The Dallas
Symphony Orchestra's beginnings can be traced to May 22, 1900, when
a 40-member ensemble performed under the direction of German-born
conductor Hans Kreissig.
In the ensuing
years, the Dallas Symphony began to grow into a major American orchestra
under the leadership of such eminent conductors as Walter J. Fried
and Jacques Singer. In 1945, the Dallas Symphony took great strides
under the direction of conductor Antal Dorati. Dorati transformed
the ensemble into a fully-professional, first-rate orchestra which
won national attention through a series of RCA recordings, expanded
repertory, more concerts and several national network radio broadcasts.
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In
1977, Mexican-born Eduardo Mata was appointed music director of
the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Under his guidance, the orchestra
enjoyed many successes including recording contracts with RCA and
Dorian, a European tour, three concerts in Mexico City and three
concerts in Singapore. When Mata retired in June of 1993, he had
the longest tenure as music director in the orchestra's history
and was named conductor emeritus of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
In
September 1989, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center opened during
a fortnight of gala performances and community activities. The resulting
international press proclaimed the hall "world-class, rivaling
the great concert halls of the world," and gained Dallas a
reputation as a "vital cultural center" and a "rewarding
stop on any international orchestra's tour schedule."In December
1992, the
Dallas
Symphony Association named Andrew Litton to succeed Mata as music
director of the Dallas Symphony. Litton, a regular guest conductor
in the world's leading concert halls and opera houses, assumed the
position of music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 1994.
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Litton
has embarked on an ambitious program to significantly raise the
orchestra's international standing. In 1994, Litton launched the
Dallas Symphony's first television venture, the Amazing Music family
concert series. Litton has made numerous recordings with the DSO,
including Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and "An American Tapestry"
with works by Hovhaness, Ives, Schuman, Piston and Griffes. A Grammy
Award-nominated all-Tchaikovsky disc was released in May 1996, along
with other Delos International recordings including Shostakovich's
Symphony No. 8; "Dayful of Song," including a world-premiere
recording of previously unrecorded works by George Gershwin; Shostakovich
Symphonies 6 and 10; and the most recent release, Mahler's Tenth
Symphony. Litton will conclude his tenure with the DSO in May 2006.
A search is currently underway for his successor.
In November
1995, Litton led the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in a performance
at Carnegie Hall, its fourth New York appearance in the orchestra's
95-year history. The orchestra has since made two return appearances
in 1999 and 2001, with another planned for 2005. In 1997, 2000 and
2003, the Dallas Symphony and Andrew Litton enjoyed triumphant European
tours. The Dallas Symphony debuted at the Colorado Vail Valley Music
Festival during the summer of 1999 and will continue those performances
through 2006.
June 2004
Learn
more about the Dallas Symphony Orchestra by visiting www.DallasSymphony.com.
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