Dallas Symphony Orchestra at Meyerson Symphony Center – Dallas, Texas
The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center was created as a response to the citizens of Dallas desiring a prominent facility for cultural activities and gatherings, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s need for a new home. A public/private partnership ensued between the City of Dallas and the Dallas Symphony Association, which led efforts to raise a major portion of the needed funds. In September 1989 a new era in the cultural life of Dallas began with the opening of the Meyerson Symphony Center.
The Meyerson Symphony Center is an optimal space for concerts, meetings, lectures, receptions, weddings, and similar events. The Center is owned by the City of Dallas and operated by the Dallas Symphony Association. The Symphony Center is named for Morton H. Meyerson, the former president of Electronic Data Systems (EDS). EDS founder Ross Perot offered a major gift to ensure the building met the high standards set by its internationally renowned design team: architect I. M. Pei and acoustician Russell Johnson of Artec Consultants.
Perot chose to honor his friend and colleague by naming the building after Meyerson, who chaired the original building committee and was instrumental in making the Center a reality. The concert hall is named for Eugene McDermott, co-founder of Texas Instruments. The designation was given in response to a significant gift from the Eugene McDermott Foundation in honor of his memory.
Guided by internationally renowned Music Director Fabio Luisi, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra delivers uplifting, entertaining musical experiences and innovative, enriching educational opportunities—both within the inspiring Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center and across the community.
History
The orchestra traces its origins to a concert given by a group of forty musicians in 1900 with conductor Hans Kreissig. 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, Anshel Brusilow, and Eduardo Mata. Andrew Litton was a 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.
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.