Retiring symphony director introduces ‘Lonnie’s Klein’s Favorite Memories’

Lonnie Klein brought many world-class musicians and singers to town to perform with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra (LCSO) during his 21 years as director.

A few days before his May 31 retirement, Klein will release “Lonnie Klein’s Favorite Memories,” a free, more than 2 and 1/2 hour, online collection of eight of his favorite full movements from live LCSO concerts, 1999-2020.

Here is the lineup:

1. Pianist Ilya Yakushev, performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2
2. Baritone/bass Mark Womack performing a soliloquy from Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel”
3. Violinist Philipe Quint performing Tchaikovsky’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
4. Cellist Mark Kosower, in a special feature from Klein
5. Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra performing Debussy’s Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun”
6. Pianist Jon Nakamatsu performing Grieg’s Concerto for Piano
7. Pianist Jeremy Denk (whose father, Joe, was a beloved Las Cruces actor), performing a triple concerto with violinist Ruggero Allifranchini and cellist Edward Arron
8. Violinist Stefan Jackiw performing Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin in D Major, Opus 61.

Klein said the greatest challenge in putting the free DVD/CD together was choosing eight performances from among those of the more than 100 guest artists he brought to Las Cruces to perform with LCSO,  1999-2020.

Klein said he made the final selection based on full, unedited performances “that really connected with me, the orchestra, the audience – that really knocked our socks off. I cherry picked whom I thought were the most memorable performances.”

Time limitations and copyright restrictions prevented Klein from including some performers, he said, including Doc Severinsen’s 2007 concert with the symphony at Pan American Center.

The DVD/CD includes brief introductions of each performance from Klein, with his personal recollections about each performer.

Klein said he decided to put together the memories collection as a follow up to the archival DVD/CD released last November that “featured and highlighted the most memorable moments of the LCSP musicians.”

“Lonnie Klein’s Favorite Memories” will be available free May 27 on YouTube and the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra’s website and Facebook page.

Symphony announces 2021-22 season

The Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra’s (LCSO) 2021-22 season will begin Oct. 2 and continue through May 1, 2022. The season will feature four guest conductors, including Lonnie Klein, who is retiring this May after 21 seasons as LCSO director.

Here is the lineup, with all performances on both Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.

• Classics 1: Oct. 2-3, with guest conductor Ming Luke, principal conductor of the San Francisco Ballet and the Nashville Ballet, conducting Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 “Reformation,” Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.
• Classics 2: Dec. 11-12, with guest conductor Richard Lee, music director of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, conducting CPE Bach’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Mozart’s Symphony in D Major "Paris," Schubert’s Symphony in B Minor "Unfinished" and Mahler’s "Adagio" from Symphony No. 10.
• Pops Concert, Feb. 12-13, 2022: Maestro Lonnie Klein returns to conduct the pops concert, featuring Serpentine Fire performing the music of Earth, Wind and Fire.
• Classics 3: March 12-13, guest conductor Devin Patrick Hughes, music director and conductor of the Boulder Symphony and Arapahoe Philharmonic, conducting Ginastera’s Four Dances from "Estancia," Kodály’s Dances of Galánta, Harbach’s Lilia Polka and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.
• Classics 4: April 30-May 1, guest conductor Gene Chang, Savannah Philharmonic conductor, conducting Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Pärt’s Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten and Mozart’s Symphony No. 36 "Linz."

LCSO will begin renewing 2021-22 season tickets and pops tickets June 1 and continue through July 31. New season tickets will be available Aug. 1-31.

Call 575-646-3709, email manager@lascrucessymphony.org.

 Visit www.lascrucessymphony.com.