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G R E AT G I V E

H O L I D AY 2 0 1 8

Bill Foley, the owner of the Vegas Golden Knights, graduated West Point in 1967. In honor of his fallen classmates who served in Vietnam and other military and government personnel who died in the line of duty, Foley and his West Point classmates started The Folded Flag Foundation. Since 2014, they have raised and invested $9.4 million for future use. To date, $3.5 million has been given in educational scholarships and support grants to 396 spouses and children of Gold Star families. The Folded Flag Foundation is a proud partner of the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation also started by Bill Foley.

LIVE INSPIRED We all have dreams, and they are as vast and varied as the world is wide. But they all start with inspiration, and inspiration starts with your surroundings. That’s what home is. A sense of place. An amazing view. It’s all part of what makes a space a home, because your home is where you truly LIVE.

synergysir.com 702.360.1414 PHOTO: Las Vegas, NV, United States ®,™ and SM are licensed trademarks to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully. * All information from sources deemed to be reliable although not warranted or guaranteed by Sotheby’s International Realty®

(You may be wondering) FOUNDER | EDITOR IN CHIEF

Leslie Frisbee

W H AT ’ S W I T H T H E A +

C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R

Lindsay Rohlfsen PARTNER | CELEBRITY JOURNALIST

Marsala Rypka M U LT I M E D I A J O U R N A L I S T

Buford Davis

contributors COPY EDITOR

Paul Szydelko FOOD & WINE EDITOR

Marisa Finetti WRITERS

Shan Bates-Bundick, Elaine and Scott Harris, Jason Harris, Bobbie Katz, Art Nadler E D I T O R I A L A S S I S TA N T 8

Connie Wallace SOCIAL MEDIA

Shan Bates-Bundick WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

HenkinSchultz Creative Services

business ADVISORY CHAIRMAN

Richard Haddrill CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Greg Bruce

Wherever you see A+, it means that page is “active.” Using your smart device camera, zoom

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in on the + icon. Once you have the QR code in focus, you will receive a prompt (similar to

© 2018 The CLASS Project™ All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The CLASS Project™ assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Materials will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The CLASS Project™ does not necessarily endorse or agree with content of articles or advertising presented.

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SPIRIT

of the Season

table of contents

The

covet

the gift the gift of transformation | holiday gift guide

conversation vladimir kush 22

au courant events calendar | society | african children’s choir 34

feature timeless traditions 44

arts & culture one night for one drop | social calendar 52

food + wine calendar | classic cocktail | piedmont | g.d. vajra 66

auctions

jet set zermatt, switzerland | aspen | beverly hills houmas house - louisiana | barolo, italy 100

health + beauty + spa bodyholiday: st. lucia | yasuragi | drift spa | book of beauté 106

best in class rooms with a view | winter wellness trends | classic cocktails local shopping | live music 118

real estate sotheby’s lake las vegas | lake tahoe | heber valley, utah 126

class notes

( RED) By Bobbie Katz

U2 frontman Bono and ONE co-founder Bobby Shriver created the nonprofit (RED) in 2006 to raise awareness and resources for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. Through Project RED, corporations such as American Express, Apple, Coca-Cola and Montblanc as well as world-renowned artists, designers and celebrities produce special “red” items.

Perfect for anyone on your holiday gift list, (RED) items run the gamut from socks to Vespa scooters. The partnership between Vespa (Piaggio Group) and (RED) has raised more than $350 million for the Global Fund. Sotheby’s will conduct a live auction in Miami to benefit (RED) on December 5. Two of the world’s art and architecture stars, Theaster Gates and Sir David Adjaye, have collaborated with Bono to curate the third (RED) Auction) auction, landmark sale and gala to support the fight against AIDS. Focused on the theme of light and the color red, the collection of artist-donated contemporary art and design will be auctioned by Sotheby’s during Art Basel Miami Beach and Design Miami that evening. Worldwide bidding will be available live and online. Preceding the auction is a public exhibition presented by Gagosian at the famed Moore Building in Miami. It opened on December 1, World AIDS Day. An online auction that began November 12 will continue through December 7. 

covet

Fifty percent of all sales from RED-labeled products featured on the red.org website support the Global Fund.

