Mary Lewis Kleberg No one would have enjoyed Saturday’s holiday musical feast more than the late Mary Lewis Kleberg, a champion of the arts and education, who died last February.

The Kingsville Symphony Orchestra will present its second King Ranch Holiday Spectacular Concert at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, in Jones Auditorium, 855 N. Armstrong, on the Texas A&M University-Kingsville campus, and the program is dedicated to the memory of the late Mrs. Kleberg in appreciation of her many contributions to Kingsville culture and her celebration of life.

The concert will be conducted by Lee Gwozdz, director of music at the Corpus Christi Cathedral. The program will include traditional orchestral pieces, compositions written for film and television and Christmas carols. The Cathedral Choir will provide vocals for the carols. The concert is sponsored by the King Ranch Family Trust, Kleberg Bank and the Kleberg Foundation. Tickets are available at the A&M-Kingsville music department at 361-593-2803, the Kingsville Convention and Visitors Bureau at 361-592-8516 or the Kingsville Chamber of Commerce at 361-592-6438.

Saturday’s concert will be conducted by Lee Gwozdz, director of music at the Corpus Christi Cathedral. Prices for individual tickets are $5, $10, $20 and $30.

If last year’s King Ranch Holiday Spectacular Concert tradition continues, then Saturday’s presentation is expected to be a sellout.

The generosity and philanthropy of Mrs. Kleberg is widespread in all the communities where she had family and spent time in her life.

She had long been a member of the King Ranch Family trust, helping direct support beyond her own personal resources.

She was an education and arts advocate in South Texas, San Antonio and in Austin throughout her life. Mrs. Kleberg was appointed to the Board of Directors of the University System of South Texas in 1964, serving in that capacity for 24 years, appointed by three subsequent Texas Governors and at intervals serving as vice president and secretary of that board.

She served as honorary chair of the Building On Our Traditions campaign, the first university-wide capital campaign conducted by Texas A&M-Kingsville, from 2005 to 2008. Further Education advocacy and support took the form of board memberships at St Mary’s Hall in San Antonio and Epiphany Episcopal School, which she co founded, and 20 years with Santa Gertrudis Independent School District in Kingsville.

As an arts advocate, she spearheaded bringing the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra to Kingsville to perform annually on the Texas A&I campus, providing free tickets to the public schools. She supported the International Young Performers Competitions along with the Music Club of Kingsville, the Zachary Scott Public Theater in Austin honoring her late actor brother, and she was a board member of the Fine Arts Council of The University of Texas.

Some of the many organizations to which she gave her time and support include in San Antonio, the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health, Trinity University, San Antonio Botanical Center, and San Antonio Museum of Art.

In Corpus Christi, she was founding director of KEDT, the public television and radio stations, served in the board of The Art Museum of South Texas and was active with The Texas State Aquarium and Spohn Hospice Program.

In Kingsville, her activities and support were directed at the Community Concert Association, the Robert J. Kleberg Library, the John E. Conner Museum, the Kingsville Downtown Business Association, the Kingsville Garden Club, and she remained a lifetime member of the Kingsville Women’s Club at the time of her death. She is a past recipient of the Otis West Lifetime Service Award, presented buy the Kingsville Chamber of Commerce.

The Kingsville Symphony Orchestra will also perform in concert at the second annual KSO Children’s Concert Friday, Nov. 20, at 10 a.m. in Jones Auditorium.

Gwozdz will be guest conductor. The concert will be attended by primary school students from Kingsville, Ricardo, Riviera, Sarita and Driscoll. Last year’s concert was received by a packed house with great appreciation.

A variety of orchestral music will be presented to the students, including film and television music alongside classics by Bach, Bizet and Saint- Saens.