Photo Credit: David Crotty

David Hallberg & Donna MacMillan
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Cat Cora
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Barrett Wissman, Renee Fleming, Philippe Jordan & David Hallberg
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Philippe Jordan & Leonardo Montenegro
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Nancy Stone
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Angel Romero
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Geoffrey Cowan, Iris Smotrich & Erich Hofmann
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Robert Bloomingdale & Justine Bloomingdale
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Bruce Johanssen, Michael Kaiser, Terry Hendrix & Michael Cressey
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Photo Credit: David Crotty

Alfredo Rodríguez
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Amar Ramasar & Maria Kowroski
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Maria Kowroski
Photo Credit: David Crotty

Veronika Part
Photo Credit: David Crotty

The McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert and the Sunnylands Center and Gardens in Rancho Mirage were filled with opera, dance and symphonic music fans for the first-ever Festival of the Desert held on Wednesday, March 18. The event—produced by Barrett Wissman of IMG Artists—celebrated music and classical art in Southern California’s Coachella Valley with a slew of fine artists, culinary greats, and musical performers such as soprano Reneé Fleming, jazz pianist Justin Kauflin, chef Cat Cora, guitarist Angel Romero, and ballet dancer Veronika Part. Guests including Donna Mcmillan, Sage Fleming, Roxanne Depardieu, Eva and Marc Stern and Robert and Justine Bloomingdale enjoyed live performances as well as a discussion led by Michael Kaiser, former President John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.