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Supporters Like You

Meet Our Donors

We are thankful for those who have made an estate gift to the Dallas Symphony. Here are their stories.

Tom Smith and Linda VanSickle Smith

A Gift That Never Ends ...

When you make an endowed gift, your contribution is invested with and becomes part of our assets within the Dallas Symphony Foundation. An annual distribution is made for the Orchestra's general purposes or a specific purpose you designate when the endowment is established. There are also tax benefits to establishing endowments during your lifetime, as well as estate tax benefits when they are established through your estate plans.

A Part of the Family

Nick has been participating on nonprofit boards and fundraising for most of his life. “It started when I was a member of the Key Club in high school. I learned early that every nonprofit relies on a relatively small group of committed donors to continue their mission.” Nick says.

Barbara and Robert Sypult

Barbara (Barb) and Robert (Bob) Sypult have been deeply engaged with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for decades. Barb has served for a number of years on its board of directors. Arguably, they may be considered one of the biggest cheerleading couples in DSO history as they continuously—and passionately—take a hands-on approach to help nurture and ensure its success.

Ruth and Bob Glaze

A Beautiful Legacy

Bob joined Trammell Crow’s real estate company as its CFO in 1963, and soon after the Glaze family became engaged with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Bob later became a member of the Board of Governors and served as both Treasurer and Chairman of the Board in the mid-1970s. This was a financially challenging time for the DSO, and Bob is credited for helping rebuild the organization after bankruptcy.

Robert Fred Kern

Keys to Success

Dr. Robert Fred Kern, Professor Emeritus, University of North Texas College of Music, has been a DSO subscriber since the 1980s and a longtime annual fund contributor. Recently, he was inducted as a new Hans Kreissig Legacy Society (HKS) member after notifying us of his plans to include a gift to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in his estate.

Norma and Don Stone

Believing in the Symphony's Future

Norma and Don Stone moved from Houston (Norma's hometown) to Dallas in 1975 after Don was tapped as the new Chief Executive Officer of Federated Department Store's Dallas division, Sanger Harris (which became Macy's in the late '80s). Previously, Don served at the Houston division, Foley's. As a new CEO, Don was asked to serve on several different non-profit boards and soon accepted a board position at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO).

A Passion For Music

Martha Wells is a lifelong music lover. She attended Dallas Symphony Orchestra youth concerts as an elementary student and had her own Dallas Symphony season subscription by the time she was in junior high. Since then, Martha has only increased her engagement with the DSO.

Katherine Freiberger

Music: It Is What Connects Us

Music has played an important role in the life of new Hans Kreissig Legacy Society member Katherine (Katy) Freiberger. A native of Mineral Wells, Texas, Katy grew up in a music-rich environment that led her to believe that every child in the world had access to symphonic music.

The Titus family

Continuing the Legacy

Sisters Amy and Sarah Titus grew up in Dallas with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra as an everpresent backdrop. The Tituses have been part of the DSO family for many years and "continuing that tradition into the second generation is something we are honored to be able to do," says Sarah Titus, DSO board member.

Nick Alexander Brounoff

A Family Affair

For many long-time DSO patrons, the name Brounoff is a familiar one. As one of the Symphony's longest tenured musicians, Zelman Brounoff played to audiences for over five decades. Zelman's son and new Hans Kreissig Legacy Society member, Nick Alexander Brounoff, included a planned gift to the Dallas Symphony in his will for two reasons.

Richard and Alice Stevenson

Music Brings Us Together:

Music often has a powerful and sometimes magical way of bringing people together. Alice and Richard Stevenson initially followed somewhat different musical journeys—but it was their passion for music and love of the Dallas Symphony that brought them together.

Celebrating The Journey

Lee Gibson recalls that his first significant musical memory was of listening to his dad's The Cleveland Orchestra recording of Maurice Ravel's Boléro. Enthralled by the warm yet driving and seductive sounds emanating from that old 78 rpm vinyl record, it was then that he realized he loved music and embarked on his musical journey.