Th e G if t of Vl a d i mi r Ku s h

conversation

By Marsala Rypka | Russian translation by Sasha Betcher

Vladimir Kush grew up in Russia behind the Iron Curtain at a time when the only way to travel to foreign places was in his imagination. He started painting when he was three years old and by 14 he was emulating the styles of impressionist Paul Cézanne and surrealist Salvador Dali.

Vladimir Kush vyros v Sovetskom Souze za zheleznym zanavesom, gde yedinstvennim sposobom puteshestvovat v zagranichnie mesta bylo yego voobrazhenie. On nachal risovat v tri goda, a k chetirnadzati godam on stremilsya prevzoiti stili impressionista Polya Sezanna i syurrealista Salvadora Dali.

When the Cold War ended in 1990, Kush immigrated to Los Angeles with 20 paintings. Today he is a world-renowned artist with galleries in Maui, Laguna Beach, Planet Hollywood and The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.

Po okonchanii holodnoi voini v 1991 godu, Kush emigriroval v Los Angeles s dvadzatiu kartinami. Segodnya on proslavlennii po vsemu miru khudozhnik U nego yest’ khudozhestvennyye galerei v Maui, Laguna-Bich, Planeta Gollivud i Magaziny Foruma v Caesars Palace.

In his two books, Doors of Perception and Light for the Souls, Kush provides insight into the genesis of his brilliant, metaphorical pieces. But art is subjective, and in our Holiday issue, CLASS offers its own interpretation of some of the priceless gifts of Kush’s art.

V svoikh dvukh knigakh, “Dveri vospriyatiya” i «Svet dlya dush”, Kush daet predstavlenie o sotvorenii yego blestyashchikh metaforicheskikh proizvedeniy. No iskusstvo subyektivno, i v nashem prazdnichnom vipuske, CLASS predlagayet sobstvennuyu interpretatsiyu nekotorykh bestsennykh darov iskusstva Kusha.

THE GIFT OF LEARNING — “ASCENT OF THE SPIRIT”

Books provide the gift of knowledge and self-awareness, which can transform one’s life. To grow we must remain open to learning.

T H E G I F T O F C O M PA S S I O N — “ FA S H I O N W H I P P E D ”

To have empathy for others and feel what it’s like to walk in their shoes, whether they be Nike sneakers or Christian Louboutin stilettos, is a gift.

T H E G I F T O F N AT U R E — “ L O V E TA L K ”

God’s magnificence is present in the eternal mountains set in timeless rock, the lakes, trees and sky. Take in the wonder all around. Mother Nature is a priceless gift worthy of protecting.

THE GIFT OF AUTHENTICITY — “GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY”

Human beings are complex creatures. The gift comes when we are willing to peel away the myriad layers and reveal our true, authentic selves. 16

T H E G I F T O F C R E AT I V E E X P R E S S I O N — “ A R G E N T I N I A N TA N G O ”

The job of our feet is to walk, their gift is to dance. Whether it be ballet, classical, jazz or modern, dance is the language of the soul.

THE GIFT OF ADVENTURE — “FULL STEAM AHEAD”

Life is full of grand adventures, but we can also change our perspective and find the sacred in the ordinary, the mystical in the mundane.

T H E G I F T O F I L L U M I N AT I O N — “ D I V I N E G E O M E T RY ”

A kind word or random act of kindness can help illuminate the way for those going through dark times. No matter how small a light we are in the world, we can be a gift to others and ourselves.

Vladimir Kush

THE GIFT OF HOME — “TREE OF LIFE”

No matter the size, home is a sacred sanctuary that offers refuge and peace. Just as a tree grows from a tiny sapling into a mighty oak, so too can we grow and learn to cherish the gifts of wisdom, fortitude and forgiveness.

T H E G I F T O F G R AT I T U D E — “ C E L E B R AT I O N ”

THE GIFT OF LOVE — “RED PURSE”

Love is the greatest gift of all. We may store treasured memories and mementoes of a life well lived in this red purse or fill it with greed and excessiveness, which may lead to the separation of the two lovers.

