The San Antonio Symphony doesn’t do a lot of television specials, but once a year they collaborate with public television station KLRN to produce an hour-long program.
"[This year's show will] launch nicely our next festival, which will be a Dvorak Festival," said conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing by phone from Belgrade. "[We'll be] introducing Dvorak to the public. We’ve chosen this year the 'Carnival Overture' and a set of Slavonic dances, which really shows Dvorak from his folky side."
He enjoys his televsion collaboration with the station, and indicates the new program will feature some changes to watch for.
"KLRN is really doing a great job and this year, and it’ll be better because I think you will enjoy the light effects and the way the studio is set up, and also the sound even more, because they have done a really amazing job."
As Lang-Lessing notes, last year’s Brahms festival broadcast got a noteworthy accolade.
"Randy Allee, the sound engineer from KLRN, got an Emmy for our last show, so we take the sound very seriously."
Lang-Lessing surprised us with his answer to the next question. We asked if he sat down with friends and family when the programs air. Turns out, the Lang-Lessing family doesn't own a television.
"Yeah, actually, I think we go to friend's house [to watch]."
Regarding the Symphony and future video, Lessing hints there may be much more.
"Video will become more and more important to us. I think once we move into the Tobin, where basically we have [video and audio equipment] installed, I think from there on our video activity and our film activity will become even more intense. But our relationship with KLRN is something we really want to maintain."
You can catch the KLRN Dvorak Festival broadcast at 8PM the day after Christmas.
