality that if a microphone can detect it, the system can reproduce it. Video components so advanced they offer a uniquely realistic cinema experience. With groundbreaking developments in high performance audio and visual technology, Meridian pursues its desire to lose as little as possible from the original source. The result: richer, more detailed reproduction where information is processed beyond the range of the human ear and to the limits of the human eye.

The Meridian F80 is a beautiful high-performance compact entertainment system and combines incredible audio quality with supreme versatility. Co-branded with Ferrari, which designed the look and feel of the F80, it features many technologies distilled from Meridian's flagship products, helping it extract detail and reveal information previously buried in the recording. You'll be amazed something so small actually allows you to hear more of your music. With CD/DVD player, AM/FM/DAB radio and alarm functions, and an iPod docking station, it is equally at home as a subtle source of music in the bedroom as it is filling a large room with incredibly detailed, powerful sound or connected to your television and serving as your home theater system. For those that don't want to leave the convenience of their bed or couch to control the unit, a remote control is provided to operate the unit.

The Meridian F80 sets the standard in its category and will certainly please anyone who shops for the ultimate in performance or prestige.

Donated by: Tim Stella

Value: $3,400

Minimum Bid: $2,200

Buy It Now: $3,800*

L4 Mozart & Marinara

Dinner and entertainment for 12-14 guests. Spend a magical evening filled with good food, wine, and great entertainment. Humbert Lucarelli, professor of oboe at The Hartt School, will provide a traditional Italian-style meal in your home, including salad, garlic bread, pasta with two sauces, and Italian pastries. If this is not enough pleasure for you, the pièce de résistance is a performance by Professor Lucarelli's oboe students. This will be an evening you will not want to end!

Donated by: Humbert Lucarelli

Value: $1,200

Minimum Bid: $600

L5 A Piece of Hockey History

Sidney Crosby AutographEd Pittsburgh Penguins Jersey (unworn) and Authenticating Photo. At the age of 23, Sidney Crosby is widely regarded as one of the top 3 hockey players in the world. The distinguished captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Crosby is a Stanley Cup winner, Olympic gold medalist and the face of the National Hockey League. Not only did Crosby captain the 2010 Canadian Winter Olympic hockey team, but he also scored the gold medal winning goal in overtime against the United States. During an online auction held by the NHL and the NHL Players Association to benefit Hockey Fights Cancer, Crosby's game-worn jersey from the first period of the 2007 All-Star Game earned the most money. It sold for $47,520.

Just some of the awards won by "Sid the Kid:" ESPY award for the best NHL player in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; 2010 Sporting News Top under-25 athlete; 2010 NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award; 2007 NHL Most Valuable Player; 2007 NHL Leading Scorer; and 2010 NHL Most Goals Scored.

Donated by Versus

Value: $2,500

Minimum Bid: $1,500

L6 Not Your Ordinary Joe

Dinner for 8 In Your Home Prepared by Joe and Carole Mulready, along with a Performance by the Ineo Saxophone Quartet. Carole and Joe Mulready will prepare, serve, clear, and supervise the clean up after a sumptuous gourmet dinner for eight largely prepared in your home on a date and time of your choosing. Joe is the baker of homemade breads and highly caloric, exotic desserts. Carole is the elegantissima chef who not only will whet but also satisfy your appetite while still leaving you clamoring for more ...especially the day after when only you, and not your guests, will get to savor the leftovers (if there are any), especially that meal-ending pie.
The wait staff will include some of your favorite University officers, Board members, students, and faculty members of The Hartt School and/or the University of Hartford at large. And here's the best part of this section: If you've ever longed for the opportunity to give a wait staff a really, really hard time but you've always been too polite to do so, now is your chance. The precise composition of the kitchen help will depend on two considerations: The date you choose and the foolhardiness of the people who will volunteer to serve you and...bear the brunt of your barbs.

Following dinner, The Ineo Saxophone Quartet, composed of graduate students from The Hartt School, will entertain you. Since their formation in August of 2009, they have gained praise by winning the Chamber Music round of the Music Teachers National Association Chamber Music Competition (Connecticut) and as participants in the MTNA Northeastern Chamber Music Competition. In addition to being the premier saxophone quartet of Hartt's honors chamber ensemble, Performance 20/20, their performances have ranged from the locAl Hartford area (Wadsworth Atheneum, Tunxis Plantation Country Club, Mark Twain House and Museum) to national events, such as their invitation to perform at the 33rd Annual International Saxophone Symposium at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, and at the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Quartet Competition at the University of Georgia (Athens), in March of 2010.

You supply the venue, the date, a functioning kitchen with a decent range and oven, some extra room in your fridge, plus an elegant dining room. We'll supply the rest. By the way, in case you're wondering, we've done this before for CPTV and for Hartt. Bon Appétit!

Donated by: Joe and Carole Mulready and the Ineo Quartet

Value: $2,500

Minimum Bid: $1,000

L7 What a Wine!

