gramophone.co.uk GRAMOPHONESEPTEMBER 2019 VIISOUNDS OF AMERICAF
ewpeopleoutsidewhat’sbeendubbedtheDallas-Fort
WorthMetroplexrealisethatit’sthefourth-largest
metropolitanareaintheUnitedStates.Withmorethan
7.5millionresidentsandahealthilydiversifiedeconomy,
it’salsooneofthefastest-growing.
VisitorsarealsosurprisedtolearnthatDallas’sdowntownArts
Districthassomeofthefinestperforming-artsfacilitiesanywhere,
designedbydistinguishedarchitects,withexcellent–and
effectivelyadjustable–acoustics.TheMeyersonSymphony
Center,theonlyconcerthalldesignedbythelateIMPei,
withlushacousticsbythelateRussellJohnsonandhisArtec
Consultants,celebratesits30thbirthdaythisautumn.Adjacent
arethe10-year-oldWinspearOperaHouse,byFoster+Partners
(BobEssert,acoustician),andthe750-seatMoodyPerformance
Hall,bytheChicagoofficeofSOM(withacousticianMarkHolden),
openedin2012.Thedistrict
alsoincludesthemultiform
WylyTheatre,byRex/OMA
(JoshuaPrince-Ramoswith
RemKoolhaas),Booker
TWashingtonHighSchoolfor
thePerformingandVisualArts,theDallasMuseumofArt,the
NasherSculptureCenterandtheCrowMuseumofAsianArt.
Towatchthearea’sartssceneoverthelast 20 yearshas
beentomarvelatnewfacilities,butalsoattheartisticprogress
ofperforminggroups.Itsayssomethingaboutthedramatic
advancementoftheDallasSymphonyOrchestraundermusic
directorJaapvanZweden,from 2008 to2018,thattheDutch
conductorwassnatchedupbytheNewYorkPhilharmonic.He’ll
besucceededbyFabioLuisi,whoseEuropeancommitmentsare
requiringagradualtakeover.Luisiwillconductfiveconcertsin
2019-20andseventhefollowingseasonbeforetakingfullpossession
oftheorchestra.Already,programmingforthe2019-20season
looksconsiderablymoreinterestingthananyotherinmemory.
TheDallasOperahashaditsupsanddownsinthelast
20 yearsbutseemspoisedforanupswingundertheexperienced
IanDerrer,whotookoverasgeneraldirectorandCEOinsummer
2018.TheFrenchconductorEmmanuelVillaumecontinuesas
musicdirector.
InFortWorth, 35 mileswestofdowntownDallas,MiguelHarth-
Bedoyahastransformedtheformerlyrough-hewnFortWorth
Symphonyintoanaccomplishedensembleandprogrammedfar
moredaringlythanhisDallascounterparts.Inanareawithahuge
Latinopopulation,thePeruvian-bornconductorhasprogrammed
numerousworksbyLatinAmericancomposersandhireda
successionofLatinAmericanassistantconductors.Butafter
20 yearsincharge,hestepsdownattheendof2019-20.Thisis
anorchestraripeforgreaterinterpretativecultivation;onehopes
therightconductorispickedtotakeittothenextstage.
TheFWSOplaysinthe21-year-oldBassPerformanceHall,
amulti-purposefacilitydesignedbyDavidMSchwarzina
retardatairestyleminglingeverythingfromVienneseSecession
toartdeco,withgiantJello-mouldtrumpetingangelsonthe
facade.Acoustics,byPaul
Scarbrough,canbeadjustedfor
excellentresultswithorchestraaswellasoperaandevensolo
piano.ThehallisalsothesiteofthequadrennialVanCliburn
InternationalPianoCompetition,whosesponsoringfoundation
presentsmain-seasonconcertsthereandattheKimbellArt
MuseumandModernArtMuseumofFortWorth.FortWorth
OperapresentsmainstageproductionsatBassandsmaller-scale
worksinavarietyofalternativevenues.
FortWorthOperawasanartistic,administrativeandfinancial
messwhenDarrenKWoodstookoverasgeneraldirectorin2001.
In 16 yearshedramaticallyimprovedvocalandtheatricalstandards
andattractednationalattentionwithaseriesofworldpremieres
andothernewandoftenprovocativeoperas.Butheandtheboard
cametoapartingofwaysin2017,andthecompanyhiredTuomas
Hiltunen,who’dneverrun
anoperacompany,ashis
successor.MusicdirectorJoe
Illickwaspromotedtothe
positionofartisticdirector.
Thecompanyhascutback
productionsandstillseemstobefindingitsway.
BoththeDallasOperaandDallasSymphonyhaveinaugurated
boldnewprogrammestocultivateandpromotefemaleconductors,
who,despitelargernumberscomingoutofconservatory
conductingprogrammes,stillfacecareerobstacles.Established
in2016,theoperacompany’sLindaandMitchHartInstitute
forWomenConductorseachyearselectssixmainparticipants,
andadditionalobservers,forcoachingconductingandrehearsal
techniques,plussessionsoncareerdevelopmentandother
concerns.TheyrehearsewithprofessionalsingersandtheDallas
OperaOrchestra,andconductinapublicconcertattheendof
thetwo-weekinstitute.AmongtheleadersisNicolePaiement,
thecompany’sprincipalguestconductorsince2014.
OverlappingwiththeHartInstitute,theDSOwillinaugurate
itsownWomeninClassicalMusicSymposiuminNovember.
Itwillincludenoperformanceopportunitiesbutwilloffer
workshopsandpaneldiscussionsoncareerissues.Participants
willattendopenrehearsalsandaconcertledbytheDSO’snew
principalguestconductor,GemmaNew,fromNewZealand.
Fourotherwomenarescheduledasguestconductorsin2019-20.
TheDSOhashadanimpressivehistoryofhiringfemaleassistant
conductors,butNewisthefirstfemaleprincipalguest,ina
programmeplannedtoappointasuccessionofwomentothatpost.
Acomposer-in-residenceprogrammetopromotewomenbegan
withthe 2018 appointmentofJuliaWolfe.
LeadingtheDSO’snewinitiativesispresidentandCEOKim
Noltemy,whoarrivedat 2018 withanimpressiverésuméfrom
theBostonSymphony.KeithCerny,whoprecededDerrerat
theDallasOpera,nowheadstheFortWorthSymphony–andits
searchforanewmusicdirector.Withsomuchnewleadershipin
thearea’sleadingorchestrasandoperacompanies,staytunedfor
morechangesandnewinitiatives.A LETTER FROM allas
Scott Cantrell reports on the richly varied
musical oerings in his Texas home town
Both the Dallas Opera and Dallas
Symphony have inaugurated bold new
programmes to promote female conductors
ILLUSTRATION:PHILIP BANNISTER