Elation and stability were the themes of the night on Friday, March 22, at the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens during which 70 guests gathered to celebrate the center’s cultural impacts and another step toward normalcy.

The Benefit for the Arts fundraiser was the first hosted on the property since the landslides of April and June 2023, and the night was a rousing success according to co-executive director Jacqui Groseth. 

Featuring a stunning sunset, food donated by new provider Colette’s Catering and Events, and a performance from the Romantica Piano Quartet, the first music ensemble to be in residence at Casa Romantica, the fundraiser brought in $25,000 to support the arts and arts education programs. 

Groseth talked about the joy of seeing board members such as Carolyn and Dave Westendorf, who underwrote the event, and guests from the local art community and from the City of San Clemente enjoy themselves during the event. 

“This event a year ago had been changed several times because of the landslide, and we were trying to figure out where we were going to be,” she said. “It was so nice to be home in our beautiful Casa.”

The fundraiser represented a celebration of the ability to host such events on the property once again and the ability to look forward to future events, Groseth added.

“Last year, this fundraiser was not on our property, (and) our ‘Toast to the Casa’ was not on our property, and when our events aren't here, it can fuel the misinformation that we're not open at all,” she said of the fundraising event’s significance. “That continues to be an issue that we try and spread the word (about) and let people know that we are open.”

Casa Romantica is making progress toward fulfilling the goal of raising $500,000 through its “Building Hope, Preserving History” campaign, according to Groseth, narrowing the gap from the previous figure of $257,401 needed as of early January.

“Between Friday night's event and additional donations that have come in in January, February and part of March, we've really closed that gap,” Groseth said. “Our goal now, between now and the end of our fiscal year which is June 30th, is to raise $210,000.”

She again emphasized the headway Casa Romantica has made and said she wanted the San Clemente community to understand every donation is impactful.

Guests on Friday also experienced the debut performance of the Romantica Piano Quartet, which comprises cellist Pola Benke, pianist Kevin Garnica, and the husband-wife duo of violinist Adriana Triggs and violistPhillip Triggs.

Groseth said the performance went off without a hitch, which was comforting, as Casa Romantica staff wondered whether the sound in the Main Salon would be adequate.

“We had nothing but positive feedback, so it was really encouraging,” she said.

Adriana Triggs, who’s previously worked with Casa Romantica through teaching summer music programs, formed the quartet after meeting with Groseth and co-executive director Kylie Travis, who sought to bring classical music to young musicians in an alternative manner. The property currently doesn’t have the space to host the normal summer programs, according to Groseth. 

The new group allowed Triggs to fulfill her ambition of creating a quartet and filled Casa Romantica’s needs, as the quartet will visit local schools and teach students.

“It's a big deal, because music is such a big part of my life,” Triggs said. “I just want to bring that excitement to the students that we're going to be visiting and bring that love of music that we have to San Clemente and surrounding communities.”

The quartet rehearsed four times before their first performance at the fundraiser, she added. There were feelings of anxiousness and excitement beforehand, but Triggs felt the audience responded well to their performance.

The camaraderie between the group members was a positive factor, as well as their equal passion for music, according to Triggs, which will contribute to their efforts to share music with students. The quartet is in talks with Aliso Niguel and Capistrano Valley High Schools to schedule visits in the next two months.

The Romantica Piano Quartet will be performing as a part of Casa Romantica’s 2024-2025 season, Groseth said, which kicks off in September 2024.