Dallas Symphony Orchestra opens new archives reading room at Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center
READING ROOM, LOCATED ON THE LOWER LEVEL BY THE GUEST SERVICES CENTER, SHOWCASES MATERIALS, DOCUMENTS AND PERFORMANCES FROM THE ORCHESTRA’S HISTORY
LAUNCH OF READING ROOM INCLUDES SELECTED MATERIALS ON LOAN FROM THE ARCHIVES OF MORTON H. MEYERSON
OPENING OF SPACE MARKS THE FIRST STEP IN REVIVING THE ORCHESTRA’S ARCHIVES COLLECTION
Dallas, Texas (February 9, 2023) – The Dallas Symphony Orchestra today announced the opening of a new archives reading room in the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The reading room is located on the lower level of the hall near the Guest Services Center in the space previously occupied by the Symphony Store. Visitors to the reading room can peruse historical documents, read past program books, view pieces of memorabilia and enjoy rotating exhibits from the DSO’s history. In addition, archival news programs, interviews with artists, and past audio and video performances will be available on a dedicated monitor in the area. The reading room is made possible with support from Joanne Bober, Diane and Hal Brierley, Yon Jorden and Cece Smith and Ford Lacy.
The archives of Morton H. Meyerson has generously loaned a number of documents from his permanent collection to open the reading room. Visitors may view original acoustical sketches and recommendations for the Eugene McDermott Concert Hall, historic press clippings from the launch and correspondence to and from Mr. Meyerson regarding the construction of the Meyerson Symphony Center.
“The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has a rich history since its launch in 1900. I was surprised when I arrived that a formal archives had not been perpetuated at the organization,” said Kim Noltemy, Ross Perot President & CEO of the Dallas Symphony. “We are thankful that we now have the support to launch a full archival program and display fascinating pieces from our history to the public.”
The reading room is the first step in a larger archival program led by Denise McGovern, Vice President of Communications & Media, and Karen Schnackenberg, Principal Librarian (Jessie D. & E. B. Godsey Chair). Schnackenberg’s 32-year tenure at the DSO has provided her with a keen knowledge of the history of the organization and the personnel who made events happen. She worked closely with the Dallas Public Library in the early 2000s to gather the large collection of materials that is currently housed at the Central Library. McGovern’s experience in media drew her to find a method to exhibit audio and visual materials that showcase the performances from the ensemble’s history. McGovern and Schnackenberg have worked together for the last three years to gather assets, organize materials and cull the permanent collection in storage the Dallas Public Library to set a foundation for the revived DSO archives.
“I knew that the reading room needed a way to listen and watch the concerts we have performed throughout our history and present media that wasn’t on paper,” said McGovern. “Visitors to the room at launch will be able to view news broadcasts from the opening of the Meyerson, listen to Eduardo Mata’s final performance as Music Director of the DSO, view Fabio Luisi’s first concert after being named Music Director and watch interviews with past orchestra members.”
The work to mine the current archives revealed a stark issue. Hundreds of performances of the DSO are trapped on obsolete media, and without an effort to extract them, the performances will be lost. Thanks to a generous grant from the Summerlee Foundation, an organization dedicated to the preservation of Texas history, the DSO has been able to begin to digitize the audio catalog and preserve the audio history for future generations. This initiative has just begun, and key performances from this preservation process will be available for listening in the reading room in the future.
“This is a evolving project, but an important one for the DSO,” said Noltemy. “Our current performances, initiatives and programs are built on the work that was done in the past by hundreds of musicians, supporters and audience members. I look forward to learning more about the incredible history of the DSO and sharing it with the citizens of Dallas.”
SOBRE LA ORQUESTA SINFÓNICA DE DALLAS
La Orquesta Sinfónica de Dallas, bajo el liderazgo del Director Musical Fabio Luisi, presenta música orquestal de clase mundial en el Centro Sinfónico Morton H. Meyerson, una de las salas de conciertos mejor valoradas del mundo. Como la mayor organización de artes escénicas del suroeste, la DSO se compromete a inspirar al mayor número posible de personas con programas clásicos distintivos, conciertos pop inventivos y presentaciones multimedia innovadoras. En cumplimiento de su compromiso con la comunidad, la orquesta llega anualmente a más de 243.000 adultos y niños a través de actuaciones, programas educativos e iniciativas de alcance comunitario. Durante la pandemia, la Sinfónica de Dallas fue una de las pocas orquestas importantes de EE.UU. que presentó conciertos con público en directo durante la temporada 2020/21. Además, la orquesta ha ofrecido más de 200 conciertos de cámara al aire libre en barrios de todo el Metroplex desde el verano. La DSO continuó con las clases de música en línea a más de 300 estudiantes como parte de sus programas de Cuerdas Jóvenes y Jóvenes Músicos.
La Sinfónica de Dallas ha utilizado los medios digitales y de radiodifusión para compartir la música más allá de sus fronteras geográficas y se ha convertido en líder entre las orquestas estadounidenses en la distribución digital. En 2021, la DSO presentó una serie de transmisiones de tres conciertos con Bloomberg Media, llegando a más de 4 millones de espectadores en todo el mundo. En octubre de 2021, las emisoras de PBS de todo el país empezaron a emitir One Symphony, Two Orchestras, un programa que documentaba el histórico concierto de la Primera Sinfonía de Mahler con la DSO y los músicos de The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra en mayo de 2021. Ese programa fue nominado para un Daytime Emmy Award en mayo de 2022. La DSO también captura y transmite las actuaciones de los conciertos para su distribución en línea a través de su Next Stage Digital Concert Series, Presented by PNC Bank. Los programas están disponibles en el sitio web de la DSO en 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 | Vicepresidente de Comunicaciones y Medios de Comunicación | d.mcgovern@dalsym.com
Sidney Hopkins | Director de Comunicación y Medios de Comunicación | s.hopkins@dalsym.com