Whether we engage in silent meditation or breaking open a bottle of bubbly, giving thanks for all the gifts with which we have been blessed is a ritual worth practicing. 

FEBRUARY 3

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker New York City Ballet New York City

Super Bowl LIII Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia

DECEMBER 1

FEBRUARY 4-24

DECEMBER 1-2

Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Opera Las Vegas Las Vegas

JANUARY 3-14

Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs, California

DECEMBER 8-24

The Nutcracker Nevada Ballet Theatre Las Vegas

JANUARY 4

DECEMBER 16-17

JANUARY 4-6

Rotunda Holiday Concert at The Guggenheim Museum New York City

South Beach Jazz Festival Miami Beach, Florida

Ice Vegas Invitational Las Vegas

JANUARY 4-12 DECEMBER 20-31

12 Days of Aspen Aspen, Colorado

Winter Jazzfest New York City JANUARY 16-20

DECEMBER 24

Concert at the Eiffel Tower Paris

London Art Fair London JANUARY 20-21

DECEMBER 30 — JANUARY 1

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Edinburgh, Scotland

MLK Tribute Concert Chicago JANUARY 23-27

The LA Art Show Los Angeles JANUARY 24 — FEBRUARY 3

Sundance Film Festival Park City, Utah

JANUARY 29 — FEBR UARY 13

Rusalka National Opera of Paris Paris

2019 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival Chicago FEBRUARY 8-16

New York Fashion Week New York City FEBRUARY 9

An Evening With Brahms Las Vegas Philharmonic Las Vegas FEBRUARY 16-20

London Fashion Week London FEBRUARY 21-27

Milan Fashion Week Milan

FEBRUARY 22 — MARCH 5

Mardi Gras New Orleans FEBRUARY 23 — MARCH 5

Venice Carnival 2019 Venice, Italy FEBRUARY 27 — MARCH 6

Paris Fashion Week Paris

A Classic Holiday Las Vegas Philharmonic Las Vegas

au courant

DECEMBER 1-30 DECEMBER | JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2019

a u c our a n t -

1. Darren White, Scooter McAdams, Darren McAdams and Bruce Courtnall 2. Simon Keith with Osker Gamboa and the 8th grade class at Somerset Academy 1.Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada Wish Kids, Osker, Owen, Abigail and Connor 2. Edgar Velazquez and Dan Giraldo

M A K E - A - W I S H S O U T H E R N N E VA D A W I N E & W I S H E S C O R P O R AT E A P P R E C I AT I O N E V E N T Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada’s Wine & Wishes Corporate Appreciation event was held Oct. 11 at The Wishing Place, Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada chapter’s office.

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More than 140 community partners who have made wishes come true over the past year attended. Greenberg Traurig and Bank of America presented the event, with additional event sponsors Audio Visual Advisors Inc., Destinations by Design, Flour & Barley, Breakthru Beverage, Cashman Photo, Elegant Entertainment, Foley Family Wines and Soli Concepts Entertainment.

Kendall Tenney was the emcee, and Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada CEO and President Caroline Ciocca was among the presenters. Photos courtesy of Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada

S I M O N K E I T H F O U N D AT I O N ’ S F I F T H A N N U A L G O L F TOURNAMENT AND DINNER

3. Shan Bates-Bundick, Leslie Frisbee and Michelle Sanchez 4. Greenberg Traurig representatives with Wish Kid Sultan 5. The Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada Team

Simon Keith, the first athlete in the world to play a professional sport (soccer) after receiving a heart transplant, hosted his fifth annual golf tournament and dinner on Friday, Oct. 5. The event benefits children who have undergone life-saving organ transplants and to increase organ donor awareness. The Simon Keith Foundation organized the event at the Revere Golf Club in Henderson, with a grant from the Engelstad Family Foundation for the tournament. The Foundation honors an organ transplant recipient each year: Osker Gamboa received a heart transplant on April 30, 2017, and continued his studies at Somerset Academy in North Las Vegas. An entourage made up of Keith, family, friends and school/board staff surprised Gamboa at an assembly. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman proclaimed Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, as Osker Gamboa Day. Photos courtesy of Las Vegas Events

