Dave Hyslop takes on new assignment

David Hyslop is getting back into the orchestra game. The former president and CEO of the Minnesota Orchestra has been appointed interim president for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Hyslop has done consulting work since leaving the Minnesota Orchestra in 2003. One of his last deeds in that job was to hire current music director Osmo Vänskä.

Hyslop, who is highly respected in the business, has been in this spot before. He served as interim for the West Virginia and Tulsa Symphony orchestras. A 43-year veteran of the business, he also headed the St. Louis Symphony and the Oregon Symphony. Previous to his appointment at Oregon in 1972, he worked in Minnesota under Richard Cisek.

Cece Smith, who chaired the interim search committee at Dallas, said the search will start immediately for a permanent leader. The orchestra has an annual budget of roughly $24 million, compared to Minnesota's $30 million expenses. Jaap van Zweden is in his second year as music director in Dallas. He was recently extended to the end of the 2015-16 season.

Hyslop, 68, lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Sally. He said on the phone that he anticipates the Dallas job will be for about six months.

"They wanted someone long in the tooth with experience, and I'd just finished a fundraising campaign here in Bloomington so the timing worked out," he said.