The Dallas Symphony announced the 2013-'14 season, which is redolent with the standard repertoire with only a hat tip to the present time and one commissioned work. This sad state of affairs is a continuation of this season's reliance on the classical top 100 list. However, change is in the air with the arrival of Jonathan Martin as the new CEO. His broad range of experience in running orchestras, from the great (Cleveland) to the nimble (Charlotte), bodes well for more engaging fare in the future.

But for now, if you are big on Beethoven, this is your year.

There will be a Beethoven festival in May, which is more extensive that this year's two-concert Mozart dust up. Music Director Jaap van Zweden will conduct performances of Beethoven's Fifth, Seventh and Ninth Symphonies. Yefim Bronfman will play the Emperor Concerto and there will be some related chamber music concerts performed by DSO principal musicians and special guests at City Performance Hall. Related activities are planned, so expect some lectures, movies and other social events. A performance of Beethoven's ever-popular Ninth Symphony will anchor the festival.

While it's not our finest hour, Dallas will honor—"celebrate" is hardly the word—the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy. On the weekend of Nov. 21-24, the DSO will present its only newly commissioned work, The World is Very Different Now, by the American composer Conrad Tao. This work will share the program with a work composed at the time, Murder of a Great Chief of State by Darius Milhaud. In a most appropriate bit of programming, Beethoven's Eroica symphony will also be on that program.

Other highlights include a most welcome appearance by pianist Alessio Bax playing Barber's Piano Concerto in late September, the return of former Music Director Andrew Litton in October, Dvorák's massive Te Deum in early November, and Verdi's even more massive Requiem in February 2014.

The gala, this year on Sept. 28, always features a big name and this year brings one of the biggest. The black-tie event will feature soprano Renée Fleming, the Metropolitan opera star and three-time Grammy Award winner.

The pops concert series will feature another of our generation's great divas, Bernadette Peters, will appear in February. The traditional Christmas celebration will return, as will the popular New Year's Eve festivities.

Here is the complete schedule, with subscription information at the bottom:

September 19-22, 2013 

Tchaikovsky's Fifth

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Annalisa Stroppa, mezzo-soprano

Symphony Orchestra

Berlioz: Les Nuits d'ete

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

September 26-27, 29, 2013

Van Zweden's Mahler

Texas Instruments Classical Series                                           

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Alessio Bax, piano 

Chen Reiss, soprano

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Barber: Piano Concerto

            Mahler: Symphony No. 4             

September 28, 2013

2013 Dallas Symphony Orchestra AT&T Gala

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Renée Fleming, soprano

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

PROGRAMMING TBD 

October 4-6, 2013

An Evening of Gershwin with the DSO

DSO Pops Series

Jeff Tyzik, conductor

Dallas Symphony Orchestra 

October 17-20, 2013

The Firebird

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Andrew Litton, conductor

Karen Gomyo, violin

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Stravinsky: Divertimento from The Fairy's Kiss

Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3

Stravinsky: The Firebird (1910, complete)

October 25-26, 2013                                                     

Hitchcock!

DSO Pops Series  

Sean O'Loughlin, conductor

Dallas Symphony Orchestra 

October 27, 2013                                                         

Thrilling Halloween Adventures

Family Concert Series

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

October 31-November 3, 2013                                                         

Dvořák's Te Deum

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Tomáš Netopil, conductor

Twyla Robinson, soprano

Weston Hurt, baritone

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dvořák: Te Deum

Suk: Fairy Tale

Dvořák: Symphony No. 8

November 8-10, 2013                                                   

A Night at the Cotton Club with the DSO

DSO Pops Series  

Jeff Tyzik, conductor

Dallas Symphony Orchestra 

November 14-17, 2013                                                 

Van Zweden's Brahms

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Arabella Steinbacher, violin

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem

            Brahms: Symphony No. 3

            Brahms: Violin Concerto

November 21-24, 2013                                                 

President John F. Kennedy Memorial Concert

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Joshua Bell, violin

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Tao: The World Is Very Different Now

            (DSO Commission in Memory of John F. Kennedy)

            Sibelius: Violin Concerto

            Milhaud: Murder of a Great Chief of State

            Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, Eroica 

December 6-8, 2013                                                     

Christmas Celebration

DSO Pops Series

Joshua Habermann, conductor

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dallas Symphony Chorus: Joshua Habermann, director

Christmas Celebration Children's Choir, Monica Awbrey, director

December 7, 2013                                                        

A DSO Family Christmas

Family Concert Series

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

December 9-10, 2013                                                   

Michael W. Smith with the DSO

Holidays at the DSO

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

December 31, 2013                                                      

New Years Eve with the DSO

Holidays at the DSO  

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

January 16-18, 2014                                                     

New World Symphony 

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Hélène Grimaud, piano

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2

            Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, From the New World

January 23-26, 2014                                                     

Brahms and Mahler 

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Matthias Goerne, baritone

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Britten: Suite on English Folk Tunes

