Saturday, the 11th of September at Meyerson Symphony Center
Dallas, Texas – In one week, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will host one of the highlights of the social calendar: The Dallas Symphony Orchestra AT&T Gala, always a spectacular event, this year will occur on Saturday the 11th of September at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Ticket prices begin at $1000 for the full Gala event and at $150 for the Concert/After-Party-only experience. For more information or to purchase tickets call 214.871.4065 or email dso-gala@dalsym.com.
In honor of AT&T’s exceptional ten consecutive years of title sponsor support, Honorary Gala Chairs for this year’s AT&T Gala are led by Chairman and CEO of AT&T Randall Stephenson and his wife Lenise. Melissa and Paul Stewart are Gala Chairs and Anna-Sophia van Zweden serves as Honorary After-Party Chair. Gala Event Chair Todd Fiscus of Todd Events will craft the ambiance and mood of the evening with the theme of “Beethoven’s Garden.”
Melissa Stewart said, “We are working with a dream team, from the musicians to the DSO staff to our chairs and numerous hosts. The 2010 Gala will be a night to be remembered with wonderful food, beautiful décor and some of the finest entertainment offered in the world.”
The DSO’s renowned Music Director Jaap van Zweden will lead the orchestra in Beethoven’s revolutionary Symphony No. 3, Eroica and internationally-acclaimed guest pianist Jeffrey Kahane in Beethoven’s lyrical Piano Concerto No. 4. The annual Black-Tie event will include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, an exquisitely prepared seated dinner in the Meyerson’s grand lobby and a concert performance followed by an after-party named Star Bar that promises to be nothing short of spectacular. It will feature two different but equally exciting experiences with entertainment by the band Goga and DJ Lucy Wrubel. Cotes du Coeur and Nib Chocolates will provide a perfect wine and chocolate pairing in addition to other fabulous dessert offerings. A raffle boutique will offer guests the chance at luxury brand items generously donated by Mont Blanc and The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas.
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra AT&T Gala benefits the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and its many programs, including adult and youth education and community outreach initiatives. With more than 175 performances a year, the DSO serves a broad range of constituencies in the North Texas community. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra AT&T Gala is the DSO’s largest fundraiser.
Eroica (which is Italian for “heroic”) is considered by many to have taken the art of the symphony into a new realm. It is widely considered Beethoven’s “heroic” phase in which he began producing vastly scaled works of great depth and breathtaking vision. Piano Concerto No. 4 was first performed in public in 1808 by Beethoven himself, his last performance as a soloist with orchestra. With the masterful talent of van Zweden and Kahane combined with the DSO, this year’s Gala performance promises to be electrifying.
Kahane last performed with the DSO in March of 2009 serving as both conductor and soloist. Scott Cantrell of The Dallas Morning News said of his performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1, "One imagined the composer in whatever afterlife nodding his head vigorously and exclaiming, "Sehr gut! Sehr gut!" Recognized by audiences around the world for his mastery of diverse repertoire from Bach to Gershwin, Kahane has established a reputation as a truly versatile artist equally sought after as a soloist, conductor, and chamber musician. Kahane is currently in his fourteenth season as Music Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and has a long history in North Texas. Most notably, Kahane gained local recognition as a finalist in the 1981 Van Cliburn Competition.