Events

Conductor Lonnie Klein and the Silver City Festival Orchestra, featuring musicians from the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra and the El Paso Symphony present, “Fire, Fury and Dance,” an evening of exciting symphonic and orchestral music, featuring flamenco guitarist Robert Michaels. Program includes (still in formation, subject to change) Triumphal March from “Aida”- Giuseppe Verdi Selections from “West Side Story” - Leonard Bernstein Capriccio Espagnol- Rimsky-Korsakov plus original pieces written and arranged by Robert Michaels Lonnie Klein holds a Doctorate in Performance from the University of Illinois, a Master of Music from Michigan State University, and a bachelor’s degree from Murray State University. As a POPS conductor, Maestro Klein has produced and conducted concerts with such celebrated artists as Doc Severinsen, Mariachi Cobre, The Temptations, The Contours, The Dukes of Dixieland, 5 By Design, The Beatles, Sandi Patti, Lee Greenwood and Daniel Rodriquez. From his inaugural concert with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra at New Mexico State University in October 1999, Maestro Lonnie Klein led the orchestra to new levels of artistic excellence, with high audience acclaim, rave reviews and nine consecutive seasons of sold-out concerts! James Houlik, renowned saxophonist, described Lonnie’s energy and vision “as a one-man ant hill!” Multi-gold and platinum recording artist, Robert Michaels, has won the esteem of critics worldwide with award-winning performances that bring audiences to their feet every time. The Toronto Sun hails him, “Every inch a dazzling guitarist”, the Toronto Sun exclaims, “He is incomparable. And you simply must see him”, while the Ottawa Sun states simply, Michaels is an “Axe God.” Robert is well known as an intuitive musician with electric energy and a captivating blend of styles. He has engaged concertgoers across the globe with his heartfelt enthusiasm, leaving all with memories they won’t soon forget. Robert’s instrumental music crosses over into samples and tastes from many genres, including flamenco guitar numbers. Michaels started his musical career in Canada, though his parents aren’t Canadian natives, but immigrated there from Italy. As a child, and then as a teen, Michaels was raised on a varied musical diet that found him being influenced by many different kinds of musicians and styles along the way, like Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, and Wes Montgomery, and everything from rock, to tango, to jazz.