Having returned to the stage for their 2021 – 2022 season, the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra presents its third Classics concert, at the Atkinson Recital Hall, March 12 & 13, 2022. With the retirement of Maestro Lonnie Klein, the search is on for somebody to fill his shoes and these concerts are your way of sampling the talent now auditioning for the permanent position. This third Classics concert features guest conductor Devin Patrick Hughes on the podium.
Highly regarded for his exhilarating score interpretations, advocacy for music accessibility, innate passion, and entrepreneurial vigor, Devin Patrick Hughes is an American orchestral and operatic conductor of Irish and Guatemalan descent. He is concurrently serving as Music Director and Conductor of the Boulder Symphony and Arapahoe Philharmonic.
“My artistic vision is for the symphony to be celebrated and enmeshed in all aspects of society,” Devin said. “The 21st-century orchestra must directly engage the general public with the excitement, profundity, and novelty of classical music. My mission is to merge all aspects of the symphony within communities by inspiring kids and adults with the creativity, joy, and drama of classical music.”
A zealous performer and promoter of the music of our time, Devin has fostered multiple composer-in-residence programs premiering dozens of new works. He has also constructed innovative avenues to bring new music to the forefront of the classical music scene. Previously he has held artistic leadership positions with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association, Denver Young Artists Orchestra, and Denver Philharmonic Orchestra.
“Everyone really loves classical music. They just don’t know it yet,” said Devin. “If they don’t love it, they haven’t experienced it under the right circumstances. The symphony is more than just an orchestra; it poses a global model of cooperation. A musician must adjust their belief system and values to serve the greater whole of the orchestra. No one person is more important than another and the cooperation creates a magical, effortless sounding event that inspires the soul.”
Fulfilling their portion of the cooperation ideal, the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra is a unique arrangement of faculty members, community members, and student musicians performing with world-class visiting guest artists. This select professional ensemble performs a wide variety of selections from the classical orchestral repertoire. Each year the 70-member orchestra presents four pairs of classical concerts and a POPS concert.
In keeping with the tradition, this year the orchestra is playing with a different conductor for each concert. The music, however, remains as enchanting as ever. On the docket for this performance are Ginastera’s Four Dances from “Estancia”; Kodály’s Dances of Galánta; Harbach’s Lilia Polka; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.
For the Saturday concert, doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, the doors open at 2:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 3 p.m. Ticket prices start at $40. For more information, visit the LCSO website, or call 575-646-1086.
Posted by LasCruces.com
