Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Company type	Nonprofit organization
Industry	Music, Performing arts
Founded	December 19, 1887; 138 years ago in Detroit, Michigan, United States
Headquarters	Detroit, United States
Area served	Metro Detroit and beyond
Key people	Jader Bignamini (Music Director), Enrico Lopez-Yañez (Principal Pops Conductor), Tabita Berglund (Principal Guest Conductor), Na'Zir McFadden (Assistant Conductor), Erik Rӧnmark (President and CEO)
Products	Symphonic concerts, recordings, educational programs, digital broadcasts
Website	www.dso.org

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is a prominent American orchestra located in Detroit, Michigan. Its main performance space is Orchestra Hall, situated within the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown district. The current music director is Jader Bignamini, while Enrico Lopez-Yañez holds the position of Principal Pops Conductor. Additionally, Tabita Berglund serves as Principal Guest Conductor, and Na'Zir McFadden fulfills the role of assistant conductor. Past leaders of the orchestra include Leonard Slatkin, who now holds the title of music director laureate, and Neeme Järvi, designated as music director emeritus.

Origins and Development

The orchestra’s inaugural subscription concert took place on December 19, 1887, at the Detroit Opera House, with Rudolph Speil conducting. Following a succession of conductors, Hugo Kalsow directed the ensemble from 1900 until its disbandment in 1910. The orchestra was revived in 1914 after ten Detroit socialites each donated $100 and secured an additional 100 subscribers. For this reestablishment, Boston church organist Weston Gales was appointed music director, leading the first concert on February 26, 1914.

In 1918, Russian pianist Ossip Gabrilowitsch assumed the role of music director and significantly raised the orchestra’s stature. A key condition of his leadership was the creation of a new concert hall; consequently, Orchestra Hall was erected within just four months in 1919. The DSO made history in 1922 by delivering the first-ever radio broadcast of a symphony concert worldwide, conducted by Gabrilowitsch with guest soloist pianist Artur Schnabel. Gabrilowitsch remained at the helm until his passing in 1936. Between 1934 and 1942, the orchestra was regularly featured on the nationally broadcast radio program The Ford Sunday Evening Hour.

During the economic hardships of the Great Depression, financial difficulties compelled the orchestra to relocate from Orchestra Hall to the Masonic Temple Theatre in 1939. The DSO experienced two disbandments during the 1940s and underwent several venue changes before establishing itself at Music Hall in 1946 and subsequently moving to Ford Auditorium in 1956, where it remained for 33 years. Under the direction of Paul Paray, the orchestra achieved national acclaim through more than seventy award-winning recordings produced with Mercury Records. Later music directors included Sixten Ehrling, Aldo Ceccato, Antal Doráti, and Günther Herbig.

In the 1960s, members of the DSO contributed string arrangements to numerous iconic Motown Records tracks under concertmaster Gordon Staples. Working alongside Motown’s rhythm section known as the Funk Brothers, these musicians formed the ensemble called the San Remo Golden Strings, which scored two charting singles: "Hungry for Love" (#3 on Billboard Adult Contemporary) and "I'm Satisfied" (#89 on U.S. Pop charts). In 1966, DSO musicians were featured recording with The Supremes for an ABC documentary performing "My World Is Empty Without You." The San Remo Golden Strings released two albums on Motown’s Gordy label: "Hungry for Love" (1967) and "Swing" (1968).

To nurture young musicians, the DSO founded the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra in 1970 under Paul Freeman’s leadership.

The Neeme Järvi Period

Following a two-decade-long restoration, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra made its return to Orchestra Hall in 1989. Additional improvements finalized in 2003 included a $60 million expansion that introduced a recital hall and an education wing, collectively known as the Max M. Fisher Music Center. The DSO campus further expanded in 2004 with the addition of the Detroit School of Arts, a specialized high school dedicated to fine arts.

From 1990 until 2005, Neeme Järvi held the position of music director, marking the second-longest leadership span in the orchestra’s history. He currently carries the honorary title of music director emeritus. Upon his departure, Peter Oundjian was appointed as principal guest conductor and artistic advisor, serving from 2006 through 2008.

