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. Kreissig led the orchestra for five seasons while also helping to finance the organization.
In the ensuing years, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra began to grow into a major American orchestra. Between 1945 and 1949, the Dallas Symphony took great strides under the direction of Conductor Antal Dorati, who 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.
In 1977, Mexican-born Eduardo Mata was appointed music director and conductor of the orchestra. 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. During his tenure, in addition to excelling creatively, the orchestra saw the dedication of its permanent home, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, which opened in September 1989.
In December of 1992, the Dallas Symphony Association named a young American, Andrew Litton, to succeed Mata as music director and conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. 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. At the age of 34, Litton became the first American conductor appointed to a native orchestra in more than a decade.
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra enjoys the support of the citizens of Dallas as demonstrated by capacity crowds for the classical and pops subscription performances. This success has been instrumental in expanding the orchestra's services to include free concerts in the Meyerson Symphony Center, as well as High School Concerts and Youth Concerts in the hall. In addition, orchestra ensembles perform in area elementary schools, the DSO presents a free Community Concert Series in area parks and the orchestra annually hosts free Hispanic and African-American Festival concerts in the Meyerson Symphony Center.
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