Grammy award-winner Michael Bolton, second from right, is welcomed to Symphony Hall by, left to right, Boston Pops Maestro Keith Lockhart, and "Company Christmas at Pops" chairs: Dick Connolly, Ted Kelly and Jack Connors. (Photo by Michael Lutch)

Everyone is still talking about last month's spectacular "A Company Christmas at Pops," one of the BSO's most important annual fundraising events, which raised more than $1.2 million to benefit the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras.

Grammy award-winner Michael Bolton headlined a list of special guests that included award-winning columnist and frequent national talk show personality Mike Barnicle serving as narrator of "A Visit from St. Nicholas."

CEOs, presidents, and executives from more than 100 New England-based companies took part in the gala event, which included a pre-concert reception and gourmet boxed dinners.

Since its inception in 1984, "A Company Christmas at Pops" has raised nearly $17 million for the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras.

Silver Anniversary event co-chairs were Dick Connolly, Senior Vice President, Morgan Stanley; Jack Connors, Chairman Emeritus, Hill, Holiday; and Ted Kelly, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Mutual Group. James F. Cleary, Advisory Director of UBS, returned as honorary chairman.

Congratulations and Best Wishes to all!

Super Hunger Challenge to Benefit Greater Boston Food Bank

The "Super Hunger Chef Challenge 2009," a fundraiser for the Greater Boston Food Bank, takes place at The Four Seasons Hotel on Boylston Street on Wednesday, January 21 beginning at 6 p.m.

A new year, a new Super Hunger Chef Challenge!

Enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, and much more, while watching Chefs Anthony Susi (Sage), Gabriel Frasca (Straight Wharf, Nantucket), Will Gilson (The Garden at the Cellar) and Evan Deluty (Stella) show off their culinary skills, using only ingredients stocked by The Greater Boston Food Bank.

In a creative food frenzy, these chefs aren't only competing for culinary bragging rights, but vying to set the record for raising the most money of any Super Hunger Chef event ever.

For more information about this and other Super Hunger Month events, please contact Marion Kassler at 617-427-5200, or visit www.superhungermonth.org.

Boston Wine Expo Returns

The "18th Annual Boston Wine Expo" takes place on Saturday January 24 and Sunday January 25 at the Seaport World Trade Center, Boston.

The largest trade and consumer wine event in the country, the Boston Wine Expo offers wine enthusiasts an unparalleled educational and entertaining wine and food experience.

The Grand Tasting showcases more than 450 international and domestic wineries from 13 countries pouring over 1,800 different wines. Special features include an exclusive Grand Cru Wine Lounge, where Reserve level wines will be featured in this separate and sophisticated setting for the most serious wine enthusiasts.

We are told that this year The Italian Trade Commission is presenting "Vino 2009," its first annual Industry Convention of Italian Wine in America. This special Italian pavilion will feature nearly 100 wines from regions including Toscana, Lombardia, Abruzzo, and Calabria as well as other U.S. importers of Italian wines.

Seminars are scheduled for all levels of wine-lovers, led by world-renowned wine experts such as Wine Spectator's Gloria Maroti Frazee; Bernard de Laage de Meus of Chateau Palmer; Gary Vaynerchuk, self-trained wine expert and star of WineLibraryTV.com; Pilar Garcia-Granero, enologist and president of Wines from Navarra; Quarterly Review of Wines editor Randy Sheahan; Al Marzi of Harpoon Brewery; and the president of Aquitaine Wine Company, Jean-Christophe Calvet-just to name a few.

Headlining the list of famous chefs participating in the "Celebrity Chef Cooking Demonstrations" on Saturday are: public television's culinary experts Lidia Matticchio Bastianich of "Lidia's Italy" (3 p.m.-3:45 p.m.), Ming Tsai of "Simply Ming" (2 p.m.-2:45 p.m.), Martin Yan of "Martin Yan's China" (1 p.m.-1:45 p.m.), and Sara Moulton of "Sara's Weeknight Meals" (4 p.m.-4:45 p.m.). Taking place on Stage 1, the chef demonstrations will be hosted by "TV Diner's" Billy Costa and Jenny Johnson.

Throughout the history of the Boston Wine Expo, more than $780,000 has been donated to more than 27 charitable organizations. This year's beneficiaries include: Tufts-New England Medical Center's Summer Camp Program for Children with Disabilities, Dana Farber Cancer Institute's Pan Mass Challenge, New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and The Anthony Spinazzola Culinary Apprenticeship Program.

The mega event is produced by The Boston Guild of Oenophilists, Inc. and ResourcePlus Shows and Events.

For admission costs, complete details and schedules, visit www.wineexpoboston.com. For more information, call 1-877-946-3976.

Enjoy!

In addition to events covered and reported by the columnist, "The Scene..." 
is compiled from various other sources such as news releases, PRNewswire services, etc.

bostonevents.com    bostontravel.com    bostongardens.com    bostonautos.com