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.
Host [Host Name] revisits standout moments from Season 1, offering listeners a curated collection of memorable insights.
28 May 2026
Karen Schnackenberg (DSO Principal Librarian)
Host interviews Dallas Symphony Orchestra Principal Librarian Karen Schnackenberg about her vital role in preparing music for performance and her career legacy.
14 May 2026
Anthony Blake Clark (DSO Chorus Director)
Host interviews Dallas Symphony Chorus Director Anthony Blake Clark about the profound vulnerability and transformative power of choral music-making.
16 Apr 2026
Meredith Kufchak (DSO Principal Viola)
Host interviews DSO Principal Viola Meredith Kufchak about the viola's history, her musical journey, and a new world premiere piece.
9 Apr 2026
Jenna Barghouti (DSO Violin)
Host [Host Name] interviews Dallas Symphony Orchestra violinist Jenna Barghouti about her inspiring journey from Palestine to the symphony, discovering the power of perseverance in music.
12 Mar 2026
Daphne Volle (DSO Violin)
Host interviews DSO violinist Daphne Volle about her decades with the orchestra, the evolving arts scene, and the joy of music and community service.
12 Feb 2026
Sophia Jani (DSO Composer-in-Residence)
Host interviews DSO Composer-in-Residence Sophia Jani about her creative process and the world premiere of her new Violin Concerto.
30 Jan 2026
Daniel Hawkins (DSO Principal Horn)
Host interviews Daniel Hawkins, DSO Principal Horn, exploring his musical journey, practice methods, and leadership insights.
15 Jan 2026
Shira Samuels-Shragg (DSO Assistant Conductor)
Assistant Conductor Shira Samuels-Shragg discusses her first season with the DSO and her aspirations for orchestral leadership in this interview.
18 Dec 2025
Holiday Special: Lawrence Loh (DSO Guest Conductor)
Host Chelsey and guest Lawrence Loh, DSO Guest Conductor, discuss holiday traditions and Christmas music as Loh shares his nearly two-decade experience leading the DSO's holiday concerts.
4 Dec 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.
20 Nov 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.
5 Nov 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 (https://www.instagram.com/dallassymphony/) on Instagram
Dallas Symphony Orchestra (https://www.facebook.com/DallasSymphony/) on Facebook
@DALLASYMPHONY (https://www.youtube.com/@DALLASYMPHONY/) on YouTube
Who has been a guest on Music Makers
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Karen Schnackenberg
Anthony Blake Clark
Meredith Kufchak
Jenna Barghouti
Daphne Volle
Reach and audience
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Spotify
4.8 / 5
6 ratings
Contact Music Makers
Guest appearances
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