One 750ml Bottle of Professionally Cellared 1990 Cheval Blanc. A Bordeaux blend from St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France, this is one of Robert Parker's favorite Cheval Blancs. According to Parker, this is the ripest wine of the 1990 vintage, with a complex bouquet of tobacco leaf, Christmas fruitcake, sweet black fruits, bordering on fig and plum, but no hint of overripeness, and notions of new saddle leather, mint, and incense. Expansive, rich, and revealing the nuances and complexity that come from bottle age, it is at its peak of maturity, where it should remain for another 10-15 years.

Rating: 98+

Drink 2010 - 2024

Donated by: Paul and Melinda Sullivan

Value: $1,000 - $1,800

Minimum Bid: $800

Buy It Now: $1,200*

L8 Latour de France!

One 750ml Bottle of Professionally Cellared 1990 Latour. Another Bordeaux blend from St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France. Robert Parker says there is no doubting the 1990 Latour is a potential candidate for the wine of the vintage. This wine is a beauty, gorgeous with rich fruitiness and plenty of sweet, ripe currant. The tannin is sweet and ripe, and the finish, which lasts for 35-40 seconds, reveals layers of flavor as well as impressive purity. Parker has no doubt that more complexity will emerge with maturity, which is anticipated between 2016 and 2035.

Rating: 95+

Drink 2016 - 2035

Donated by: Paul and Melinda Sullivan

Value: $1,000 - $1,500

Minimum Bid: $800

Buy It Now: $1,200*

L9 Enter the Phantom's Lair

Enjoy a unique and memorable evening with The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre in New York City. Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterwork is the longest-running musical in Broadway history. In addition to four tickets to the show, you and your guests will join Phantom Musical Director Tim Stella, a Hartt School graduate, 2010 Anchor Award winner, and Farmington, CT, resident, for a private backstage tour, where you will see and learn how many of the incredible stage effects have made this show a world-wide phenomenon. Your tour will culminate in a once in a lifetime champagne toast and meeting with the Phantom and Christine in the Phantom's private dressing room. This incredible package includes dinner for four in the Theatre District.

Donated by: Tim Stella

Value: Priceless

Minimum Bid: $750

L10 Fiddling Around

This is a wonderful opportunity to purchase a very popular Haide violin (full size), including a case. The Jay Haide Modele artistique à l'ancienne family of instruments was developed over many years of collaboration between violin makers Jay Ifshin and Haide Lin, who studied the varnish techniques of master European luthiers. The distinctive appearance of these instruments is achieved by artful shading and antiquing of the specially formulated varnish to give each instrument the patina of age, so desired by both musicians and connoisseurs. There are four different models of violins including Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesu, Guadagnini, and Balestrieri. Each model aims to reproduce features and nuances of original models of these instruments, with meticulous attention to scroll and f-hole carving, top and back archings, and wear-patterns of the varnish. The instruments have a remarkably mature, rich sound for their price range. The Johnson String set-up includes precisely fitted high quality ebony pegs, a select ebony fingerboard planed for proper scoop, a Despiau "Superieur" bridge, an ebony tailpiece with the single "E" string tuner, and Dominant A, D, and G strings, with a Gold Label E string. We finish it by adding a Guarneri style chinrest made from select ebony. The result is a beautiful instrument that has the appearance of the work of the great master makers of the past. We believe these instruments to be the finest string instruments being offered at their price!

Donated by: Johnson String Instruments

Value: $2,600

Minimum Bid: $1,500

Buy It Now - $3,000*

L11 A Taste of India

Dean Aaron Flagg and his wife will join you and your guests for an unforgettable dinner and entertainment at the South Glastonbury home of Dr. and Mrs. Dinesh Kapur. Authentic and sumptuous Indian cuisine will be provided by Naatiya, a welcome new addition to the Greater-Hartford restaurant scene. Be the winning bidder and either help decide the menu or leave it to the chefs at Naatiya to choose among Indian delicacies such as dosa, uthappam, chaat, kothu paratha, and lasoni gobi.

Enjoy a specially tailored infusion of recorded "musical incense" provided by Hartt faculty composer Ken Steen to accompany the fragrant aromas and colors of an Indian feast, as well as live music by guitarist Christopher Ladd.

Steen's music is recognized internationally for its authentic vitality, remarkable range, and distinctive personal vision. Whether acoustic, electronic, or some combination of the two, his music often is characterized as being seductively gorgeous, featuring sumptuous textures of gradual yet unpredictable evolution. In the last 3 years alone Steen's music in various forms has enjoyed more than 80 performances on 5 continents: from Mumbai to Tripoli, Paris, Buenos Aires, and New York City.

An award winning guitarist, Christopher Ladd is rapidly becoming known throughout the country as one of the most promising young Classical musicians. Praised for his remarkable talent and richness of sound, he is highly sought after as a soloist and chamber musician. Fingerstyle Guitar reviews his performances as "rendered confidently and expressively." Performances of note as a soloist or as part of an ensemble include the Viennese Opera Ball hosted by the Austrian Embassy, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; the historic Byrdcliffe Theater in Woodstock, NY; and for former vice-president Al Gore at his residence in Washington, D.C. In addition to performing pieces of standard repertoire, Mr. Ladd has premiered numerous new works, has been a prize winner in numerous competitions, and has performed in masterclasses for world-renowned guitarists

Value: 44,300 India Rupees

Minimum Bid: $800 US

 

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