Dallas’ most glamorous music lovers turned out in style on October 4 for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s 2025 Symphony Gala, a glittering, celestial garden-themed fête celebrating the DSO’s milestone 125th anniversary.
The gala drew more than 400 dinner guests for cocktails, dinner, and a lively auction, with another 800 arriving later for the concert and after-party. The event, one of the DSO’s largest fundraisers, helps bring the magic of music to more than 200,000 North Texans each year through programs that nurture young musicians and bring free performances to neighborhoods across the city.
David Cain, Vanessa Cain, Michelle Miller Burns, Gary Burns, Marena Gault, Roger Gault.Photo by Tamytha Cameron
Leading the evening’s festivities were gala chairs Vanessa and David Cain, with honorary co-chairs Erin Mathews and Ruth Ruhl and host committee chairs Dr. Courtney and Andrew Nall.
Among the glittering crowd were Allison and Brett Brodnax, Marena and Roger Gault, Grace Cook, Kim and Greg Hext, Myrna and Robert Schlegel, Lisa and Bob Segert, Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfeld, and Herb and Donna Weitzman, as well as Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno and City Council Members Paul Ridley and Zarin Gracey.
The Meyerson lobby was nearly unrecognizable thanks to David Kimmel Design, which transformed the iconic space into a lush, futuristic garden glowing with ethereal mist, shimmering water features, and floral-inspired light installations. As guests arrived, the Dallas Symphony Chorus serenaded from the grand staircase, filling the soaring space with harmonies that set the tone for a transcendent evening ahead.
David Kimmel Design transformed the Meyerson lobby into a celestial garden. Photo by Tamytha Cameron
Bubbles flowed freely during the champagne reception before guests moved to dinner, where Sotheby’s auctioneer Charlie Caulkins led a spirited live auction featuring dreamy luxury getaways. Hot-ticket items included a Napa Valley wine country escape, a Porsche driving experience in Atlanta, and stays at the Four Seasons in Vail and the Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid.
A highlight of the evening came when Capital One head of navigator products Annie Fallows presented Elias Gonzalez, a student from the DSO’s Young Strings program, with the inaugural Capital One Outstanding Student Award. The $5,000 scholarship recognizes exceptional musical talent and dedication, and will help Gonzalez further his studies through new instruments, masterclasses, or college opportunities.
After dinner, guests made their way into the Eugene McDermott Concert Hall, where DSO president and CEO Michelle Miller Burns, DSA board chair Roger Gault, and the Cains welcomed the crowd with heartfelt remarks. Burns thanked attendees and recognized the Eugene McDermott Foundation for sponsoring the 125th Anniversary Gala in loving memory of Morton H. Meyerson, the beloved namesake of the symphony center.
Fabio Luisi leads the DSO and artist-in-residence Leonidas Kavakos in Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto.”Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
Then it was time for the main performance. Music director Fabio Luisi led the orchestra alongside artist-in-residence Leonidas Kavakos in a breathtaking program featuring Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture” and Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto.” The Beethoven selection carried special resonance — it was first performed by the DSO under the legendary Georg Solti during his debut as music director in 1961.
When the final notes faded, guests weren’t ready for the night to end. The Meyerson lobby had once again transformed, this time into a dreamy, futuristic “soiree in the celestial garden.” Guests grazed on late-night savories and sweets before taking to the dance floor, where Groove Sinfonico, featuring DSO trumpet star Elmer Churampi, kept the energy high well into the night.
As the celebration wrapped up for the evening, the Cains reminded guests to mark their calendars: The 2026 Symphony Gala will take place September 26, chaired by Allison and Brett Brodnax.