On Fri Oct 19, Club 201 members gathered for the first event of the 2007-08 season. First, they attended a history-making event, the MSO's Audience Choice concert featuring British cellist sensation Steven Isserlis and the First Symphony of Brahms. The Brahms was the audience choice contest's clear winner.

After the concert, Club 201 members headed to the Great Dane Brew Pub on Doty Street, where they indulged in a beer tasting.
The beer tasting featured five brews: a pilsner, a hefeweizen, a lager, an IPA, and a coffee stout. Brewmaster Eric led Club 201 tasters through the entire array. The Oktoberfest theme included 10 pounds of Lil Smokies as appetizers.

Club 201 members also had the chance to meet two orchestra members: bassist Ross Gilliland and violinist Anne Marie Hatmaker. These two musicians shared their perspectives on the Audience Choice concert and on the beer tasting!

On Fri Dec 7, Club 201 members gathered at Barriques at 127 W. Washington for a night of wine and chocolate tasting following the MSO's Christmas Spectacular. We sampled four wines: a sparkling rose (think pink bubbly!), a New Zealand sauvignon blanc, a French pinot noir, and a California zinfandel. The chocolate was equally divine, with dark chocolate containing dried pineapple bits as a grand highlight! (You can see the spread to the right) We sampled with the expert input of one of Barriques' sommeliers, Molly. She led guests through the pours and provided information on why the wines and chocolates made delicious pairings.