D

Doug Adams Can’t Blow His Own Horn

You read how Dallas Symphony President Doug Adams spent last Thursday night greeting symphony goers with the bad news that the evening’s program, “Romance and Rachmaninoff,” had been canceled due to the snow tsunami. But what you may not know is what preceded the decision to cancel the performance.

First, think back to last Thursday when streets were starting to look like obstacle courses for dog sled teams.

Now, let’s get on with what was transpiring behind the scenes at the DSO. (more…)

Yup, Jaap Won’t Make New Year’s Concert, But Judd Will

Peter over at Frontburner has the basic details and release on Jaap, but SweetCharity understands the DSO’s golden maestro Jaap van Zweden has been bothered by his shoulder for the last few weeks. His doctor has told him to rest the ailing shoulder through the holidays. It’s not clear to the doc nor Jaap how the shoulder was injured, but rest, not surgery, is recommended. That means laying off of baton action and no New Year’s concert for Jaap.

But never fear. British-born conductor James Judd will step in to handle the New Year’s concert for the DSO.

Jaap is scheduled to return to normal DSO duties in February.

PS – Welcome aboard, Peter. It’s nice to have you in D‘s blogosphere.

DSO To Make Beautiful Music With “Masters of Film Music”

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra decided to bite off a big chunk of a project with the announcement of  Masters of Film Music, a multi-year project. It has commissioned six of today’s top film composers to create world-premiere works that will debut in 2010. The compositions will also include a multi-media career retrospective with images on a larger-than-life screen.

Making up the stable of celluloid composers are (more…)

DSO To Make “Groundbreaking” Announcement

Dallas Symphony Orchestra President Doug Adams has called folks together for a “groundbreaking” announcement this morning and “special celebrity guests.” Why do we think it’s not that Barney is going to be Jaap’s backup conductor?

Will keep you posted.

Richard Kaufman To Become DSO Pops Conductor Laureate

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra just issued an announcement that Richard Kaufman (DSO Principal Pops Conductor) will become DSO Pops Conductor Laureate as of the 2010-2011 season.

According to DSO President Doug Adams, “We are moving our Pops programming in a slightly different direction and feel it is time to change the way we look at the principal pops conductor position. We deeply value our long-standing and extremely successful relationship with Richard, and we are thrilled that he has agreed to continue this relationship with the permanent title of pops conductor laureate. We look forward to welcoming Richard back for future pops performances.”

Yipee! Jaap is Ours Until 2016, But Who’s Counting!

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Cool Head Dude Doug Adams (pictured in white collar and adorable pink tie) was all smiles tonight. And he had every right to be grinning from ear to ear.  After being the accommodating neighbor for the past weekend of Winspear and Wyly’s “Welcome to the ‘hood” festivities,  he trumped them tonight with the announcement that musical world darling,  Jaap van Zweden (pictured in brown jacket and ultra cool black shirt), had signed up to play with the DSO until 2016.

Definite job security for all involved.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Newest Board Members

After a gala and a knockout weekend performance by Jaap and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, DSO  headman Doug Adams (pictured) just announced the newest members of the symphony’s Board of Directors are Martha Mathews Corbett,  Jim Karen, Dr. James Scott, Anne Motsenbocker, Shirley McIntyre, Harriett Weidman Gibbs, Fred Reid, Heather Moore, Carlos Hernandez, Catherine Manning and Shannon Skokos.

Bravo!

Jaap Does Double Duties at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and 2009 Pegasus Ball Tonight

2009 Pegasus Ball attendees need not worry if Honorary Chair Jaap van Zweden will be in attendance tonight. As soon as he takes the DSO for another musical home run at the Meyerson, he and his lovely wife Aaltje will hussle on over to the Fairmont Hotel to help raise funds for the Autism Treatment Center.

Jaap Conducts Magic Moments Off-Stage on Opening Night

There was a murmur through the crowd gathered in the East Loge of the Meyerson last night. Surely DSO maestro and international musical hottie Jaap van Zweden would not make an appearance at the cocktail reception on the opening night of the 2009-2010 Texas Instruments Classical Series. After all, in minutes he would be leading his troops, or rather musicians, into the new season of musical magic and trying to outdo his own international reputation as the man of the baton. He was probably meditating or doing warm-ups with his fellow orchestra members.