3. Simon Keith and Joe Ferreira 4. Simon Keith and his family - Sam (daughter), Kelly (wife), and Sean (son) 5. Michael Ravenhill

T H E L A S V E G A S P H I L H A R M O N I C 2 0 T H A N N I V E R S A RY C E L E B R AT I O N

LAS VEGAS’ EIGHTH ANNUAL NF HOPE CONCERT

The Las Vegas Philharmonic kicked off its 20th anniversary season on Saturday, Sept. 15, with a performance at The Smith Center celebrating Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday.

Former Jersey Boys star Jeff Leibow and his wife, Melody, attracted the Las Vegas Strip’s most notable headliners to The Palazzo for the eighth annual NF Hope Concert on Sunday, Oct. 21.

The program featured Bernstein favorites, including Overture to Candide and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Guest pianist Joyce Yang brought the full house to their feet with her exquisite performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Following the concert, patrons and musicians enjoyed an onstage reception with Champagne, wine and specialty cupcakes.

Photos courtesy of the Las Vegas Philharmonic

The NF Hope Concerts were founded in 2011 by the couple soon after their daughter, Emma, was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form on nerve tissue. This year’s concert featured Grammy Award-winning group All-4-One, two-time Grammy Award-nominee Clint Holmes, platinum-selling Australian superstars Human Nature, MO5AIC, The Bronx Wanderers, Finding Faith, the Las Vegas Academy Choir and more.

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The unforgettable afternoon of entertainment raised almost $140,000 for the Neurofibromatosis Network, an organization dedicated to the more than 128,000 living with NF in the United States.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Leibow

1. Rick Crawford, Joyce Yang and Jeri Crawford 2. Michele Averitt, Michele Madole, John Madole and Steve Averitt

3. Cathy Brooks and Jen Consalvo

THE LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC

G U I L D ’ S H O L LY W O O D H A P P E N I N G The Las Vegas Philharmonic Guild presented a Hollywood Happening on Sunday, Oct. 28, at JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa. 5

The gala event served as a fundraiser for the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s youth outreach and education programs, including the Youth Concert Series and Music Van. It featured a Champagne reception, silent auction, luncheon and a fashion show by Chico’s. Guests were encouraged to dress as their favorite Hollywood celebrity. Entertainment included the Clark High School Music Ensemble, the Inside Out Trio and The “Fabulous” Vegas Good Fellas The Guild has been raising funds to benefit the orchestra for the past 16 seasons and has contributed more than $600,000 to the Philharmonic’s education programs. Photos courtesy of the Las Vegas Philharmonic

1. Cocktail Cabaret 6 4. Regina Marcy, Sondra Lynch and Toni Carpenter 5. Bob and Shirley Kramer 6. Gail Findley, Georgia Johnson, Adrienne Dabah, Beverly McIntosh, Ann Geskes, Shirley Kramer and Patsy Taylor

2. All-4-One 3. Jasmine Trias and Ben Stone 4. Full Cast 5. Jeff, Melody and Emma Leibow and Chet Buchanan

patron for a cause

MICHELLE DiTONDO & DENISE BERNINGER for promoting youth hockey

W I L D A I D G A L A 2 0 1 8 , “ A N E V E N I N G I N C H I N A” WildAid, a global nonprofit organization leading the fight to end the illegal wildlife product trade, raised $2.4 million at its annual gala, “An Evening in China,” on Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Actresses Danai Gurira and Bryce Dallas Howard were honored as this year’s Wildlife Champions for their partnerships with WildAid. They helped in public service announcements to support the organization’s message, “When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can Too.”

Thanks to the Vegas Golden Knights, youth hockey has become wildly popular in the nontraditional desert city of Las Vegas. But it is also a very expensive sport.

