As reported by Musical America, the beleaguered Met Opera Orchestra is joining the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) for performances of Mahler’s First Symphony on Apr. 30 and May 1 at Meyerson Symphony Hall in Dallas. The Met’s group of musicians, led at home in New York by Canadian conductor and their Music Director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, has been shut out by their home company, and put on furlough since the beginning of the pandemic. Nézet-Séguin recently spoke out against their treatment by Metropolitan Opera.
Fabio Luisi conducting the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Photo: Sylvia Elzafon
It was DSO’s Music Director, Fabio Luisi who discussed the possibility of working with the Met Opera Orchestra with DSO CEO and President Kim Noltemy, wondering how they could help out the Met players. One can’t help but observe with a touch of irony that the shining knight in this scenario, Luisi, was the Met Opera Orchestra’s principal guest conductor in 2010-11 and thereafter, its principal conductor until 2017. When the Met was looking for a new Music Director to succeed James Levine, Luisi was rumored to be in contention for the position. No doubt his close relationship with the orchestra helped spur on this collaboration in Dallas.
50 Met musicians will travel to Dallas on Apr. 28 for rehearsals with their Dallas colleagues. Limited audiences of 500 will watch the concerts live, and they will be recorded for streaming in May.
Read Susan Elliot’s full story here.
Arts writer, administrator and singer Gianmarco Segato is Associate Artist Manager for opera with Dean Artists Management. He was Editorial Director of Opera Canada Publications from 2017-2022 and previous to that, Adult Programs Manager with the Canadian Opera Company.
