Basically Beethoven Announces New Board President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 5, 2026

DALLAS, TX – Basically Beethoven today announced a transition in board leadership. Natalie LeVeck has been unanimously appointed Board President, succeeding Cindy Karm, who led the board for seven years and will remain a member.

“I am thrilled to lead our board as chair and to help guide the future of this incredible organization.” LeVeck said. “ By keeping 100% of our professional concert programming and student music education entirely free, Basically Beethoven occupies a truly unique space in the Dallas arts landscape. We have an exciting road ahead of us, and I am fully committed to driving our mission forward, fostering deep community connections, and ensuring we continue to make a lasting, positive impact by keeping world-class classical music accessible to everyone.”

LeVeck is an in-house entertainment attorney at Google, where she negotiates the company’s largest celebrity partnerships for global marketing campaigns. She also serves as an adjunct professor at SMU Dedman School of Law, teaching Entertainment Law and mentoring the next generation of attorneys entering the creative industries.

LeVeck lives in North Dallas with her husband and three children. Her passion for music runs deep—her father-in-law was a violinist for the St. Louis Symphony, following a stint with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and her oldest son is a classical pianist who competes in festivals and competitions across Texas. This personal connection fuels Natalie’s belief in the transformative power of music and arts education.

"The staff and board are thrilled to welcome Natalie, whose experience in entertainment law, love of classical music, and commitment to our organization will serve us well," said Morgan Vaughan, Executive Director. "We are also deeply grateful to Cindy Karm for her years of excellent service."

Hallam Concert Season 2027 - 2028 announced

Additionally, Basically Beethoven has announced its Hallam Concerts series, sponsored by Howard & Fanchon Hallam. The 7-concert series will be Saturdays, 3pm, at Central Commons, 4711 Westside Drive, Dallas. The dates for the concert are October 24 and November 14, 2026 and January 23, February 13, March 20, April 17, and May 15, 2027. 

The first concert of this season will be Catharine Lysinger, piano, performing a recital of Beethoven, Chopin, Price, and Debussy. RSVP and more information on our website www.basicallybeethoven.org.

45 Years of Basically Beethoven

In June 2024, Fine Arts Chamber Players changed its logo and “doing business as” name to Basically Beethoven in honor of FACP’s original and flagship festival of the same name that began in Dallas in 1981.

The Basically Beethoven Festival was modeled after Lincoln Center's famous Mostly Mozart Festival whose repertoire included many composers from the classical era as well as Mozart - and through the Romantic movement into the modern era. All 10 free Basically Beethoven concerts per year, including the festival at Moody Performance Hall and the Hallam concerts at Central Commons are similarly curated, sometimes featuring Beethoven, sometimes featuring other composers in the traditional canon as well as contemporary composers.

For 45 years, Basically Beethoven's mission has been to provide - for free - all concerts and music education in our programming. Its mission puts it in a unique position as high-level concert producers to open our doors 100% of the time to anyone who can attend a concert or access our YouTube channel. According to Basically Beethoven, "free" doesn't equate to "less than." Its concerts are professionally produced and executed, and players are among the best classical players in Dallas, performing regularly or permanently with the DSO, FWSO, Dallas Opera Orchestra, and professors and teachers with terminal degrees from area colleges, universities, and private studios.

Basically Beethoven Music Residencies provide free group and private lessons in violin, voice, and piano to students attending Dallas schools without robust music programs. Its students have gone on to careers in music and/or used their musical background and arts education as a stepping stone to college careers in other fields. Several BB students receive scholarships from the Rogene Russell Scholarship through the Dallas Foundation, including 2 singers this year (2026) from David W. Carter High School - one a full scholarship to Dallas College and another a large partial scholarship to a Dallas-area private college.

Ticket Information and Support

Admission is always free for Basically Beethoven concerts. Basically Beethoven asks patrons to RSVP on its website - www.basicallybeethoven.org - in case there are last-minute changes or information. Links to support the concerts and music residencies through donations via Zeffy or Stripe are there as well. 

For more information about Basically Beethoven's Music Residency program or to support music education through donation, visit www.basicallybeethoven/donate or email morgan@basicallybeethoven.org

Media Contact: Morgan Vaughan, Executive Director, morgan@basicallybeethoven.org and 310.600.4296 (mobile)