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 

February 7-9, 2014                                                       

Bernadette Peters with the DSO

DSO Pops Series  

Thomas Hong, conductor

Dallas Symphony Orchestra 

February 14-16, 2014                                                   

Love is in the Air

DSO Pops Series  

Alasdair Neale, conductor

Dallas Symphony Orchestra 

February 20-23, 2014                                                   

Verdi's Requiem 

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Hui He, soprano

Marianne Cornetti, mezzo-soprano

David Lomeli, tenor

Orlin Anastassov, bass

Dallas Symphony Chorus: Joshua Habermann, director

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Verdi: Requiem

February 27-28, 2014   

Ravel's Bolero

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Louis Lortie, piano

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Fauré: Pelléas and Mélisande

            Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21

            Ravel: Daphnis and Chloé Suite No. 2

            Ravel: Bolero 

March 1-2, 2014

Ravel's Bolero

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Louis Lortie, piano

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Fauré: Pelléas and Mélisande

            Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21

            Ravel: Daphnis and Chloé Suite No. 2

            Ravel: Bolero

March 14-15, 2014

Music of John Denver

DSO Pops Series  

Richard Kaufman, conductor

Dallas Symphony Orchestra 

March 20-22, 2014                                                        

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Anna Fedorova, piano

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Shostakovich: Five Fragments 

            Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2

            Copland: Symphony No. 3 

March 27-30, 2014                                                        

Brahms and Chopin

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jakub Hrůša, conductor

Jan Lisiecki, piano

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Brahms: Tragic Overture

            Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2

            Dvořák: The Water Goblin

            Janáček: Sinfonietta

April 3-6, 2014                                                             

Handel's Water Music

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Ottavio Dantone, conductor/harpsichord

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Corelli: Concerto grosso Op. 6, No. 4

Gregori: Concerto grosso Op. 2, No. 2

Geminiani: Concerto grosso Op. 3, No. 4

Vivaldi: Concerto for Strings and Continuo in D minor RV128

Handel: Concerto grosso Op. 6, No. 1

Handel: Water Music Suite No. 1

Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks

April 11-12, 2014                                                          

Cirque de la Symphonie 

DSO Pops Series  

Lawrence Loh, conductor

Dallas Symphony Orchestra 

April 12, 2014                                                              

Play Along Concert

Family Concert Series

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

April 28, 2014                                                              

Beethoven and Haydn

Nathan Olson, violin

Christopher Adkins, cello

Alessio Bax, piano

            Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1

            Haydn: Piano Trio No. 39, Gypsy

            Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5, Spring

            Bruckner: Symphony No. 8

May 1-3, 5, 2014

Beethoven's Ninth˚^† 

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Alexander Kerr, violin

Nathan Olson, violin

Pretty Yende, soprano

Kate Aldrich, alto

Frank Lopardo, tenor

Oren Gradus, bass

Dallas Symphony Chorus: Joshua Habermann, director

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Beethoven: Two Romances for Violin and Orchestra

            Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Chorale

May 3, 2014

Alessio Bax and Chee-Yun^†* 

Chee-Yun, violin

Alessio Bax, piano

            Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 2

            Clementi: Keyboard Sonata in F-sharp minor, Op. 26, No. 2

            Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6

May 6, 2014

Beethoven and Schubert^†* 

Alexander Kerr, violin 

Christopher Adkins, cello

Alessio Bax, piano

            Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 4

            Schubert: Notturno in E-flat major

            Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 10

May 8-11, 2014                                                             

Bronfman Plays Emperor^† 

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Yefim Bronfman, piano

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor

            Beethoven: Symphony No. 7

May 10, 2014                                                               

Kreutzer Sonata^†* 

Alexander Kerr, violin

Nathan Olson, violin

Martin Helmchen, piano

            Beethoven: Sonata No. 7

            Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9, Kreutzer

May 15-18, 2014                                                           

Beethoven's Fifth^† 

Texas Instruments Classical Series

Jaap van Zweden, conductor

Alexander Kerr, violin

Alisa Weilerstein, cello

Martin Helmchen, piano

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

            Beethoven: Egmont Overture

            Beethoven: Triple Concerto

            Beethoven: Symphony No. 5

May 17, 2014                                                               

Beethoven's Archduke^†* 

Alexander Kerr, violin

Nathan Olson, violin

Alisa Weilerstein, cello

Martin Helmchen, piano

            Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 8

            Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 3

            Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97, Archduke                                     

June 6-8, 2014                                                             

Hollywood Hits with the DSO

DSO Pops Series

Jeff Tyzik, conductor

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

˚No Choral Terrace seating available for this performance

^▲No Front Orchestra seating available for this performance

^†This performance is part of the Beethoven Festival

*This performance will take place at City Performance Hall

Several different subscription packages are available for the DSO's 2013-2014 Texas Instruments Classical Series. 

All subscriptions will be available for sale to the general public Feb. 8, 2013. For more information and to purchase or renew subscriptions, please call 214.692.0203 or visit www.dallassymphony.com/Subscriptions. 

Single tickets will go on sale in August, 2013.