Hitting the High Notes

Despite their demanding “day jobs,” Michael Harold and Quinn Peeper, a successful attorney and a prominent physician respectively, have managed to lead double lives as concert pianists and consummate hosts. Together, they have entertained audiences of 5 to 500. In 2018, the duo helped raise over $100,000 for charity during a guest performance with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and, just last year, they traveled to New York City where they played for Princess Anne at an intimate (and somewhat impromptu) post-gala gathering hosted by the English-Speaking Union of which Quinn serves as chairman.

Rivaling the couple’s love of music is their love of parties and, after almost three decades, they have hosting down to a science. Michael tackles the menu and takes care of the cooking or catering, and Quinn creates the tablescapes from their endless mélange of heirloom china; antique silver; vintage stemware; and hand-embroidered linens. While their style leans more towards the formal end of the entertaining spectrum—think dainty passed hors d’oeuvres and candlelit sit-downs—their themes are anything but traditional. In fact, some are downright obscure. Take their annual “Christmas Adam” tea that takes place the day before Christmas Eve. Teas and hot toddies are served alongside a rainbow of marzipan, Fortnum & Mason mini mince pies, sweet meats, and homemade sugared fruit. The duo’s “Tempête Tropicale Feast,” held in the late August heat, commemorates the start of hurricane season in New Orleans. While the theme may seem rather unconventional, Michael and Quinn have had enough experiences with the wrath of these storms to learn things they feel are worth celebrating.

“The idea was born when Quinn discovered D. Porthault’s linen collection, Tempête Tropicale, which translates to tropical storm,” Michael says. “In the aftermath of these disasters, we have gone days, even weeks, without electricity and become all too familiar with the fragrance that permeates from an unintentionally thawed-out freezer. Now, when severe weather threatens, we pull all the casseroles out of hibernation, and our friends and neighbors do the same. If you’ve never had a potluck supper served on Bernardaud china, you’re really missing out.”

But above all the special (and not-so special) occasions that Michael and Quinn like to celebrate, they are particularly big on birthday parties. The honoree could be anyone—a dear friend or family member, a fictitious book or movie character, or perhaps a deceased musician. At their “Mad for Plaid” party, guests clad in kilts and tartan frocks were greeted at the door by a bagpiper. The occasion? The 265^th birthday of Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns, best known for writing Auld Lang Syne in 1788. To avoid showing favoritism, they have hosted similar themed dinners for composer Franz Schubert’s 227^th and Beethoven’s 250^th birthdays.

Don’t miss: Quinn and Michael share the Easy Cranachan Recipe from their Robert Burns fêtê.

Michael and Quinn share more about these “shindigs” and dozens of others in their book, Classical Shindig: Amateur Artistry from the Simple to the Sublime (Susan Schadt Press, 2023). Part personal memoir, part entertaining manifesto, the tome’s 380-plus pages burst with stories and snapshots from some of their most famous (and infamous) fêtes. The features are peppered with tips, original recipes, whimsical illustrations, and exquisite eye candy, including floral arrangements, place settings, place cards, menu cards, and assorted paperie aimed to inspire the most seasoned hosts and hostesses, as well as the nervous novices.

“When naming the book, we felt it was important to include the word ‘amateur’ in the title,” Quinn says. “We are not professional chefs, florists, event designers, or interior decorators. We are amateurs—a word derived from the Latin word amare meaning ‘to love.’ We do all the planning, prepping, creating, and cleanup because that’s what we love to do.”