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Festival del Sole conductor, fiancee wed in Napa Valley
Guest conductor at the second season of Festival del Sole, Stéphane Denève and fiancee Åsa Masters were married in a hilltop ceremony at Bouchaine Vineyards last Thursday. Officiating was Napa Mayor Jill Techel, seen in the background with best man Jean-Yves Thibaudet, renowned pianist who was a featured artist at the 2007 festival. J Henry Fair photo | Buy photos
Nuptials celebrated at Bouchaine Vineyards
Friday, July 27, 2007
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Festival del Sole featured more than music, art and food in its second season.

The international arts festival also celebrated the nuptials of one of the world’s leading orchestra conductors and a young Swedish beauty he met on his round-the-globe guest appearances two years ago.
French-born Stéphane Denève, music director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow, Scotland, and Åsa Masters repeated their vows before Napa Mayor Jill Techel in a windswept Carneros hilltop ceremony at Bouchaine Vineyards last Thursday evening.

Best man for the occasion was world-renowned pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, slated to perform at the festival the following night with the Russian National Orchestra conducted by the groom.
The bride and groom, their respective parents, festival soloists and wedding guests were serenaded by an orchestra ensemble, led by Antonio Pappano, music director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, performing Richard Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll” as the sun set over Carneros vines.

Guests were informed by Mayor Techel — with Thibaudet translating into French — about how the couple met, how the conductor courted her half a world away (she was in the hospitality business in Toronto) and how the acrophobic conductor asked for her hand during a candlelit dinner atop Toronto’s CN Tower.
Everyone learned as well at a lavish wedding dinner why vows were exchanged in the Napa Valley.

Tatiana Copeland — who owns Bouchaine Vineyards with her husband, Gerret, and has  been a festival sponsor since it was launched last year — said she sat next to maestro Denève at dinner following the festival’s final performance last year.

“Stéphane told me how much he had enjoyed the festival and how much he liked the Napa Valley, to the extent that he would even consider getting married here,” the local vintner recounted.

“I told him that we would love to host the ceremony and wedding supper — and the idea grew from there.”

As a wedding present, she presented the groom with copies of a year’s worth of e-mails sent to Scotland and  back again regarding details for the wedding.

The wedding party and guests were feted by the Copelands in the Bouchaine cellars following the ceremony, with a lavish reception and dinner prepared by one of wine country’s top caterers, Elaine Bell.

Just about all present Thursday night then joined groom and best man for a rousing performance of  the rousing Grieg piano concerto at Yountville’s Lincoln Theater Friday evening.

Details of the honeymoon were hush-hush.
3 comment(s)

such opulence wrote on Jul 25, 2007 1:41 PM:

" While I am happy for the newlyweds, it seems such a shame that people spend the kind of $$ that is described in this article on just the act of getting married. Why not use that $$ for something other than one's own pleasure? There are starving children in Napa County; there are hundreds of non-profit agencies that could do even more good for Napa County; there is the anti-gang and anti-drug forces on the Napa Police and Sheriff Departments that could use that $$. I could go on and on.....Why not consider making a sizeable donation to a charity or several charities, instead of flaunting your wealth, especially even getting it written up in the paper. Have a happy marriage, but perhaps share a little of your opulence with those that really need it, rather than throwing it in the faces of the real population of Napa County. "

Richard wrote on Jul 26, 2007 4:11 PM:

" To Such Opulence, Why do you assume that the couple have not already donated to one or more of the causes you list. "

Reality Check wrote on Jul 30, 2007 10:59 AM:

" I have to agree with Richard. Such Opulence, what you don't seem to understand is that the wealthy typically donate far more to charity in a year than most will in an entire lifetime. "

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