Joshua Habermann and Dr. Jean D. Wilson

Celebrating a Choral Legacy

The 2017/18 season marks the 40th anniversary of the Dallas Symphony Chorus, the official vocal ensemble of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. It also marks Joshua Habermann's seventh year as Chorus Director. He holds the Jean D. Wilson Chorus Director Chair, which was established in 2015.

Cindy and Steve Aughinbaugh

Play Your Part

Cindy and Steve Aughinbaugh have had a great appreciation for music all their lives. As committed patrons of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, they have recently deepened their engagement by increasing their annual gift to become Stradivarius Patrons and have also made generous provisions for the DSO's future by naming it as a beneficiary in their estate plans.

Diane Buchanan and Rick Andrew

Supporting the Legacy Society with Passion

We believe in the power of music and are grateful for the opportunity to help others share their passion for music. It's why we support the Dallas Symphony and believe in its mission. In the larger picture, our beloved DSO is much more than a legacy for the people of North Texas, it's contributing to our legacy as human beings. The orchestra's music and programs are touching lives well beyond Dallas.

Ingrid Taubert Barrier and Frankie

Classical Music and Dallas Symphony Inspire Supporter

Ingrid Taubert Barrier was born near Dresden, Germany, and moved to Berlin as a young woman. Her early years overflowed with music of all kinds and inspired a lifelong passion for opera and classical music. In her mid-30s she married John Barrier and began a new life in the countryside of North Carolina. Since moving to Texas in the early 1990s, Ingrid has watched the growth of the Dallas Arts District and followed the progress of the Symphony. As a devoted classical subscriber, she's been especially delighted with the musical quality of the Orchestra under Maestro Van Zweden and chose to make a permanent gift to establish the Taubert Barrier Family Endowed Fund.

eugene mcdermott

Eugene McDermott Foundation Gives Cello to the DSO

The Eugene McDermott Foundation recently made a generous gift to enable the DSO to purchase a cello to be played by Christopher Adkins, Principal Cello (pictured). The instrument was crafted in Naples by Nicolo Gagliano, circa 1782, and represents a vital link in Jaap van Zweden's commitment to building a stronger Orchestra by helping key musicians to play at the top of their craft.

Robert and Jean Ann Titus

Robert E. and Jean Ann Titus Family Endowed Chair

Following Bob's passing in July 2010, it was important to Jean Ann and her two daughters, Amy and Sarah, to create a lasting memorial in keeping with Bob's philosophy of giving. As a Dallas native, Bob loved Dallas and anything that enriched the quality of life in the city, especially the Symphony, to which the Titus' have been longstanding subscribers and generous annual contributors.

roberta corbett

Two Decades of Symphony Service

Roberta serves on the DSO's Board of Governors; she supports the Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition; she volunteers with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League; she gives annually as a Stradivarius Patron; and she has also made generous provisions for our future by naming the symphony as beneficiary of her charitable remainder trust.

barbara and bob sypult

A Win-Win Gift Option: Charitable Remainder Trust

"We always knew we wanted to leave a meaningful gift to the DSO, and have been trying, for some time, to figure out the best vehicle in which to do this effectively," Barbara says. "It was this ‘a-ha' moment, when we learned we could give a gift now, receive an advantageous tax deduction and receive a 6 percent yearly income for the rest of our lives. Our goal was finally achieved as we benefited the Dallas Symphony the way we had dreamed."

JeRae Dublin, Young Strings alumna, Baylor University graduate and current orchestra director at Newman Smith High School in Carrollton

Making a Difference

There is great joy and pride you can feel in knowing that your legacy gift will make a profound impact in the community. The growth and long-term financial stability of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s educational programs are dependent on donors like you. Each gift, large or small, adds to our permanent endowment, which keeps growing and providing funds to the DSO year after year. This allows us to support important educational programming that continues to train music lovers and shape Dallas into a more culturally rich society.