Music Makers

Dallas Symphony Orchestra
  • 5.0 (6)
  • PERFORMING ARTS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Music Makers is your ultimate backstage pass to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Join host Chelsey Norris each week to hear directly from a DSO Music Maker and discover what makes them tick… Or pluck. Or bow. You get it. These are the stories that don’t make it into the concert programs or social media feeds. This is your chance to meet the real people who make the music happen on stage and off.

Episodes

  1. Shira Samuels-Shragg (DSO Assistant Conductor)

    2D AGO

    Shira Samuels-Shragg (DSO Assistant Conductor)

    In today’s episode, you’ll meet the DSO’s Assistant Conductor, Shira Samuels-Shragg, who, at the time of recording this interview, had just finished her first season with us. A big part of Shira’s job is acting as a cover conductor, a kind of understudy who can step in should anything happen to the scheduled conductor. Shira shares what she’s learned in her first season with the DSO and what she’s looking forward to doing next, as well as her hopes and dreams of becoming Music Director of a big orchestra someday. You’ll want to listen all way through to hear about when she got “THE call” and stepped in for Maestro Luisi back in November. We hope you enjoy getting to know Shira!

    41 min
  2. Holiday Special: Lawrence Loh (DSO Guest Conductor)

    12/18/2025

    Holiday Special: Lawrence Loh (DSO Guest Conductor)

    Pour yourself some eggnog and cozy up for this episode of Music Makers because we’re introducing you to the maestro who has led the DSO's holiday concerts for nearly two decades, Lawrence Loh. In this very special, very festive episode, Chelsey and Larry talk all things Christmas, from his favorite traditions and how he came to be the DSO’s holiday pops conductor to the question on everyone’s minds – does he ever get tired of Christmas music? Stay tuned until the end where we put Larry’s knowledge of holiday song lyrics to the test. (Spoiler alert: we stumped him with “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas!”) Find us on social media @dallassymphony, and be sure to follow Music Makers wherever you’re listening so you never miss an episode.

    46 min
  3. Angela Fuller Heyde (DSO Principal Second Violin)

    12/04/2025

    Angela Fuller Heyde (DSO Principal Second Violin)

    In today’s episode, you’ll meet the DSO’s Principal Second Violinist, Angela Fuller Heyde (Barbara K. & Seymour R. Thum Chair)-- “Angie,” to her friends and colleagues. Angie and Chelsey cover a lot of ground, from the youth orchestra rehearsal that sparked her dream of becoming a professional violinist to a recent concert where she witnessed the true power of music and how it can really change lives. Angie also reflects on arriving in Dallas in 2009 and meeting her now-husband, Associate Principal Horn David Heyde. You won’t want to miss this one! Find us on social media @dallassymphony, and be sure to follow Music Makers wherever you’re listening so you never miss an episode.

    29 min
  4. Emily Levin (DSO Principal Harp)

    11/20/2025

    Emily Levin (DSO Principal Harp)

    When you know, you know! From the moment she first heard about the harp at just four years old, Emily Levin decided she simply had to play it — and she didn’t stop asking until her parents finally found a teacher nearby. Flash forward to 2015, when Emily became the youngest principal harpist in any U.S. orchestra after winning her position with the Dallas Symphony. Now in her tenth season with the DSO, Emily reflects on what a decade in the job has taught her — both on stage and off — in this episode of Music Makers. We talk about the importance of connecting with audiences (including one memorable Pilates-class encounter with a fan!), and the passions that inspire her beyond the harp — from woodworking and crafting cocktails to spending time with her dogs, Charlie and JoJo. I hope you enjoy getting to know Emily in this episode! Find us on social media @dallassymphony, and be sure to follow Music Makers wherever you’re listening so you never miss an episode.

    40 min
  5. Ted Soluri (DSO Principal Bassoon)

    11/05/2025

    Ted Soluri (DSO Principal Bassoon)

    What if we told you that legendary composer John Cage paid for the birth of one of our musicians? You're intrigued, aren't you? Well, Principal Bassoon Ted Soluri drops this unforgettable fun fact in the very first episode of Music Makers — and that's just the beginning. Ted and Chelsey talk about his musical journey and how he found his way to the bassoon, one of the orchestra's most norotiously challenging instruments. He shares his experiences navigating auditions (including facing his fear of Mozart's Symphony No. 35 for the DSO audition in 2015) and reflects on how music — and life — have evolved since then. Find us on social media, and be sure to follow Music Makers here on Spotify so you never miss an episode.  @dallassymphony on Instagram Dallas Symphony Orchestra on Facebook @DALLASYMPHONY on YouTube

    45 min
  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Music Makers is your ultimate backstage pass to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Join host Chelsey Norris each week to hear directly from a DSO Music Maker and discover what makes them tick… Or pluck. Or bow. You get it. These are the stories that don’t make it into the concert programs or social media feeds. This is your chance to meet the real people who make the music happen on stage and off.

Information

  • Creator
    Dallas Symphony Orchestra
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dallas Symphony Orchestra
  • Show Website
    Music Makers