Janos Gereben

Pacific Musical Society's annual gala on Sunday honored composer Jake Heggie. Some 130 attendees in the St. Francis Westin contributed to the 102-year-old organization's mission of assisting young musicians. The evening featured performances by Frederica von Stade and Nicolle Foland, with Heggie at the piano.

Berkeley Symphony's Under Construction Composers Program, enabling Bay Area emerging composers to work with a pro

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman (who is stepping down at the end of the calendar year) has announced that the Association of California Symphony Orchestras is recommended for a $30,000 grant to support professional and leadership development and technical assistance programs for California orchestras.

Among ACSO members receiving NEA grants:

Mike Boehm, of The Los Angeles Times, reports that Gustavo Dudamel — the Philharmonic's music director, Musician of the Year for 2013 according to Musical America, and visitor to Berkeley last week — received just under $1 million in salary and benefits for 2010, his first full year on the job.