Dallas Symphony Orchestra announces appointment of Ellie Lin as Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus Artistic Director

Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus Wraps Up Its Successful First Season

Dallas, Texas (February 16, 2023) – The Dallas Symphony Orchestra today announced the appointment of Ellie Lin as Artistic Director of the Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus (DSCC). Lin is the current Interim Artistic Director of the Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus. Lin’s artistic staff includes four other conductors and assistant conductors and an administrative team, shaping the future of the DSCC under her artistic guidance.

Born in Taiwan and raised in New York, Ellie Lin has worked with children and youth choruses for over 30 years. She currently holds the positions of High School Choir Director of High Point Academy in Fort Worth, TX, Artistic Director/Conductor of the Great Land Choral Society and a faculty member at Texas Music Conservatory.

“I feel very honored that the DSO has given me the opportunity to lead this new group. I’ve enjoyed my time with the DSCC and am excited to continue working with them,” said Lin. “I want to instill in our students a love for music, build up their confidence, and teach them a sense of teamwork through hands-on learning experiences alongside other talented singers in their age group. DSCC singers will have the extraordinary opportunity to perform regularly with the world-renowned Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Nothing can beat first-hand experiences with these best-in class musicians.”

Lin hopes “by creating harmony with other passionate and talented artists at a young age, DSCC singers will find life-long joy in achieving excellence, become compassionate and empathetic individuals who will contribute in the most meaning ways to their communities throughout their lives.”

Ellie Lin’s choirs have concertized in Austria, Germany, China, Taiwan, Argentina and almost every state in the United States. With the Texas Boys Choir, Lin has performed before U.S. Presidents, in several CD recordings, on national radio stations and TV programs and on a 28-day, 14-city concert tour in China. She is in high demand as a piano teacher and collaborative pianist, and has professional affiliations with the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), Texas Choral Directors Association (TCDA) and National Music Teachers Association (NMTA).

“Ellie has done a wonderful job with our students so far,” said Katie McGuinness, Wildenthal Families Vice President of Artistic Operations at the DSO. “Her tenure with choirs across the globe makes her a perfect fit for this new endeavor.”

The DSO announced the creation of the Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus in April 2022, expanding the educational offerings of the organization. The DSCC is a multi-tiered choral curriculum for grades 4-12, and is comprised currently of three ensembles. The organization provides young singers with knowledge and skills to further their singing talent, with opportunities to work with world renowned artists and the DSO and to sing regularly on the stage of the Meyerson Symphony Center.

Starting off strong with a once-in-a-lifetime performance, the DSCC debuted with the DSO in October for the U.S. premiere of The Way of the Rain – Hope for the Earth, a multidisciplinary environmental performance narrated by Robert Redford and presented in partnership with EarthX. Students were honored to be a part of the production.

“Our first concert was a truly transformative experience,” said Barrett Knetsch, eighth grader in the DSCC.

The chorus will host a standalone concert on Sunday, April 30, 2023. They will join Music Director Fabio Luisi and the DSO in the highly anticipated Carmina Burana concerts on May 11-14, 2023. This concert wraps up an impactful inaugural season that included performances alongside the DSO in Solo en casa, and the Dallas favorite, Dallas Symphony Christmas Pops. The DSCC held successful auditions on December 17, 2022, and will hold auditions again in May 2023 in preparation for the 2023/24 season.

The DSCC continues its exciting streak through the next years. Several DSO performances in the 2023/24 season will feature the DSCC, and the chorus will join the orchestra at the annual Gala on Saturday, September 30, 2023.

Sobre la Orquesta Sinfónica de Dallas
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of Music Director Fabio Luisi, presents more than 150 orchestra concerts 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 outreach initiatives. The orchestra offers more than 200 outdoor chamber concerts in neighborhoods throughout Dallas each year, as well as continuing online music lessons to more than 700 students as part of its Young Strings and Young Musicians programs.

The Dallas Symphony has used digital and broadcast media to share music beyond its geographic boundaries and has become a leader among American orchestras in digital distribution. In 2021, the DSO presented a three-concert broadcast series with Bloomberg Media, reaching over 5 million viewers globally. In October 2021, PBS stations across the country began airing Una sinfonía, dos orquestas, a program that documented the historic May 2021 performance of Mahler’s First Symphony, a Luisi-led collaboration between the DSO and musicians from The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in. That program was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in May 2022. The DSO also captures and streams concert performances for distribution online through its Next Stage Digital Concert Series, Presented by PNC Bank. Programs are available on the DSO’s website at watch.dallassymphony.org.

La DSO tiene una tradición que se remonta a 1900 y es una piedra angular del exclusivo distrito artístico de 118 acres del centro de Dallas, que alberga múltiples salas de artes escénicas, museos y parques, el mayor distrito de este tipo en el país. La DSO se financia, en parte, con fondos de la Oficina de Arte y Cultura de la ciudad de Dallas.

Contactos con los medios de comunicación:

Denise McGovern | Vicepresidenta de Comunicación y Medios | Orquesta Sinfónica de Dallas
d.mcgovern@dalsym.com | 214.871.4024

Sidney Hopkins | Director de Comunicación y Medios | Orquesta Sinfónica de Dallas
s.hopkins@dalsym.com | 214.871.4063