Dallas Symphony

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Dallas Symphony: straight from the record, with a little room to breathe. Now, every great thing has a before. And before the Dallas Symphony became one of the nation's premiere orchestral ensembles, before it had a Symphony Center, before it had conductors folks would call prominent, it had a club.

The year was 1899. A group of people in Dallas decided that this city deserved something grand, something that would fill a room with sound and make you feel like the world was bigger than it looked from the street. So they formed the Dallas Symphony Club.

And that sounds like the beginning of something, doesn't it? It sounds like the first note of a long, long song. But it wasn't.

Not yet. That early effort was short-lived. The club faded.

The dream went quiet. Then came 1911. And this time, Dallas meant business.

The city's first professional orchestra was established under the Dallas Symphony Orchestra name, and that, friends, was the note that held. Led over the years by a number of prominent conductors, the orchestra grew into something the city wrapped its arms around. It became an integral part of Dallas's cultural life.

Not a luxury. Not a curiosity. A part of the city.

And the story kept building. In 1989, the Dallas Symphony moved into a new Symphony Center, a home worthy of what the orchestra had become. From a short-lived club in 1899 to a new home ninety years later, and a place among the nation's premiere orchestral ensembles.

Twelve years to get it started. Decades to make it matter. That's not a short story; that's a symphony.

What the marker says

The Dallas Symphony Early efforts to establish a symphony orchestra in Dallas began in 1899 with the formation of the Dallas Symphony Club. It was a short-lived effort, but in 1911 the city's first professional orchestra was established under the Dallas Symphony Orchestra name. Led by a number of prominent conductors over the years, the orchestra has served the community and has become an integral part of the city's cultural life and one of the nation's premiere orchestral ensembles. The Dallas Symphony moved into a new Symphony Center in 1989. 1993