But, no, there among the crowd of board members, media types and sponsors was a very jazzily-attired Jaap (FYI: Jaap rhymes with “lap,” not “pop”) being just  as sociable as a freshman at a rush party. The only sign that he was the BMOC was his bodyguard, or rather escort, or rather handler, blonde DSO staff member Stacie Adams (pictured with Jaap, left, and a reporter). Seamlessly she maneuvered him through the crowd, allowing him to chat long enough to be charming but not long enough to keep him from his appointed duties on stage.

Unlike his image leering down from banners and signage around town, the man in the flesh is refreshingly charming. Whether he’s being prodded by a nosy journalist about his international lifestyle or admitting that he has neither a “Blackberry nor iPhone. I just have a simple cellphone with no special ringtones,” he made each person feel like he was theirs for the evening.  But then Stacie would smile and ease him along his way to the next eager guest-in-waiting. Then all too quickly the maestro disappeared to his night job.

But never fear, the sociable types managed to carry on without JvZ. For instance, fresh new DSO board member Cathy Manning admitted that retirement has become a full-time job, thanks to her involvement on various boards. Cathy’s husband/Jones Day lawyer George Manning confessed that despite being tone deaf, he found the symphony to be inspiring. . . . DSO headman Doug Adams went over his notes about a change in the evening’s program. Instead of opening with the originally-planned  Medea’s Dance of Vengeance, the symphony would perform Adagio for Strings in memory of Dallas Symphony Chorus Director David R. Davidson, who died September 5 after a two-year battle with cancer. . . . Angus Wynne advised folks that brother Shannon Wynne’s recent engagement to longtime girlfriend Kimberly Daulton didn’t mean that wedding invitations would be mailed immediately. . . . And , while Robert Miller gave an enthusiastic though abbreviated review of Anna Karenina, he admitted that not all Russian writers were to his liking: “I tried to get through Dostoevsky, but just couldn’t.”

TACA Gala Auction Makes Spending Fun For The Performing Arts

Last night’s TACA Gala Auction was not one of those over-the-top cattle calls of Dallas’ finest 2,000.  Instead think of 250+ black-tie types at The Mansion chatting it up, supping on the likes of poached quail eggs with American caviar and chives and just having a heck of a good time. 

So you need some examples?  Tincy and Vance Miller are definitely not seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to the governor’s race.  She’s working for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and he’s backing Gov. Rick Perry. . . . When asked about the quality of playwrights today compared to yesteryear, SMU Chair of the Theater Division Cecil O’Neal immediately championed Pulitzer Prize playwright Lynn Nottage, especially her 2003 production “Intimate Apparel.” Can’t imagine the play being better than his description of it. . . . Dallas Symphony Orchestra President Doug Adams was visibly impressed by the guest list for tomorrow night’s DSO’s 20th anniversary gala. Oh, and he and wife are still doing a commuter marriage with their former home being a victim of Denver’s brutal housing market. . . . The Mansion’s Tracy Fitz revealed that the guest rooms’ total remodeling would be complete by the end of the year. Sneak peeks of the suites are a treat. You can rest easy. Management was wise enough to keep the best of the past including The Mansion’s muted peach color scheme, while adding new oh-so fabulous wow factors.

But the highpoint of the night began when the auction got under way in The Promenade. Forget staid seated auctions with silent hand waving.  No, Christie’s auctioneer Tash Perrin had herself a lively, crowded group that was hungry for deals. Why they were almost (we said almost) rowdy! Coming down from her stage with microphone in hand, blonde Tash confronted, charmed and cajoled bidders against one another. 

At one point in the auction, knockout Ann Hobson rose from the audience and took the mike from Tash and detailed one of the eight trips on the auction block. She’d been there and she knew what she was talking about. The gal really liked the place. Evidently, Scott Kimple took Ann at her word and snapped the trip up for $10,000.

Perhaps the most interesting purchase of the night was the dinner for 10 with DSO maestro Jaap van Zweden in The Mansion Wine Cellar (aka formerly known as “the fur and silver vault” of the original Sheppard King mansion). As Tash worked the crowd, there was a couple at the side bidding, comparing notes and chuckling as the price went up. They looked like two kids just having a great time with their sights set on a real treat. Finally, the deal was done and our couple landed their dinner for a cool $8,000.  Who was the couple? None other than Diane and Hal Brierley.  

But, come on. Let’s face it. The Brierleys with all their contributions and connections could have easily placed a few calls and arranged for a dinner with the DSO phenom. When asked, Diane without missing a beat said, “We did it to support the arts. That is what we’re here for. Plus it also gives us a great opportunity for us to introduce some very good folks to Jaap.”