MD Fabio Luisi & Dallas Symphony Orchestra release Wagner’s complete Ring cycle worldwide on Delos on May 22; two-week exclusive with Apple Music Classical starts May 8
(May 2026) — Grammy-winning Louise W. & Edmund J. Kahn Music Director Fabio Luisi and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO)’s landmark live recording of Richard Wagner’s epic Der Ring des Nibelungen will be released worldwide on Delos, the American label of Outhere Music, on May 22, with the 13-CD boxed set available in the U.S. starting on May 15. The DSO’s Ring cycle will also be available exclusively on Apple Music Classical, the world’s leading classical music app, for two weeks beginning Friday, May 8. The partnership with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra marks the launch of a year-long series of partnerships and initiatives by Apple Music Classical to mark the 150th anniversary of the first performances of the epic work at the Bayreuth Festival. Representing a rare undertaking for an American orchestra, Luisi and the DSO recorded their live performances of the four operas – Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung – at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas across the year in 2024, culminating in full-cycle opera-in-concert performances that October. The cast includes Mark Delavan (Wotan), Lise Lindstrom (Brünnhilde), Sara Jakubiak (Sieglinde), Daniel Johansson (Siegfried), Christopher Ventris (Siegmund), Deniz Uzun (Fricka), Tómas Tómasson (Alberich), and Michael Laurenz (Mime), among many others. Luisi explains:
“This is music that demands everything from you – technically, emotionally, spiritually – and I am very thrilled and proud of the orchestra for embracing it with me. Wagner’s Ring cycle has been one of the most important and meaningful projects of my time with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Being the first American symphony orchestra in recent history to perform the entire cycle was a moment of great pride, made possible by the courage and commitment of the musicians and the entire DSO organization. The Ring holds a special and profound place in the history of music, and for me it has always been a deeply personal, transformational experience. I am thrilled that we have captured this in a recording and look forward to sharing the results with the world.”
DSO Ross Perot President & CEO Michelle Miller Burns adds:
“The Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s traversal of Wagner’s Ring cycle represents one of the most significant achievements in the ensemble’s 125-year history. This epic journey would not have been possible without the talented musicians of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, our superb cast of singers, and our Music Director, Fabio Luisi, whose breadth of experience in both orchestral and operatic repertoire proved invaluable. We are very grateful to the generous patrons who supported this ambitious project and to Delos and Outhere for helping us share these performances with music lovers around the world.”
Luisi’s work in opera is extensive and celebrated, with nine years at the helm of the Zurich Opera and six years as Principal Guest Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, during which he won a Grammy Award for his leadership of the last two operas of the Ring cycle. With this release, the DSO joins a small and distinguished group of American orchestras to have recorded the complete cycle. Recorded by Grammy Award-winning producer Dirk Sobotka, part of the award-winning team at the Soundmirror recording and production company, the release also launches a new partnership between Outhere Music, of which Delos is the American label, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Pre-order information and a preview track are available here.
About Apple Music Classical
Apple Music Classical is the world’s leading classical music app. Launched in March 2023, Apple Music Classical makes it easier to find any recording in the world’s largest classical music catalog of over six million tracks with fully optimized search built specifically for classical, while offering the highest audio quality available. With high-resolution lossless and immersive Spatial Audio, listeners can experience classical favorites in a whole new way. Expertly curated playlists and insightful composer biographies as well as the addition of over 50,000 booklets featuring in-depth liner notes, translations, plus the only global classical music chart and more, make Apple Music Classical the best place for classical music lovers. Apple Music subscribers can enjoy Apple Music Classical at no additional cost.
About Delos
Delos is the flagship U.S. label of the Outhere Music Group. A beacon for American composers and musicians since its foundation by Amelia Haygood in 1973, this historic West Coast classical label continued to thrive under the expert guidance of pianist Carol Rosenberger. Following its 50th anniversary, the artistic direction of Delos has been overseen by Charles Adriaenssen, who has revitalized this prestigious label whilst retaining its focus on American artists, ensembles and repertoires. With over 700 recordings and a roster that has expanded to include international talent, young artists and contemporary music, Delos has achieved true international recognition.
About the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of Music Director Fabio Luisi (Louise W. & Edmund J. Kahn Music Directorship), presents more than 100 concerts each year at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, one of the world’s finest concert halls. Tracing its origins to a concert with 40 musicians conducted by Hans Kreissig in 1900, the DSO has become the most prominent performing arts organization in the Southwest and is a cornerstone of the 118-acre Dallas Arts District, the largest urban arts district in the nation. Through its acclaimed recordings and international touring, the DSO shares its artistry with audiences around the globe, extending its impact beyond Dallas.
The DSO is committed to its mission of inspiring and changing lives through musical excellence and serves more than 200,000 adults and children each year through performances, educational programs and community initiatives. The DSO’s education programs plant the seed for musical study and appreciation as well as success in academics and social development. The Young Strings and Kim Noltemy Young Musicians provide access to free music lessons and instruments for hundreds of students each year, and the Cecil and Ida Green Youth Concerts welcome more than 10,000 Dallas-area students to the Meyerson each season. For nearly three decades, the DSO has presented classical music to thousands through the annual summer Parks Concerts Series. DSO Cares offers performances in hospitals, senior living facilities and in partnership with other service organizations across North Texas, bringing the healing power of music to those who need it most.
The DSO is supported, in part, by funds from the Office of Arts & Culture, City of Dallas. For more information, visit dallassymphony.org or follow @dallassymphony on social media.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Fabio Luisi: Wagner‘s Der Ring des Nibelungen (Delos)
International Release date: May 22
Digital exclusive on Apple Classical: May 8
Mark Delavan (Wotan)
Lise Lindstrom (Brünnhilde)
Sara Jakubiak (Sieglinde)
Daniel Johansson (Siegfried)
Christopher Ventris (Siegmund)
Deniz Uzun (Fricka)
Tómas Tómasson (Alberich)
Michael Laurenz (Mime)
Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Fabio Luisi, remaining 2025–26 season dates
(All concerts take place at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center unless otherwise noted)
May 7, 9, & 10
Dallas, TX
Kathryn Henry, soprano
Nathan Olson, violin
Stuart Stephenson, trumpet
BEETHOVEN: “Ah! Perfido,” Scene and Aria for soprano and orchestra
BACH: Violin Concerto in E, BWV 1042
HAYDN: Trumpet Concerto in E-flat
MOZART: Symphony No. 35, “Haffner”
May 15–17
Dallas, TX
Rachel Willis-Sørensen, soprano
Meghan Kasanders, soprano
Deanna Breiwick, soprano
Olesya Petrova, mezzo-soprano
Renée Tatum, mezzo-soprano
Limmie Pulliam, tenor
Luke Sutliff, baritone
Insung Sim, bass
Dallas Symphony Chorus & Baltimore Choral Arts
Anthony Blake Clark, chorus director
Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus
Ellie Lin, artistic director
MAHLER: Symphony No. 8, “Symphony of a Thousand”