Leonard Slatkin's Tenure

After an extensive five-year search process, Leonard Slatkin was named the twelfth music director of the DSO on October 7, 2007. In February 2010, Slatkin agreed to extend his contract through the 2012–2013 season and accepted a pay cut to help alleviate financial pressures faced by the orchestra. His contract was further prolonged in December 2014, extending his leadership through the 2017–2018 season. Starting with the 2018–2019 season, Slatkin transitioned to the role of music director laureate, becoming the first former DSO director to be honored with this distinction.

Musicians’ Strike During 2010–2011 and Its Consequences

On October 4, 2010, a labor conflict prompted DSO musicians to initiate a strike. After management presented a final proposal that was rejected, the remainder of the 2010–2011 season was suspended on February 19, 2011. Following six months of negotiations, an agreement was reached on April 3, 2011. Performances resumed on April 9 with a weekend featuring free concerts alongside tickets priced at $20. The orchestra adopted similar patron-friendly pricing for the subsequent 2011–12 season, setting most classical concert tickets at $15 or $25.

Reflecting on the strike’s anniversary, violinist Marian Tanau, representing musicians on the negotiating committee, remarked that key members had left and there was increased dependence on substitutes, leading to a modest decline in performance quality. He also noted a significant wage reduction of approximately 30% and diminished prestige that impeded the DSO’s ability to recruit top-tier artists.

Following these events, the DSO restructured under an initiative called OneDSO, which broadened community outreach and enhanced digital engagement. The Neighborhood Series attracted new audiences across multiple venues in metro Detroit, contributing to nearly a quarter increase in subscription numbers between 2011 and 2014.

Recent Developments

In 2013, after an absence of 17 years, the DSO returned to Carnegie Hall for participation in the Spring for Music Festival. By January 2014, all parties including the board, musicians, and management reached consensus on a new three-year contract well before the previous one expired.

In June 2018, Jader Bignamini stepped in as an emergency guest conductor and subsequently returned in October 2019. He was officially named music director starting with the 2020–2021 season under an initial six-year agreement. In December 2023, his contract was extended through the 2030–2031 season alongside announcements regarding plans to record Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony, scheduled for release in March 2025.

October 2023 saw Enrico Lopez-Yañez appointed as Principal Pops Conductor, succeeding Jeff Tyzik, who had held this position since 2013.

Tabita Berglund guest-conducted in January 2023 and was subsequently appointed principal guest conductor beginning with the 2024–2025 season under a four-year contract. She is noted as the first woman to occupy this role within the DSO.

Anne Parsons served as president and CEO from 2004 until her passing in March 2022. Her successor, Erik Rӧnmark, was announced in December 2021 and officially took over leadership duties in March 2022.

Media activities

On April 10, 2011, the DSO introduced Live from Orchestra Hall, marking the first-ever complimentary webcast series by an orchestra, delivering classical performances globally during weekends. This initiative extended to mobile platforms on October 9, 2010, through the DSO to Go application available for both iOS and Android devices. These broadcasts have attracted over 550,000 viewers from more than 100 countries. Additionally, on October 7, 2012, the DSO streamed its inaugural Pops concert, Cirque de la Symphonie, which was simultaneously displayed on the building’s exterior in a "MaxCast" public viewing event.

The orchestra's discography includes releases under labels such as Victor, London, Decca, Mercury, RCA, Chandos, PENTATONE, and its proprietary DSO imprint. Notably, its recording of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring was the first CD to receive the Grand Prix du Disque award. More recent recordings produced for Naxos feature compositions by Rachmaninoff, Copland, and John Williams. Since 2010, George Blood Audio and Video has undertaken the digitization of archival recordings dating back to the 1959–1960 season.

Music directors

Weston Gales (1914–1917)
Ossip Gabrilowitsch (1918–1936)
Franco Ghione (1936–1940)
Victor Kolar (1940–1942)
Karl Krueger (1944–1949)
Paul Paray (1951–1962)
Sixten Ehrling (1963–1973)
Aldo Ceccato (1973–1977)
Antal Doráti (1977–1981)
Günther Herbig (1984–1990)
Neeme Järvi (1990–2005)
Leonard Slatkin (2008–2018)
Jader Bignamini (2020–present)

Sources

Gavrilovich, Peter and Bill McGraw. The Detroit Almanac, Detroit Free Press (2000).
Heiles, Ann Mischakoff. America's Concertmasters. Harmonie Park (2007).
Woodford, Arthur M. This is Detroit 1701–2001. Wayne State University Press (2001).

External links