“You can be doing the opera one day and Metallica the next”

Tiffany Brown

Beth Lano was in junior high school when she first played the French horn. She says she learned a lot about music from Frank Sinatra.

By Kristen Peterson (contact)

Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Name: Beth Lano, French horn player

Gigs: Associate principal of the Las Vegas Philharmonic, radio personality

Age: 50

Education: Ball State University and Indiana University, majoring in music performance and minoring in communication studies.

Why Vegas? Wayne Newton brought her to town (can’t get any more Vegas than that). In 1982, Lano was just out of college and working with a summer stock theater group in Indianapolis. It was the last show of the summer. Newton was the headliner, and he asked Lano and friend Kim DeLibero (now harpist for the Las Vegas Philharmonic) to join his band in Las Vegas. They had 10 days to pack their things and head west. Lano borrowed $200 from her mom’s boss, and she and DeLibero drove cross country. Lano played her horn to Earth, Wind and Fire on the drive. They checked into the Tropicana and played with Newton at Caesars Palace the night after they arrived.

“I fell in love with the town. Two months after I moved here Lefty Rosenthal’s car was blown up outside Tony Roma’s. I thought, ‘Wow. Is this an exciting place to live, or what?’ ”

Lano stayed with Newton’s orchestra through 1986. Wanting to get off the road, she took a job performing — and occasionally conducting — the “Jubilee!” orchestra. A year and a half later, production shows on the Strip turned to recorded music. Musicians went on strike. Lano walked the picket line, then became director of public relations for the Las Vegas Musicians Union. After that, she moved on to freelance gigs and a voice-over and radio career.

Her dream was to play with Frank Sinatra and she did, traveling with his East and West Coast orchestras on and off for 10 years.

She played with the Nevada Symphony Orchestra and was an original musician with the Las Vegas Philharmonic. She performed in “Spamalot” with John O’Hurley until it closed in July and plays countless freelance gigs. You can also find her in the “Phantom of the Opera” orchestra.

Lano is also an announcer with Nevada Public Radio and hosted her morning show on KSTJ 102.7-FM from 1998 to 2007. She was a DJ for “Romance through the Night” on KJUL 104.3-FM and hosted radio shows on KNUU 970-AM and KQOL 93.1-FM in Las Vegas.

Why French horn? She was first chair trumpet in junior high school when the director had her play French horn for a piece of music. “As soon as I picked up the horn I fell in love with it.”

Favorite music? “If I had a full-time job in an orchestra that would play Mahler, Strauss, Wagner and Bruckner, I’d be really happy. It’s very gratifying for French horn players.”

Favorite performers: “In many ways, Sinatra was my favorite. He acknowledged every composer, lyricist and arranger. He did that for every song. I learned a lot about music from him.”

Favorite gigs: “The whole of ‘Spamalot’ was good. Andrea Bocelli down at Lake Las Vegas, the coldest days of my life, but it was really thrilling. Alicia Keys, the early ’90s playing with Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle. That’s what keeps me here. You can be doing the opera one day and Metallica the next. ‘Spamalot’ was probably the most fun, steady job I’ve ever had in my life. The, cast, the orchestra, from the top down, was great. “It wasn’t at all like doing the same show every night. Flying body parts. What’s better than that?”

Best radio interview: With Andy Garcia discussing his movie “The Lost City.”

Other interests: Music, blogging and reading. “I’m on an “American transcendentalist kick — Alcott, Emerson, Thoreau. And poetry, Mary Oliver. Nature stuff.” Lives with four cats, Thai, Miccia, Poppy and Bonnie.

Sticking around? “Yeah. I had several chances to leave during my radio career — some nice cities, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Providence, R.I. But nothing felt right. I felt I really needed to stay here. I’m so invested in this community. I just really want to see what happens. The Smith Center is going to do so much for our arts community.”