In January 2026, local Businesswoman Wanda Bowman and Maestro Lonnie Klein convened a meeting to explore the community interest in offering professional orchestra performances in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The vision was to offer more opportunities for professional musicians in the area to perform, to feature nationally or internationally renowned guest artists, and to offer programs that were affordable to the community. Their proposal was met with enormous enthusiasm, which led to the creation of the “Festival Orchestra de Las Cruces.”

Seven weeks from inception, on March 10, 2026, Festival Orchestra de Las Cruces presented its first performance at St. Paul’s Methodist Church. The program— “Baroque Concerti Classics” — featured renowned musicians Vincente Campos (Trumpet), Joy Zalkind (Flute), and Pancho Romero (Trumpet).

On September 6, 2026, we returned with the All-American Concert, celebrating the spirit, history, and musical heritage of America. Highlighting the brilliance of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, featuring acclaimed pianist Ilya Yakushev, alongside Aaron Copland’s moving Lincoln Portrait, narrated by Fernando Macias. This inspiring program brought together the power of orchestral music and the words of one of our nation’s greatest presidents in a memorable tribute to the American spirit.

Many donors and sponsors contributed to support the concert and to provide the foundation for the concert on September 6, 2026 featuring music by great American composers.