World Class Food & Wine paired with World Class Music

Born Marissa Pontecorvo in Staten Island, NY in 1987, Marisa Corvo was raised in a lively Italian family and was inspired to get into music by her trumpet-playing dad. As you can imagine, she was exposed to music since a young age, so much so that she performed at Carnegie Hall at 9 and began singing soon after.

Fast forward to 2012 when she made it to “American Idol” Season 11 and in 2020 she was part of “The Voice” Season 19 after a strong performance of Pink’s “Perfect” for her blind audition, turned 3 judges chairs and joined team Kelly. Even though she didn’t win, both shows put her on the map in the music industry.

Corey Ritter has been the assistant principal percussionist with the Riverside Philharmonic since 1998. He has been the principal percussionist with the Fresno Philharmonic and Fresno Grand Opera since 2001 and the Arizona Opera Orchestra since 2015. In addition to his positions with these orchestras, he plays regularly with several other orchestras throughout Southern CA including the American Ballet Theatre Company Orchestra and Bolshoi Ballet Orchestra, both at the Los Angeles Music Center – Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, as well as the San Diego, Pacific, Honolulu, Monterey, Pasadena Pops, Redlands, San Bernardino, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Capistrano Valley, Aliso Viejo, Rio Hondo, and the Cypress Pops Symphony Orchestras.

He has recorded, performed and toured with many world-renowned artists, including Placido Domingo, Renee Fleming, Andrea Bocelli, Deborah Voigt, Juan Diego Florez, Evelyn Glennie, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Lang Lang, Andre Previn, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Linda Ronstadt, Cher, Oliva Newton John, Stewart Copland, David Foster, Carol Channing, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Katherine Jenkins, Jackie Evancho, Martin Short, Regis Philbin, Susan Lucci, and the Texas Tenors. He was the lead percussionist in the Disney Motion Picture “The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.”

A native of Orange County, CA, he received his music degrees in percussion performance from Fullerton College, graduating with high honors and CSU Fullerton, graduating as Valedictorian, Magna Cum Laude. His primary teachers were percussionists with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pacific Symphony and with world renowned jazz/commercial drum set player Steve Houghton.

Besides his career as an orchestral percussionist, he is also a steel drum artist in which he can explore the Caribbean musical styles indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago, the birthplace of the steel pan. He has had the honor of performing with two legendary steel drum musicians from Trinidad and Tobago; Len “Boogsie” Sharpe and Robert Greenidge, the steel drum musician for the late Jimmy Buffet. He plays steel drums for weddings, private parties and corporate events at resorts, country clubs, restaurants and other venues throughout Southern California. He was the music contractor, booking all entertainment for Tommy Bahama Restaurants and Retail Stores in Palm Desert and the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar in Palm Springs, also performing at the Tommy Bahama locations in Newport Beach, Pasadena, San Diego and La Jolla. Other clients include Bill Gates, Disney, the US Olympic Swim Team, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Pacific Symphony, Ritz Carlton, Marriott, Westin, Renaissance, Agua Caliente Resort & Spa, the Vintage, Big Horn, PGA West, Tradition Golf Club, Hyatt, Embassy Suites and the Four Seasons Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

Michael Anthony Gagliardi is an internationally recognized and acclaimed guitarist, known for his Jazz and Flamenco styling’s. Originally from Palm Desert, he has received prestigious accolades such as the Bespoke Award and the title of 2023 Best Luxury Event Guitarist Southern California from Lux Magazine in London, England.

He is a 7-time La Quinta Arts Celebration Most Popular Artist and a 10-time Riverside County Library System Amphitheatre Concert Most Consecutive Artist. He has performed alongside renowned musicians including BB KING, AARON NEVILLE, BUDDY GUY, KEIKO MATSUI, BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY, JOSE FELICIANO, ASIA, PAUL THORN, and FISHBONE. 

Awarded “Best of the Desert” in 2022 & 2023 by the Desert Sun, DJ Modgirl (AKA Kellee McQuinn) is not only the life of the party, she’s also a cover girl on magazines, billboards, and ad campaigns as well as a television entertainer, and an award winning producer, director, lyricist and performer.

With an outfit for every occasion, she spins at all the major events throughout Palm Springs and has opened for such luminaries as Harry Styles, Paramore, Jody Watley and Martha Wash and performed at the Obama White House from 2009 – 2016.

You can hear her high energy music mixes every Sunday on KGAY 106.5 from 4-6pm on her Sunday Tea Dance radio show and see her perform at one of the several residencies she has in the Coachella Valley.

Learn more at djmodgirl.com.