Courtesy of Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Audio By Carbonatix
The Concert Truck is once again taking it to the Dallas streets. The classical concert on wheels will return this week for a sixth residency with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
The 16-foot black box truck was modified in 2016 by concert pianist couple Susan Zhang and Nick Luby to share their love of music with the masses.The pair painted a moving van black, installed a concert piano and altered the truck so one side could have a fully open sliding door. The fully functioning mobile concert hall is also equipped with a full sound system and lights. For the past seven years, The Concert Truck has gone wherever the road takes it – and lets it park.
The Concert Truck first rode into Dallas in 2020, which Zhang says was a “turning point” for the truck and its cross-country connections. What was originally used as a COVID-19 safe music venture has now grown into a long-term bridge to help presenters reach more people in the community, says Zhang. The truck’s Dallas residencies tend to be longer than most in other cities, which has made the city feel “a little bit like a second home” for Zhang.
“I think it just really works here – the people are into it,” Zhang says. “We really love our musical collaborations here, and the reception at large has been pretty strong. It’s been a wonderful thing to deepen some of those connections each time we come back in to build partnerships with the community.”
Aside from being a co-founder, Zhang is also one of The Concert Truck’s primary performers and has played at nearly every one of its concerts since the truck’s inception. Today, Zhang is still surprised by audiences’ positive reactions to the mobile music machine; she says its unique environment has helped her grow as a player.
“I’m really excited to play a lot of music that I’ve always wanted to play with some of my favorite people here, which is pretty much everyone who has played with us,” Zhang says. “But I’m really just excited about being able to share our music.”
“I’m really just excited about being able to share our music.” – Susan Zhang
While a personal musical affinity fuels Zhang’s trucking passions, she says that using the mini symphony as an educational tool is what has been the most rewarding. Zhang and Luby try to pick pieces intentionally to engage their audience while also teaching basic musical content concepts to young viewers in the thick of musical training. The Concert Truck is often children’s, and sometimes adults’, first introduction to classical music, a responsibility Zhang doesn’t take lightly.
“I think if it’s not an audience who already is a fan of classical music, I always feel like I have to really represent well,” Zhang says. “At the same time, it’s also really exciting for me because it’s like, this person’s never heard this before – it’s fresh ears. So it’s a very gratifying experience overall.”
This fall, the DSO and The Concert Truck will present 20 outdoor collaborative concerts across DFW from between Oct. 11 and Nov. 5. Featured players include Zhang and Luby, DSO musicians and performers from other arts organizations. Venues range from Ash Studios and Turtle Creek Park to Southlake APEX and Richardson’s Staycation.
Concerts are free and last from 45 minutes to an hour. The Concert Truck made its 2023 Dallas debut at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital on Oct.11. You can keep up to speed with the truck’s full DFW schedule through DSO’s website.
