Idina Menzel is bringing a little Broadway star power to the Meyerson this fall. The Tony Award-winning performer and recording artist will headline the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s 2026 Symphony Gala on Saturday, Sept. 26, joining the orchestra for a special performance led by Principal Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez.
Known for originating the role of Elphaba in Wicked, as well as performances in Rent and Disney’s Frozen, Menzel has built a career that moves easily between Broadway, film, television, and recording. For the Gala Concert, she will join the DSO for a program spanning her career, pairing the theatricality and vocal range that made her a Broadway fixture with the full force of the orchestra.
The black-tie gala is the DSO’s largest philanthropic event of the year, bringing together its artistic and community missions for an evening at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The festivities begin with a welcome reception sponsored by the University of Texas at Arlington, followed by a seated dinner and the Capital One–sponsored Gala Concert. An after-party with desserts, savories and dancing will close out the evening.
Allison and Brett Brodnax will serve as the 2026 Gala Chairs who said at the time of the announcement: “This year’s gala will feature the incomparable Idina Menzel as our guest artist, whose extraordinary star power and iconic voice promise a breathtaking and unforgettable evening.” Longtime DSO supporters Linda L. Burk, MD, and John R. Gilmore, MD, will serve as Honorary Chairs.
While the gala is one of the orchestra’s most glamorous nights of the season, its impact extends well beyond the concert hall. Proceeds support the DSO’s performances as well as education and community programs that reach more than 200,000 adults and children each year. Those initiatives range from school programs and neighborhood concerts to free music instruction, youth performances, and DSO Cares concerts at hospitals, senior living facilities, and community organizations throughout North Texas.
Michelle Miller Burns Dallas Symphony’s Ross Perot President and CEO stated the “Gala is always a dazzling night of music and celebration, and this year promises to be especially memorable with the incomparable Idina Menzel joining the Dallas Symphony on the Meyerson stage.”
Additional information on tickets, tables, and sponsorships is available through the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. dallassymphony.org