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As the sun was setting on the other side of the sprawling grassy hill, Susan Putt held up a big sign that said 鈥淟ove you, L谩szl贸鈥� while retired Tucson City Parks employee Raymond Woyak was sneaking a moment with the Tucson Pops Orchestra conductor L谩szl贸 Veres moments before he took the stage for a final time.

鈥淚 had to come back,鈥� said Woyak, who had missed only three 鈥淢usic Under the Stars鈥� concerts in the 45 years that he worked the DeMeester sound board; he retired from the Tucson Parks and Recreation Department in 2015. 鈥淟谩szl贸 and I go back such a long time.鈥�

Sunday was Veres鈥� 227th, and final, concert with the Pops Orchestra, which he led for 32 years 鈥� 27 of them as the full-time music director/conductor. The event had the feeling of a rock concert meets backyard family gathering, which is how these concerts held in the spring and fall have long felt with Veres at the podium.

鈥淗e鈥檚 such a gem of Tucson,鈥� said Putt, who has attended Tucson Pops concerts with a group from her Oro Valley church for the past several years. 鈥淣ot only is he brilliantly talented, but he is entertaining and inspirational.鈥�

鈥淗e鈥檚 personality personified,鈥� said first-timer Jim Nicolai, who was at Sunday鈥檚 concert with his violinist teen son Jude. 鈥淵ou can see the chutzpah in him 鈥� and you can tell he鈥檚 having fun.鈥�

鈥淗e鈥檚 got a fun sense of humor both with the audience and with the orchestra,鈥� said longtime Tucson Pops Concertmaster Michael Fan. 鈥淗e tells terrible jokes, but he makes them funny for some reason. When he tells a dad joke, it comes off OK. Maybe it鈥檚 the accent that makes it sound cool.鈥�

The Hungarian-born Veres, who turns 85 on Sunday, June 19, decided a couple of years ago that the 2022 spring concert series finale would be his final bow with the orchestra, comprised of moonlighting Tucson Symphony Orchestra players. Two years ago, he began auditioning his replacement and winding down his tenure.

鈥淚t is bittersweet, but I am glad I made up my mind that June 12 was going to be the final,鈥� Veres said. 鈥淥nce I made up my mind, that鈥檚 it. I felt good about it. I went out on a high note. I didn鈥檛 want to go out when I would be dragging myself, so I feel good about it.鈥�

His finale was filled with little surprises, including his granddaughter Karylin flying home unannounced from Chicago and the city parks department crew presenting 鈥淭he Maestro鈥� with a special gift.

Veres had a few well-worn surprises for the audience, as well, little gestures that have been signatures for as long as anyone can remember including donning the 鈥淧hantom of the Opera鈥� cape and mask and bringing a half-dozen drummers onstage to bang out the cannon鈥檚 boom at the end of Tchaikovsky鈥檚 1812 Overture.

Audience members held the biggest surprise of the night in their hands: the program.

Just before the orchestra struck a single note, Veres let the audience know the program was useless; he rewrote most of it no more than 72 hours before the concert, surprising his orchestra Saturday with the changes at rehearsal.

From the original program, Veres kept Tchaikovsky鈥檚 1812 and the Act 1 prelude to Verdi鈥檚 鈥淟a Traviata,鈥� which the orchestra was set to play in 2019 but had to postpone when the concert was canceled because of rain. He also kept the world premiere of Tucson composer Peter Fine鈥檚 鈥淩ainstorm鈥� movement from his much larger orchestral piece 鈥淭he Journey鈥� and Powell鈥檚 delightful 鈥淗ow to Tame Your Dragon鈥� from the animated feature of the same name.

Everything else was improvised, from opening with Spanish composer Jos茅 Padilla鈥檚 popular 鈥淓l Relicario鈥� 鈥� one of the first works he performed with the orchestra more than 30 years ago 鈥� to Queen鈥檚 鈥淏ohemian Rhapsody,鈥� which the orchestra had just played June 5.

鈥淚 never play a piece more than once, but I鈥檓 going to tonight,鈥� Veres said.

He mixed in a little Latin spice with Miami Sound Machine鈥檚 鈥淐onga鈥� and some music from home with the Hungarian folk tune 鈥淥h! My Pappa,鈥� which Veres sung in Hungarian. He took a side trip to Broadway with the iconic 鈥淢aria鈥� and 鈥淎merica鈥� from Leonard Bernstein鈥檚 鈥淲est Side Story鈥� and selections from 鈥淧hantom of the Opera鈥� decked out in the Phantom鈥檚 black cape and white mask for the part.

In between the fan-favorite Broadway tune 鈥淥ver the Rainbow鈥� in a nod to Judy Garland鈥檚 100th birthday and the Beer Barrel Polka, Jack Neuback serenaded Veres with the Frank Sinatra signature anthem 鈥淢y Way.鈥�

Looking ahead

From somewhere in the audience, Khris Dodge was looking on at all of this with a bit of awe and a smidge of 鈥渨hat have I gotten myself into.鈥�

The former music teacher, who ironically replaced Veres as head of Tucson High Magnet School鈥檚 Jovert steel band program when Veres retired years ago, was named to replace Veres with the Tucson Pops beginning this fall. His debut concert will be Sept. 11.

鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly a little imposing to follow a legend and such a big staple in our community,鈥� said Dodge, who also is executive director of the Tucson Jazz Festival and has his own entertainment production company. 鈥淭hat being said, L谩szl贸 has been super gracious and kind in allowing me to be me in the process and offering advice. I approach it in the aspect of, obviously, I will respect the past and what has been laid before.鈥�

Although his career with the Pops is over, Veres isn鈥檛 putting away his baton entirely. He will continue directing the volunteer Arizona Symphonic Winds 鈥渦ntil I drop,鈥� he joked.

The Winds, which Veres formed in 1986, performs its spring and fall 鈥淢usic in the Park鈥� series at the L谩szl贸 Veres Amphitheater at Udall Park.