Idina Menzel helps Dallas Symphony Gala defy gravity and raise $1.3M

WHAT: 2026 Dallas Symphony Orchestra Symphony Gala

WHERE: Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

THE 411: The Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s annual black-tie gala - led by chairs Allison and Brett Brodnax and honorary chairs Linda L. Burk and John R. Gilmore - raised a record $1.3 million to support music education, community engagement, and artistic initiatives across North Texas.

More than 550 guests attended the sold-out dinner on September 25, held beneath a canopy of gold branches in the Meyerson lobby and themed “Harvest Rhapsody.”

The evening began with a cocktail reception, and continued with dinner and the main event - a gala concert featuring Broadway star Idina Menzel with the DSO.

Conducted by Enrico Lopez-Yañez, the concert featured Menzel singing favorites from Rent, Wicked, and Frozen. In a sweet moment, she invited three young girls from the audience onstage to sing with her. An appropriate gesture as the gala supports DSO programs that bring music to more than 200,000 adults and children annually.

A post-concert after-party kept the energy up for those who weren't quite ready to end the celebrations yet.