Cal Performances Celebrates Annual Gala at Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall

Cal Performances’ 2025 Gala was held on March 7. Gala festivities began with a celebratory cocktail reception at UC Berkeley’s Lower Sproul Plaza. After the bubbly was passed, the nearly 300 guests took their seats in Zellerbach Hall for an exceptional performance from the legendary Vienna Philharmonic, with conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and pianist Yefim Bronfman. The Philharmonic was brought to California by Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom California Orchestra Residency.

Following the performance, members of the Vienna Philharmonic were invited to join gala attendees in Zellerbach Playhouse for an elegant dinner onstage with a Viennese-inspired menu designed by chef Paul Canales. The sumptuous spread was paired with wines from Napa’s Hess Person Estates. The California Orchestra Residency brought the Vienna Philharmonic and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin to the state for an exclusive residency and tour that began in Northern California with three performances hosted by Cal Performances and concluded in Southern California with two performances hosted by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. More than $1 million was raised at this year’s gala to support Cal Performances’ artistic initiatives and education programs.