DSO on the go

Dallas Symphony's Concert Truck hits the road for free outdoor shows in May and June

The Concert Truck will hit more than two dozen locations this spring.

Photo courtesy of The Concert Truck

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra's Concert Truck is on the road again, bringing mobile concerts to more than 30 locations around the city in May and June.

A favorite pandemic-time pivot from 2020, the Concert Truck is a 16-foot mobile box truck converted into a fully functioning concert hall on wheels - complete with lights, sound system, and piano. Musicians and soloists arrive, set up, and give performances from the truck's stage outdoors.

From May 17 to June 11, the Concert Truck will visit more than two dozen Dallas locations, from Klyde Warren Park and NorthPark Center to local hospitals and residential communities. Each concert will be free, family-friendly, and last no more than 60 minutes.

The complete Concert Truck schedule can be found here .

Concerts kick off 2:30 pm Wednesday, May 17 at The Landon at Lake Highlands, followed by a performance at 6:15 pm at Highland Park Library.

Pianists Susan Zhang and Nick Luby founded the Concert Truck in 2016 as a mobile concert stage that could take classical chamber music directly to communities, and they travel all over the United States. They first took up residence with the DSO during the 2020 holiday season and have returned to Dallas for four more residencies.

Dallas performances will feature Zhang and Luby, as well as DSO musicians in small configurations – from solo violin to brass combo. Audiences this spring can expect to hear works by Amy Beach, Johannes Brahms, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, Robert and Clara Schumann, Maurice Ravel, and more, they say.

“We are thrilled to partner once again with The Concert Truck, continuing our ability to bring fantastic music out of the Meyerson and into Dallas communities,” says Kim Noltemy, Ross Perot President & CEO of the Dallas Symphony, in a release. “Our time with The Concert Truck remains a programming highlight and I hope to see many faces – new and familiar – this summer at our performances.”

To keep up with the Concert Truck, visit dallassymphony.org

symphony concerts

Budget Cuts

Funding cuts force Dallas Children's Theater to trim 2025-26 season

Dallas Children's Theater presents James and the Giant Peach

Photo courtesy of Dallas Children's Theater

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The upcoming 2025-26 season for Dallas Children's Theater is shrinking, according to a new communication from its leadership.

A June 2 email signed by executive director Samantha Turner, board president Leah Mora, and recently appointed artistic director Emily Ernst informs supporters that due to "the significant financial challenges of the current environment," DCT will be reducing the upcoming season from five mainstage shows to three.

The email doesn't specifically call out the government's cuts to arts funding, but it is heavily implied, especially since other theaters have recently experienced financial difficulties due to the federal cuts.

"We remain deeply committed to artistic excellence and to the 90,000 young people and families we serve annually," reads the email. "Though we will have fewer performances, we will continue to provide meaningful theatrical experiences that inspire children, nurture their imagination, and encourage connection with the world around them."

The 2025-26 will retain the previously announced world premiere of The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! (November 22-December 21, 2025), as well as The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (January 24-February 22, 2026) and Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey (March 27-29, 2026), and add a new developmental workshop envisioned by Ernst.

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley and Jungalbook will no longer be produced, and ticket-holders will be receiving instructions on ticket options.

DCT Academy classes, a vital part of the theater’s work, will continue through the summer, concluding August 8. After that, Academy sessions will be temporarily paused. Families enrolled for the fall semester will receive a separate email with next steps.

"Although our performances are well attended and our community support is strong, ticket sales cover only a small portion of the true cost of producing theater," the email explains. "At the same time, our operating costs have steadily increased while funding levels have remained flat. This financial pressure requires immediate action to keep DCT viable — not just for this season, but for the years ahead."

Tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now.

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