Dallas Symphony Orchestra Announces 2025 Symphony Gala Chairs: Vanessa and David Cain
The DSO’s annual gala is Saturday, October 4, 2025
The black-tie event features a performance by the DSO and Artist-in-Residence Leonidas Kavakos (violin) conducted by Music Director Fabio Luisi (Louise W. & Edmund J. Kahn Music Directorship)
DALLAS (March 25, 2025) – The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) welcomes Vanessa and David Cain as Gala Chairs for the DSO’s 2025 Symphony Gala. The Symphony Gala is the DSO’s largest annual fundraising event, benefiting the orchestra’s education and community outreach initiatives. The black-tie event features a cocktail reception, elegant, seated dinner and Gala Concert performed by the DSO, as well as the Gala After-Party with savories, desserts and dancing.
Vanessa and David Cain said: “Music has the power to inspire, connect and transform lives unlike anything else, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra is at the heart of that in our community. It is our great honor to serve as Gala Chairs for this year’s Symphony Gala. We have been long-time supporters of the DSO, and we’re thrilled to expand our involvement by leading the charge for one of their most impactful fundraising events. The DSO’s work in the community and through education outreach keeps the arts thriving in our city, and we couldn’t be more excited to be part of it.”
Vanessa and David Cain both grew up in Dallas attending DSO concerts, a tradition they have continued with their two young children, Lola (age 6) and Abe (age 5). The Cains are enthusiastic advocates for the DSO, and Vanessa has served as a member of the DSO’s Board of Governors since 2021. The couple has also served on previous DSO Gala Host Committees. David is Vice President at renowned real estate firm Hall Group, and Vanessa is a Family Nurse Practitioner specializing in Cardiology.
“We are delighted to have Vanessa and David at the helm this year and look forward to working with them on the 2025 Symphony Gala.” said Michelle Miller Burns, DSO’s Ross Perot President & CEO. “The Gala is always a spectacular evening of music and celebration, but this year will be truly special, as we commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra – honoring not just our tradition of artistic excellence but also our role as a vital force in the community. The DSO is committed to enriching the lives of North Texans for generations through our education and outreach initiatives.”
The 2025 Symphony Gala will feature a concert by Music Director Fabio Luisi and the DSO, with newly announced Artist-in-Residence Leonidas Kavakos in the spotlight for a program that honors the DSO’s 125th anniversary. The one-hour concert, sponsored by Capital One, will open with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, which the legendary Sir Georg Solti conducted at the first subscription concert of his tenure as Music Director in the early 1960s at the DSO’s then-home venue, McFarlin Memorial Auditorium at SMU. The concert will culminate in a performance of Tchaikovsky’s glorious Violin Concerto with Kavakos as soloist.
Full-evening Gala tickets start at $1,500 each and include the pre-concert reception, dinner, premium concert hall seating and the After-Party experience. For information about full Gala tickets, table purchases and Gala sponsorships, call Denton Bricker, Director of Events and Volunteer Services at 214.871.4011 or email Gala@DalSym.com.
Gala Concert and After-Party tickets, which do not include the pre-concert reception or dinner, start at $52 (including all fees) and will be available in May 2025. Visit DallasSymphony.org/Gala for more information.
##
ABOUT THE DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of Music Director Fabio Luisi (Louise W. & Edmund J. Kahn Music Directorship), presents more than 150 orchestra concerts each year at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, one of the world’s top-rated concert halls. As the largest performing arts organization in the Southwest, the DSO is committed to inspiring the broadest possible audience with distinctive classical programs, inventive pops concerts and innovative multi-media presentations. As part of its commitment to the community, the orchestra reaches more than 243,000 adults and children annually through performances, educational programs and community engagement initiatives. The orchestra offers more than 200 chamber concerts in neighborhoods throughout Dallas each year, as well as music lessons to more than 1,500 students as part of its Young Strings and Kim Noltemy Young Musicians programs.The DSO has a tradition dating back to 1900 and is a cornerstone of the unique, 118-acre Arts District in Downtown Dallas that is home to multiple performing arts venues, museums and parks – the largest district of its kind in the nation. The DSO is supported, in part, by funds from the Office of Arts & Culture, City of Dallas. For more information, visit dallassymphony.org.
ABOUT VANESSA BURKMAN CAIN
Vanessa Cain has been a Dallas Symphony Orchestra Board Member since 2021, holding a seat on the Development Committee and promoting The DSO Social. Vanessa loves planning social activities around DSO concerts where new and old friends can gather to attend curated concerts throughout the seasons. Vanessa’s lifelong passion for music is one of her defining features. Her parents began taking her to DSO performances at an early age. Vanessa’s exposure to the grand soundscapes of the DSO sparked love for a diverse range of musical genres. Vanessa is equally at home in a second-line parade at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival as she is at the Meyerson. She enjoys any live musical opportunity to connect both friends and strangers through the transformative power of performance. Vanessa is a Family Nurse Practitioner specializing in Cardiology, holding nursing degrees from Pace University in New York & Texas Woman’s University in Dallas, and a BA from the University of Vermont in both Anthropology and Latin American Studies. Vanessa is the mother of two adorable children, Lola (6) and Abe (5), and lives in Preston Hollow with her husband David, her teenage sweetheart. Vanessa is a passionate caregiver in every sense, and an enthusiastic advocate for the Symphony, particularly when it comes to community outreach programs for children and young people.
ABOUT DAVID CAIN
David Cain brings an international perspective to Dallas. He spent formative school years in Vienna, Austria, attending The American International School. “How can you spend time in Austria,” David asks, “without developing a love of classical music?” Professionally, David is Vice President at renowned real estate firm Hall Group, managing a commercial real estate portfolio of office, residential and hospitality properties. He spent a decade in the finance wing of the company capitalizing high profile construction projects across the country. David spent the previous decade in Napa Valley wine operations and sales at the award-winning Hall Winery. “I take great pride in having planted rows of grapes with my hands” says David. David is a proud father of two and husband to Vanessa Burkman Cain. In addition to sporting events, the Cain family regularly attends performances at the Meyerson. Their kids’ recent favorite was the DSO-accompanied Harry Potter movie score. David has a BA in International Relations from USC and an MBA from UC Davis. He and Vanessa grew up in Dallas attending St. Marks and Hockaday schools.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Chelsey Norris, Director of Communications
c.norris@dalsym.com | 214.871.4063