Celebrities who attended included Josh Duhamel, Michael Cudlitz, Bo Derek, Maggie Q and Dylan McDermott. Grammy Award-winner David Foster provided the musical entertainment with special guest performances from Pia Toscano and Sheléa. “An Evening in China” featured a cocktail and hor d’oeuvres reception with a silent and live auction. Guests enjoyed the three-course vegetarian dinner by celebrity master chef Martin Yan. Photos courtesy of Jeff Pinette

That is why Michelle DiTondo and Denise Berninger volunteer countless hours organizing fundraisers, often in partnership with the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, to provide scholarships that help pay for equipment and time on the ice for members of the Vegas Junior Golden Knights hockey organization. It is especially expensive for children who qualify to be part of the Vegas Junior Golden Knights Travel Team, who can compete four to six times a season in out-of-state games or tournaments. Fortunately, kids can begin hockey in a program called “Learn to Play” sponsored by the NHL. Players who graduate from this program receive a free set of hockey equipment. DiTondo and Berninger said youth hockey provides a fun and safe environment where children learn important life lessons such as teamwork, sportsmanship, discipline, self-esteem and respect. They can also develop lifelong friendships.

1. Dylan McDermott and Maggie Q 2. Bo Derek and David Foster 3. Marsala Rypka, Josh Duhamel and Leslie Frisbee 4. Danai Gurira and Michael Cudlitz 5. Peter and Corie Knights

In February 2019, the Vegas Junior Golden Knights will host their second annual Wine on Ice fundraiser at City National Arena. The event is supported by the Vegas Golden Knights, and it will include a wine tasting, raffle and silent auction. For more information, go to vegasgoldenknightsjr.com.

The A fr i c a n Ch ildr e n’s C h o i r SINGING A NEW TUNE FOR THE FUTURE 30

The African Children’s Choir performs at 7 p.m. March 4, 2019, at the Las Vegas Junior Academy | africanchildrenschoir.com

By Bobbie Katz On a humanitarian trip to Uganda in 1984, during that country’s bloody civil war, human rights activist Ray Barnett helped some of the many thousands of orphaned and starving children who had been abandoned and were unable to feed themselves. Realizing that it was a daunting task, he and his team came up with a unique approach to make a meaningful difference: They would give these children something to sing about.

West for a tour among North American church communities. Inspiring audiences with songs and their stories, the choir raised enough funds to open the first Children’s Home at Makerere, which provided a stable environment and a quality education for the choir children and additional children who needed care. A second choir selected from that Children’s Home also went on tour.

That something turned out to be the first African Children’s Choir, composed of kids selected from at-risk and orphaned children in the Kampala and Luwero areas of Uganda. The inspiration came when Barnett gave a small boy a ride from his decimated home to the safety of another village. During the journey, the child did what he knew how to do best — he sang. That simple song of dignity and hope became the catalyst for a program that has changed the lives of thousands of children and reshaped the future of the African continent.

The African Children’s Choir became the messenger for the plight of thousands of other vulnerable children in Uganda. A fundraising arm, Music for Life, was formed to improve the lives, education and future for thousands of children suffering in terrible conditions in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa. To date, more than 50,000 children have been educated and more than 100,000 children have been helped through the African Children’s Choir and Music for Life education and relief projects.

“When I went back to Canada and people were not very interested in Uganda, I remembered this small boy,” Barnett said. “I knew that if only a group of these beautiful children could go to the West, people would be deeply moved and would certainly want to help. Inspired by the singing of this one small boy, we formed the first African Children’s Choir to show that Africa’s most vulnerable children have beauty, dignity and unlimited ability.”

The African Children’s Choir is composed of African children, 7 to 10 years old, many of whom have lost one or both parents through the devastation of war, famine and disease. In concert, they perform delightful African tunes, accompanied by ethnic instrumentation. The program features well-loved children’s songs, handclapping, traditional spirituals and contemporary tunes. Over the past 20 years, the children have appeared in thousands of concerts around the world, including concerts at the Pentagon and the United Nations.

Rallying support, Barnett coordinated the first tour of the choir, which successfully brought the voices of 31 children of war-torn Africa to the

Where there’s music, there’s hope. 