The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas.

History

The orchestra traces its origins to a concert given by a group of forty musicians in 1900 with

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

Hans Kreissig Hans Kreissig (May 23, 1857 – December 28, 1929) was a German-born American pianist, music teacher, and conductor. He is noted for establishing the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 1900 and for serving as its first music director. Career Hans K ...

. It continued to perform and grow in numbers and stature, so that in 1945 it was in a position to appoint Antal Doráti as music director. Under Doráti, the orchestra became fully professional. Several times during the history of the orchestra it has suspended operations, including periods during the First and Second World Wars from 1914 to 1918 and from 1942 to 1945, and more recently in 1974 due to fiscal restraints. Subsequent music directors have included

Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

Anshel Brusilow Anshel Brusilow (August 14, 1928 – January 15, 2018) was an American violinist, conductor, and music educator at the collegiate level. Early life and education Brusilow was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1928, the son of Ukrainian Jewi ...

, and Eduardo Mata. Andrew Litton was music director from 1994 to 2006. During Litton's tenure, the orchestra recorded the four Rachmaninoff piano concerti and the '' Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini'' with Stephen Hough for Hyperion Records. In 2007, Jaap van Zweden was named the DSO's 15th music director, and began his tenure in the 2008–2009 season with an initial contract of four years. In October 2009, the orchestra announced the extension of van Zweden's contract through the 2015–2016 season. In November 2013, the orchestra announced a further extension of van Zweden's contract through 2019. In January 2016, the orchestra announced the rescheduled conclusion of van Zweden's tenure as music director after the 2017–2018 season, after which time he was scheduled to serve as the orchestra's conductor laureate from 2018 through 2021. In 2002, Fabio Luisi first guest-conducted the orchestra. His next Dallas guest-conducting appearance was in March 2018. On the basis of this guest-conducting engagement, in June 2018, the orchestra named Luisi its next music director, effective with the 2020-2021 season. He held the title of music director-designate in the 2019-2020 season. In January 2021, the orchestra announced the extension of Luisi's contract as music director through 2029. The current president and chief executive officer of the orchestra is Kim Noltemy. In October 2018, the orchestra announced the appointment of Gemma New as its next principal guest conductor, the first female conductor to hold the title, effective with the 2019-2020 season. She was reappointed to this position for the 2022–2023 season.

Music directors

(1900–1901) * Walter Fried (1911) * Carl Venth (1911–1914) * Walter Fried (1918–1924) * Paul van Katwijk (1925–1936) * Jacques Singer (1937–1942) * Antal Doráti (1945–1949) * Walter Hendl (1949–1958) * Paul Kletzki (1958–1961) *

(1961–1962) * Donald Johanos (1962–1970) *

(1970–1973) * Max Rudolf (1973–1974) * Eduardo Mata (1977–1993) * Andrew Litton (1994–2006) * Jaap van Zweden (2008–2018) * Fabio Luisi (2020–present)

Musicians

Members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra with articles in English Wikipedia include: * Ryan Anthony, trumpet 2004–2020, principal 2006–2020 * Lev Aronson, cello 1948–1967, principal 1949–1967 * Madeleine Begun, oboe c. 1969–1970 *

Emanuel Borok Emanuel Borok (15 July 1944 – 4 January 2020) was an American violinist of Russian descent. Early life and education Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Borok studied violin in Riga, Latvia, with Voldemar Sturestep. In 1959, he joined the Gnessin M ...

, violin, concertmaster 1985–2010 *

Margaret Brouwer Margaret Brouwer (born February 8, 1940, in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is an American composer and composition teacher. She founded the Blue Streak Ensemble chamber music group. Biography Brouwer studied at Oberlin College, graduating in 1962, and re ...

, violin * Rafael Druian, violin, concertmaster 1947–1949 * Willard Somers Elliot, bassoon 1951–1964, principal 1956–1964 *

Jules Eskin Jules Louis Eskin (October 20, 1931 – November 15, 2016) was an American cellist who was the principal cellist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was born in Philadelphia. With conductor Seiji Ozawa, he is known for solo performances of wel ...

, cello 1948–1949 * Walter Fried, violin, concertmaster 1911–1914 (also Music Director) *

Richard Giangiulio Richard Cecil Giangiulio (born November 15, 1942), is an American trumpet player and conductor. Born in Philadelphia, Giangiulio began trumpet at the age of 10. Educated at the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, and Conservatoire de ...

, trumpet, principal 1969–2001 *

Everett M. Gilmore Everett Millard "Ev" Gilmore, Jr. (December 13, 1935 – April 14, 2005) was an American tubist best known for his association with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, in which he served as principal tubist from 1965 until his retirement in 1995. He w ...

, tuba, principal, 1965–1995 * Joseph Hawthorne, viola, principal 1945–1949 (also associate conductor) *

Frank Kaderabek Frank John Kaderabek (born 1929) is the former principal trumpet of the Philadelphia Orchestra (1975-1995) and former trumpet instructor of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Career Born in Chicago, he studied with Edward Masacek and ...

, trumpet, principal 1953–1958 *

Alexander Kerr Alexander John Henry Kerr (2 December 1892 – 4 December 1964) was an English marine engineer and wholesale newsagent. He is best known for his service in the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1916, for which he was awarded the Sil ...

, violin, concertmaster 2011–present * David Kim, violin, senior associate concertmaster 1997–1999 * William Kraft, percussion 1954–1955 *

Andreas Makris Andreas Makris (Greek: Ανδρέας Μακρής; March 7, 1930February 3, 2005)Makris Foundation
accessed Au ...

, violin, principal second 1958–1959 * Demarre McGill, flute, principal 2013–2016 *

Mitchell Peters Mitchell Thomas Peters (August 17, 1935 – October 28, 2017) was a principal timpanist and percussionist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. He composed well-known pieces for the marimba such as " Yellow After the Rain" and "Sea Refrac ...

, percussion, principal c. 1959–1969 *

Robert Xavier Rodriguez Robert Xavier Rodríguez (born June 28, 1946) is an American classical composer, best known for his eight operas and his works for children. Life and career Rodríguez received his early musical education in his native San Antonio and in Aus ...

, Composer in Residence 1982–1983 * David Shifrin, clarinet, principal 1970s * János Starker, cello, principal 1948–1949 * Carl Venth, violin, concertmaster 1927–1931 (also Music Director) * Ernst Wallfisch, viola, assistant principal 1947–1949 * Harold Wright, clarinet, principal 1952–mid-1950s?

References

External links

Official website of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Official website of the Dallas Symphony Chorus

School of Music Program Book 1969-1970
North Texas State University. School of Music. School of Music Program Book 1969-1970. Denton, Texas. UNT Digital Library] {{DSO music directors Music of Dallas Texas classical music Musical groups established in 1900 Wikipedia requested audio of orchestras 1900 establishments in Texas Orchestras based in Texas Symphony orchestras