Cal Performances Honors Gordon P. Getty at Special Recital

The crowd of music connoisseurs who gathered in Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall on February 4 were there for more than just the world-class music. During the intermission at soprano Lise Davidsen’s much-anticipated recital, Cal Performances presented its Award of Distinction in the Performing Arts to local arts champion Gordon P. Getty. This honor is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the performing arts. In receiving this award, Mr. Getty joins the illustrious ranks of such past honorees as Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming and Cecilia Bartoli.

Among the VIPs on hand that night to honor Mr. Getty and hear Ms. Davidsen’s Bay Area debut concert, were SF Symphony Board President Priscilla Geeslin and Cal Performances Executive and Artistic Director Jeremy Geffen.  Accompanied in recital by pianist Malcolm Martineau, Ms. Davidsen sang selected works by revered composers like Verdi, Grieg, Purcell and Wagner. A fittingly epic program for a true hero of the Bay Area arts. Mr. Getty is the Grand Benefactor at the Cal Performances Gala on March 7, 2025 as a part of the Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom California Orchestra Residency for the Vienna Philharmonic.