Celebrate the magic and joy of the holiday season with the Festival Orchestra de Las Cruces at the Hometown Holiday Pops Concert on Sunday, November 29, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
This festive afternoon concert brings together beloved holiday favorites and magnificent selections from Handel’s Messiah, creating a joyful musical celebration for the whole family. From grand choral masterpieces to cherished Christmas classics, the program captures the warmth, excitement, and timeless spirit of the season.
Gather your family and friends and make the Hometown Holiday Pops Concert part of your holiday tradition. Experience the power of a live orchestra, inspiring voices, and music that brings our community together in celebration.
Featured Artists
Lonnie Klein
Music Director / Conductor
Dr. Klein had a long tenure as Music Director and Conductor of the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra. He has guest conducted regularly with orchestras in Mexico, Canada, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Romania, Columbia, South America, and Spain. In 2012, Dr. Klein received the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the state’s highest honor.
The Brass Souls
Brass Choir
The Brass Souls Quintet is a premier professional brass ensemble based in the Southwest United States. The ensemble regularly performs at educational institutions and public venues throughout the region. Its members also maintain active national and international careers, with recent performances in Poland, Cuba, and Colombia. The group is known for its versatility across multiple genres, including jazz, classical, popular, and Latin music.
The quintet currently consists of faculty members and an emeritus professor at New Mexico State University. Each musician brings decades of professional experience performing in both large and chamber ensembles. Members perform regularly with the Las Cruces Symphony, the Festival Orchestra of Las Cruces, the El Paso Symphony, the Border Jazz Orchestra, and numerous other ensembles.
Members
Pancho Romero, Trumpet
Dr. Romero is Emeritus Professor at New Mexico State University and maintains a national and international reputation as a performer and clinician. His international appearances include performances in Austria, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Colombia, Guatemala, Germany, Italy, France, and, most recently, Cuba. He is the founder of the Border Jazz Orchestra and a founding member of the Brass Souls Quintet. He served as principal trumpet with the Las Cruces Symphony from 2001 to 2022.
Dr. Dalager is an internationally recognized crossover soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, award-winning composer, and Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Director of Jazz at New Mexico State University. He is an innovative pedagogue, taking a modern and individualized approach to solving the trumpet’s technical challenges and laying the groundwork for NMSU student’s multi-faceted music career.
Jacob Dalager, Trumpet
Dr. Angela K. Winter is an active performer and educator who has presented clinics, adjudicated, taught, soloed, and performed with a wide range of ensembles throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, and Europe. Dr. Winter is one of the most sought after musicians in the US, frequently traveling throughout the country performing in a multitude of concert venues.
Angela Winter, Horn
Dr. Mzyk, a native of Poland, serves as Assistant Professor of Trombone and Low Brass at New Mexico State University. As a soloist, he has won several prestigious competitions, including the National Solo Competition at the American Trombone Workshop (Washington, DC), the New York Golden Classical Music Solo Competition, and the National Chamber Music Competition (Warsaw, Poland). He has appeared as a soloist with multiple orchestras, performed at numerous festivals and conferences across the United States, and made his solo debut at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Dawid Mzyk, Trombone
Clint Sims is Adjunct Professor of Tuba at New Mexico State University. He serves as principal tuba with the El Paso Symphony and the Festival Orchestra of Las Cruces and is a music educator with the Clint Independent School District. He performs regularly with numerous ensembles throughout the Borderland region.
Clint Sims, Tuba
Karlten Friedrich
Tenor
Mr. Friedrich is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at New Mexico State University, with an emphasis in Musical Theatre. With a growing passion for performance and the performing arts, Karlten is excited to continue developing his craft and exploring the many opportunities that the stage has to offer.
He is also a member of Soul’d Out at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, where he enjoys sharing his love of music and performance with the community. Karlten is honored to be part of this year’s Festival Orchestra de Las Cruces and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a wonderful celebration of music.
Annie Pennies
Mezzo Soprano
Ms. Pennies is a respected and versatile voice teacher, vocal coach, sound therapist, and yoga instructor serving the Las Cruces and El Paso communities. With a passion for helping others discover and strengthen their voices, Annie brings together her experience in vocal technique, wellness, and mindful movement to create a holistic approach to the art of singing.
Through her work as an educator and coach, she encourages singers of all backgrounds to develop confidence, freedom, and authenticity in their voices. Her unique blend of vocal training, sound therapy, and yoga allows her to support both the artistic and personal growth of those she works with and teaches.