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1. Highlight: Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Jaap van Zweden Named Conductor of the Year
This was the Year of Van Zweden, according to Musical America, which named Dallas’ intrepid maestro Conductor of the Year for 2012. JvZ made the most of his year in the spotlight by presenting consistently exciting, critically acclaimed work at home and abroad. In April, van Zweden made his New York Philharmonic conducting debut, showcasing what Dallas symphony-goers have come to expect from him: dynamic, sharply executed performances that make even old music sound fresh and inspiring.
2. Lowlight: The Dallas Opera and the Symphony Cut Back on Concerts
In 2012, the two biggest forces in Dallas’ classical music scene, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and The Dallas Opera, both faced budgetary constraints that forced them to limit their 2012/2013 seasons. This story is hardly exceptional, as current economic conditions have arts organization from New York to L.A. tightening their belts. You can read more about the Dallas Opera’s financial status in our interview with the opera’s Keith Cerny.
3. Highlight: Artistic Collaboration
In the spring of 2012, the Dallas Opera and the Dallas Theater Center collaborated to produce The Lighthouse , a haunting and beautifully produced English-language chamber opera. This was by far one of TDO’s best and most innovative productions of 2012, and DTC’s artistic director Kevin Moriarty’s opera debut was a huge success. Here’s hoping for more collaborations down the road.
4. Lowlight: OperaBowl 2012
In April, The Dallas Opera made a big splash with its simulcast of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro at Cowboy’s stadium. Streaming the opera at the stadium brought opera to a huge North Texas audience for free for the first time (over 15,000 showed up). Unfortunately, terrible acoustics from stadium speakers and a lackluster production of one of the genre’s cheesiest standards ruined the experience.
5. Highlight: Fort Worth Opera’s 6th Annual Festival Proves Cowtown Knows How to Put on a Show
In May and June, the Fort Worth Opera’s 2012 festival showcased variety and quality with four productions across two venues. Mixing classic favorites by Puccini and Mozart with modern regional premiers, the festival was a true celebration of the art form.
6. Highlight: The Dallas Opera Looks Ahead
In May, The Dallas Opera announced an exciting commission. Sexy British composer Joby Talbot, who dons skinny ties and sports black-rimmed glasses and a beard (with just enough gray), will try his hand at opera for the first time with Everest, a one-act work detailing the harrowing experiences of a group of climbers during a 1996 high-altitude disaster. The opera will premier in February of 2015.
7. Lowlight: Marvin Hamlisch, the DSO’s Principle Pops Conductor, Dies.
If awards reflect talent, Hamlisch had both in droves. A multiple Grammy, Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner as well as Pulitzer Prize recipient, Hamlisch is most often remembered for his movie scores (“The Way We Were”, “Ordinary People” and “Sophie’s Choice” to name a few). The DSO’s website remembered him as “a consummate musician and composer who in many ways revolutionized theater music, film scoring and popular song.”
8. Highlight: Dallas Gets a Chamber Symphony
A big gap in Dallas’ classical music scene was filled in 2012 when the Dallas Chamber Symphony kicked off its inaugural season this fall. While still working out some freshman kinks, there is a lot of reason to hope that the DCS, lead by artistic director Richard McKay, will bring variety and innovation to Dallas’ symphonic offerings.
9. Highlight: Dallas City Performance Hall Opens
2012 brought the completion of a much-needed venue to Dallas’ increasingly attractive arts district. Located at the corner of Routh and Flora, this 750-seat auditorium is comfortable, accessible, and the perfect space for a new chamber symphony. With better-than-average acoustics, the space is ideal for dance, chamber music and solo recitals.
10. Highlight: Grammy Nod
Earlier this month, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra announced that Steven Stucky’s concert drama, August 4, 1964 has been nominated for a Grammy. The piece, which was nominated in the “Best Contemporary Classical Composition” category, was a Dallas Symphony Orchestra commission that was recorded by the DSO live in May of 2011. So what does all that mean? It means our city’s orchestra paid a guy to write a piece of music and the Grammy nominating committee digs the music.
