Martha Liao and her husband, Hao Jiang Tian, with some of the Peking ducks she prepared for Sunday supper at the Sie residence. Photo by Paul Docktor, Special to The Denver Post
Asian Performing Arts of Colorado‘s 25th anniversary, by the numbers:
* One hundred thirty APAC benefactors gathered at the McNichols Building on March 16 to enjoy an evening of food and music.
* The following night, the 400-seat Elaine Wolf Theater was at near-capacity for a concert featuring many of the artists that APAC has supported over the years. The concert also was the occasion for Celeste Fleming and Anna and John Sie to receive APAC’s first Maestro Award for their unwavering support of the organization dedicated to fostering young talent.
* On March 18, a Peking duck dinner at the Sie residence was sold out with a waiting list.
“We did quite well,” observed Denise Gliwa, who chaired the celebration weekend with Jan Steinhauser and Lily Shen. “But we never thought that a $500 ticket for Peking duck would be more of a draw than the $250 patron-ticket package!”
The ducks were prepared by APAC’s founder and president, Martha Liao. Her Peking ducks are legendary; so much so that they landed her a spot on Martha Stewart’s TV show in February, 2010.
Martha Liao peeks out from between the Peking ducks she prepared for the Sunday supper at the Sie residence. Photo by Hao Jiang Tian
Liao, who is married to Hao Jiang Tian, a 19-season veteran with New York’s Metropolitan Opera, prepared 12 ducks to be part of a meal that also included salmon and kale salads, pork belly, and shrimp and vegetable dishes.
A highlight of the Sie party came when the visiting singers serenaded Anna Sie with “O Sole Mio” and Celeste with “I’m So Pretty” from West Side Story. Then, the hosts sang the Neapolitan song “Tell Her I Love Her,” which John sang to Anna the night he proposed 37 years ago.
The Sies and Celeste Fleming were given APAC’s first Maestro Award for their role in helping to building cultural connections through music.
A founding member of the APAC board, Fleming had with her a ticket she had purchased to APAC’s first concert, where the top price was $50.
Liao noted that the Sies have not only been great benefactors to APAC, but John has been like a brother to Tian, providing valuable advice that has kept Tian pursuing his dream of becoming a world-renown opera singer.
Gayle Ray, left, Anna Sie and Mieko Bailey. Photo by Paul Docktor
Guests enjoying all, or portions, of the anniversary weekend included Christopher Hill, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq now serving as dean of the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, and his wife Julie; Laura Barton and artist William Matthews; and coordinator of volunteers Andy Hart and her husband, Jim, who enlisted their daughter, Ruth Hart Segal, to serve as an usher for the concert.
Oscar Tang of Vail and New York was there with his fiancee, Agnes Hsu. Tang is one of the original supporters of I Sing Beijing and he, along with Anna and John Sie and Placido Domingo, was a principal sponsor of the I Sing Beijing concert in Alice Tully Hall in New York City on Feb 18.
Anne and Johnny Hsu. Photo by Paul Docktor
Also, APAC board member Johnny Hsu and his wife Anne, whose Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant catered the welcome party for singers, board and committee members held at Bei-Lee and Bill Gold’s Hilltop home. Bei-Lee reminisced about the early years of APAC when she and Martha Liao raised money by making spring rolls to sell at the Capitol Hill People’s Fair.
Board member Isabel Yu flew in from Hong Kong a few days before the event to prepare all of the flowers and decorations, but was unable to stay for the celebration itself because of business commitments in Hong Kong.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson@denverpost.com and @GetItWrite on Twitter
