Festival Napa Valley raises the roof along with donations

Cuban culture sparked the theme at the 12th edition of Festival Napa Valley, a 10-day roving sybaritic feast of cultural and culinary delights earlier this month.

Though Grammy-winner Gloria Estefan, a festival headliner, bowed out for family reasons, another Havana-born musician was on hand: pianist-composer Aldo López-Gavilán, who created a mighty buzz last year at his festival debut.

Festival Napa Valley has made great strides — with increased programing, musical genres and funding of public school arts in Napa County — since its founding by CEO Rick Walker with a team that includes executive producer Charles Letorneau and general manager Sonia Tolbert. Two years ago, festival leaders traveled to Cuba, where, along with longtime Cuban jazz aficionado Rick Swig, they reveled in the island’s rich heritage to audition musicians.

This year, López-Gavilán arrived in Napa with his wife, conductor Daiana Garcia, and her band, the Havana Chamber Orchestra, made up of young, mostly female former student musicians. From performing with violinist Joshua Bell to inspiring the kids at Boys and Girls Clubs of Napa Valley to dance in their seats at a free Napa Valley College concert, ears of all ages and incomes were delighted.

The festival also trumpeted a new tagline, “10 Days, 100 Wineries, 60 Events,” referring to actor Bill Murray, renowned musicians (including André Watts, soprano Danielle de Niese, baritone Lester Lynch), top toques (including Solbar chef Massimo Falsini, CIA at Copia chef Matt Accarrino, Meadowood chef Christopher Kostow) and wineries (including Lail, Trefethen, Bouchaine, Trinchero). The lineup attracted a sold-out crowd that snapped up tickets ranging from $39 per concert to a $10K all-access pass for determined (or deep-pocketed) patrons.

Yountville’s Lincoln Theater hosted festival concerts, but many events were sprinkled around the valley at spectacular spreads and four-star resorts (Far Niente, Auberge du Soleil and Promontory, the latest by storied winemaker Bill Harlan) not always accessible to the average lookie-loo.

Highlights included composer Gordon Getty, pumping his arms like a triumphant prize fighter, as conductor Joel Revzen masterfully completed Getty’s sublime choral work, “Young America.” And violinist Carlos Reyes cast a spell in the magical garden of Elizabeth Swanson and her husband, festival trustee Clarke Swanson, at their Haute Havana dinner.

During the Arts for All gala at Hall Winery, Walker reminded supporters of the nonprofit festival association’s ultimate mission: to enrich arts education for 30,000 Napa County Unified School District students. Since 2012, the festival (known as Festival del Sole until 2016), has donated $850K to that effort.

“It’s important this isn’t just 10 days of dazzle and sparkle. Our goal is to make the arts accessible to all,” he said. “We’re also investing in future generations, with more than 100 music scholarships to local students and opportunities for emerging musicians.”

Prior to a swoon-worthy set of Broadway standards by “Hamilton” cast members, who expertly subbed last-minute for Estefan, guests raised a record $2.5 million for festival funding of public school arts education and free community concerts.

In addition, Walker also announced the festival’s first-ever million-dollar gift by gala co-chairs Athena Blackburn and her husband, festival board chairman Timothy Blackburn, for the festival’s newly formed Blackburn Music Academy. The academy welcomed 70 students selected from hundreds of applications to participate as festival orchestra musicians or take master classes from festival stars this summer.

“With a president who is taking programs away for public arts education, Timothy and I feel strongly about this gift,” Athena Blackburn said. “It’s vital to ensure music education is available to Napa public school students and develop a new generation of artists.”

The gala, hosted by vintners Craig and Kathryn Hall, featured a gourmet dinner by La Toque chef Ken Frank and a lively Fritz Hatton-led auction of luxe lots that was briefly interrupted by Bill Murray, who’d just wowed the crowd with a preview of his cool new project, “New Worlds,” with cellist Jan Vogler.

Murray recites — and occasionally sings — American literature in his signature drolly dramatic fashion, accompanied by classical and contemporary music. The performance marked the project’s North American debut.

Mid-auction, Murray jumped into the fray, inviting three duffers to join him in a golf game at nearby Silverado, raising an instant $87.5K.

Yet Murray wasn’t done dazzling guests. When chef Chris Cosentino offered to cook for him, Murray asked, “How about later tonight?” Cosentino raced back to his new restaurant, Acacia House in St. Helena. Formerly a historic inn, the restaurant fronts the valley’s newest luxury property, Las Alcobas, a sleek re-imaging of rustic farmhouse chic overlooking neighbor Beringer’s backyard.

“Cooking for Bill, who arrived with his musicians and friends, was a bucket-list experience,” Cosentino said. “I cooked most of our menu, including lamb tartare, surf-and-turf sweetbreads and Iberico pork schnitzel. He came into the kitchen, shook everyone’s hand and even shared parenting advice with a server who’s pregnant.”

For the last few years, the festival has designated an honoree. This year, it was founding festival chairman Darioush Khaledi and his wife, Shahpar. Their tribute included a surprise auction package, originally for 10 couples, at 20K each, that quickly expanded to accommodate the vintner couple’s fans — 56 of whom raised a whopping $560K to celebrate the Khaledis during a private dinner concert with violinist Sarah Chang.

It was their second surprise. During the earlier Founder’s Dinner, Walker announced another tribute: the new $10K Khaledi Prize for a talented emerging musician, which this year was bestowed on López-Gavilán.

“The festival’s education component is very special to Daiana and me. We teach music in Havana, and our 8-year-old twin daughters just started playing last year,” said López-Gavilán, prior to his sizzling patron dinner set at the new Blue Note nightclub in downtown Napa. “We’re so lucky to pretend to work here. With the sun, the beauty, amazing food and wine, and the joy, it feels more like a holiday.”