There was no music program in the parochial school that Gary Liebst attended in Buffalo, New York, but just as he was about to enter the fourth grade, the school contracted with the local public school system to provide a beginner band class for the first time. It wasn’t ideal—just one day a week—but it was enough for a gifted young musician to learn to play the clarinet.

Neither of Gary’s parents nor other close relatives had musical ability, but as Gary grew older, it became apparent that he had what he acknowledges is a God-given talent. He began studying music in earnest in seventh grade, when he switched to public school. The following year, one of the high school band directors recognized Gary’s ability. There were only about 50 members in the high school band, and saxophone players were in short supply.  So, the band director told Gary that if he’d learn to play saxophone—a cousin to the clarinet—he could play in the high school band as an eighth grader. “I thought my band directors were musical heroes and I would have done anything for them,” Gary says, so he learned to play the saxophone, earning a place in the high school band for the concert season.

No horses or tumbleweeds

When Gary was 15, his father, a World War II veteran who coordinated incoming and departing aircraft for American Airlines, was transferred from Buffalo/Niagara International Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, requiring the Liebst family to move to Texas. Gary envisioned a Texas with horses, backyard oil wells and tumbleweeds, but found none in the metroplex. Furthermore, he learned that Texans embraced stereotypes too, and usually assumed he was from New York City.

Gary soon found that he could nurture his musical talent in Texas just as well as he could in upstate New York. By the end of his junior year in high school, he knew he’d found his career path. He ultimately earned a Bachelor of Music Education from East Texas State University and a Master’s in Performance from East Carolina University. He had “visions of grandeur,” he says, and hoped to play professionally, but as he neared the completion of his graduate courses, he realized that “not all of us can be performers in New York City and Los Angeles,” he says with a smile.

After graduate school, Gary got a job as a junior high band director with additional duties as an assistant high school band director in Bay City, Texas. Being a new teacher in a small school district was a challenge, but the following year, Gary began teaching at Wharton County Junior College and found his niche in community college music education. Over time, he came to love directing ensembles. “I was really connecting with these students in a way I never thought I could,” he recollects, and he realized, “This is the right place for me.”

By the time Gary retired in 2021, he had spent a combined 37 years at Wharton County Junior College, Lone Star College and Angelina College in Lufkin. Although he ultimately worked in administration, he was able to continue conducting by virtue of his 18-year tenure with the Kingwood Pops Orchestra. Gary joined the community orchestra when it was beginning its fifth year, and it flourished under his leadership. “We were rocking and rolling on all cylinders,” he says with a chuckle.

A nearly-missed opportunity

Looking back, Gary can’t believe how close he came to missing the October 2021 concert of the Conroe Symphony Orchestra (CSO). His wife, Lee Ann, didn’t feel up to it, but Gary, who had just retired after 38 years in music education, wanted to support the local symphony orchestra. So, at the last minute, he decided to attend. It was the orchestra’s first live performance since the pandemic, and the emcee welcomed patrons with enthusiasm. And by the way, she said, the orchestra was looking for a new conductor. Did anyone know a qualified candidate?

Gary was thunderstruck. For the previous three years, his job duties as a dean at Angelina College had prevented him from conducting, and he missed it terribly. He had wondered if he would ever be able to conduct again.

After the emcee’s surprising announcement, Gary hoped he would recognize a member of the orchestra who could provide an introduction. He knew that the Kingwood Pops Orchestra and CSO sometimes shared members; furthermore, Gary had been a part of the music community in the area for many years. But as he searched each face on stage, he made an unwelcome discovery. “I didn’t know a soul,” he says.

After the concert, he gathered his courage and embarked on what he admits was a rather awkward mission: to let the orchestra know that he did, in fact, have conducting experience, and that he wanted to apply for the job as CSO’s conductor. Over the next few months, several other job applicants served as guest conductors, but Gary finally had the opportunity to interview in April 2022. He later learned from the hiring committee that his vast experience with volunteer adult ensembles and his zealous enthusiasm were the deciding factors. Gary took the baton just in time for CSO’s 25^th anniversary season.

CSO’s 25th anniversary

Like most musical groups, CSO struggled during the pandemic, but Gary joined the orchestra as it began its 25^th anniversary season, bringing his infectious love of live music to the group. To start the season, CSO performed a Halloween-themed concert in October 2022. Dr. Gregg Hallbauer, a local physician and accomplished pianist, was guest musician. He played several selections with the orchestra, including Bach’s instantly-recognizable and spooky-sounding Toccata in D Minor. The orchestra’s Christmas concert featured Nancy Curtis, a well-known soprano, who charmed the audience with her velvety voice. In February, the CSO performed “Music of the Silver Screen” to commemorate its silver anniversary. Then, in April, the orchestra featured patriotic music, hosting the nationally-recognized Victory Belles, ambassadors of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, who are known for their three-part harmony and World War II-esque style.

Orchestra members have extended a warm welcome to Gary, citing his pleasing personality and vast musical knowledge. “He can bring the music to life in a different way than the conductors we have had before,” says Stephanie Harris, the orchestra’s principal flutist and one of its six charter members. “If we are not doing something right, he’s going to let us know, but he’s very personable all ’round and fun to talk to.”

The orchestra is currently in its 26^th season, and Gary promises “an amazing mix of classical and popular music.” While the orchestra will perform some classical pieces, it will also play “well-known Broadway music, some jazz and some popular music,” Gary says. “There’s something for everybody,” he says, noting that he is pleased to be a part of a musical organization that can connect with audiences in a meaningful way. “It’s local talent performing for friends, neighbors and families,” he says. “That’s pretty special.”

While rehearsals often concentrate on mastering technical aspects of the music, Gary says, live performances can unleash the music’s indefinable emotional qualities. Sometimes patrons approach Gary after concerts to say that the music touched them in unexpected ways. And occasionally there are unforgettable moments during performances, like the time an aging veteran struggled to stand during the playing of an armed forces medley and then saluted crisply. “It’s something you don’t plan on, but when it happens, it’s always special,” he says. “Tell me, what better feeling is that?”

While Gary’s professional focus has always been on music, he and Lee Ann, who married in 2000, have other interests, too. They enjoy spending time with their grown children, Kimberly, Carley, Alec and Evan, and like to travel. Although they didn’t know each other at the time, both Gary and Lee Ann grew up watching the Dallas Cowboys with their fathers. This shared interest in professional football sparked a unique goal: to attend a professional football game at each NFL stadium. They sit in the “cheap seats,” Gary says with a laugh, and mingle with “the regular people of society.” They are particularly looking forward to visiting the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles because of its magnificent architecture. (For the record, Gary and Lee Ann have crossed 14 off their list and have 18 to go.)

Meanwhile, Gary often reflects on his spur-of-the-moment decision to attend CSO’s October 2021 concert. “If I hadn’t gone to the concert. . .” he says, shuddering. “What a lucky moment,” he says, acknowledging that perhaps it wasn’t luck so much as a divine orchestration. “I was the right person for them, and they were the right group for me.”