By Concert

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Concertmaster Scott St. John led from the chair during ROCO’s Season 13 conductorless concert, “Legendary Love” - taking its title from this world premiere commission by composer Dan Visconti, honoring Christian Kidd, lead singer of the Houston-based ’70s punk rock band, The Hates. The performance also featured two new commissions by Houston-based composer, Mark Buller – “Nursery Rhymes” and “Tombstone Songs”. Two movements from Antonin Dvorák’s “Legends” paired with

ROCO Connections: A Dust in Time

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ROCO’s Connections series continued on November 19, 2021, presenting Huang Ruo’s A Dust in Time: Passacaglia for Strings at Asia Society Texas Center, and also livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, and YouTube. Structured similarly to a Tibetan sand mandala, the 60-minute uninterrupted musical meditation is slowly created live from the central essence point, expanding outward into colored fullness, then to be subtracted back to its origination. The cycle fulfills the spiritual jou

ROCO Connections: Blossoms

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ROCO’s Connections Series continued on January 27 in collaboration with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Rienzi house museum. The concert in their glorious ballroom featured Charles Loeffler‘s Rhapsodies and the world premiere of Nicky Sohn‘s Colors of Life’s Garden inspired by the plants and flowers in the 4.4-acre Rienzi Garden.

ROCO Connections: Celebration of Margaret Bonds

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ROCO's Season 16 Connections series continued via livestream in February, with an intimate concert featuring the music of Margaret Bonds—one of the most prolific Black composers of the 1900s—plus works by composers who influenced or were influenced by her, including Florence Price, Ned Rorem, and Robert Owens. A rare, previously unknown recording of Margaret Bonds in performance was discovered in the Mastersons’ collection at Rienzi. Produced in collaboration with Rienzi, the concert fe

ROCO Connections: From Here, There, and Nowhere

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Look back on ROCO’s Connections Series at Asia Society Texas Center, in From Here, There, and Nowhere, presenting an intimate evening of chamber music! ROCO violinist Min-Jeong Koh curated a personal, meaningful program of works by Asian composers, accompanied by her sister Bo Yon Koh on piano—musically telling their stories of immigrating from Korea to embracing their new home in North America.

ROCO Connections: Journey to America

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ROCO's Connections series continued March 11 with "Journey to America", livestreamed in partnership with Holocaust Museum Houston, and opening with Tim Hinck’s “Fanfare for Rosa”—a 2018 work commissioned by the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, written based on interviews the composer conducted with migrant children, recalling their experiences of entering the United States from South and Central America for the first time. Featuring musicians Alecia Lawyer, oboe; Maureen Nelson, vio

ROCO Connections: Rise Up

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ROCO’s Connections Series returned to the Asia Society Texas Center on October 20 presenting “Rise Up”— an evening of thought-provoking new chamber works and dialogue spotlighting the ongoing fight for women’s rights and equality, in the U.S, Iran, and around the world. Artistic Partner Mei-Ann Chen lead an ensemble of thirteen female ROCO musicians in the world premiere of Breaking the Veil by Grammy-winning Season 19 Composer-In-Residence Richard Danielpour and a new

ROCO Connections: Simple Gifts

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ROCO’s Connections Series continued on February 10 as we gave thanks for collaboration in “Simple Gifts,” bringing us to a new location at Rothko Chapel! Led by conductor Delyana Lazarova, Aaron Copland’s iconic tone poem Appalachian Spring, heard in its original 13-piece version, has inspired the ROCO-commissioned world premiere of James Stephenson’s Persephone with solo dancer, with original choreography by Marlana Doyle, founder of Houston Contemporary Dance Compa

ROCO Connections: The DeLUXE Theater

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ROCO made its debut at the jewel of Houston’s 5th Ward Cultural Arts District, the beautifully renovated historic DeLUXE Theater, on January 25th as we welcomed guest violinist Nicole Cherry in collaboration with ROCO Artistic Partner Scott St. John, presenting an evening of chamber works honoring and inspired by the outstanding contributions of London-based nineteenth-century Afro-European violin virtuoso, George Bridgetower. A part of Dr. Cherry’s commissioning project, “ForgeWithGeor

ROCO Connections: We Were the Music

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ROCO was honored to partner with the Holocaust Museum Houston marking the recent reopening of their expanded new building, for “We Were the Music” – a chamber concert featuring the world premieres of two ROCO commissions by Bruce Adolphe, part of his season triptych in tribute to women musicians of the Holocaust. Dedicated to Holocaust survivors Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and Alice Herz-Sommer, "We Were the Music" and "Music Is a Dream" by Bruce Adolphe were joined on the program by the mus

ROCO In Concert: A Stitch in Time

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On November 13, ROCO’s In Concert series marched on with “A Stitch in Time” at The Church of St. John the Divine and also livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, and YouTube. Conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson made her ROCO debut, leading the Texas premiere of Mark Adamo’s Last Year for cello and orchestra, featuring ROCO Principal Cellist Richard Belcher, with each movement representing one of the four seasons. Winding up the program are Hilary Purrington’s FIFteen Project commission Thresho

ROCO In Concert: Beauty is in the Eye

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ROCO’s In Concert series continued with “Beauty is in the Eye” on February 8, 2020. The performance, led by conductor Christopher Rountree in his ROCO debut, featured the next three new works in ROCO's FIFteen Project, including "Fanfarria de Feria" by Alejandro Basulto, the premiere of "Between the Earth and Forever" by Kevin Lau, a concerto for the erhu, plus music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, William Grant Still, and Jean-Féry Rebel. Recorded live February 8, 2020, at The Church of S

ROCO In Concert: Bursting at the Seams

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ROCO’s In Concert series, showcasing the full 40-piece orchestra, opened on September 25 with “Bursting at the Seams” at The Church of St. John the Divine, and livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, and YouTube. Conducted by ROCO’s Artistic Partner Mei-Ann Chen, the concert featured the world premiere of the first movement of Maxime Goulet’s Ice Storm Symphony, Turmoil, telling the story of Canada’s historic, devastating 1998 ice storm, and also featured the world premiere of Marcus Mar

ROCO In Concert: Canvasing the Earth

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ROCO’s 17th season In Concert series continued February 26, 2022 at 5:00 pm Central with “Canvasing the Earth” at The Church of St. John the Divine and also livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, YouTube, and A440. Conductor Sarah Hicks led the orchestra in her ROCO debut, featuring three world premieres, including "Earth" by Aaron Jay Kernis, featuring tenor Nicholas Phan, reflecting upon the fundamental environmental crisis of our time. Honoring survivors of human trafficking, Leanna

ROCO In Concert: Courageous

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ROCO’s trailblazing spirit was embodied in “COURAGEOUS”, spotlighting the full 40-piece chamber orchestra, on February 8th at The Church of St. John the Divine! Led by ROCO’s newest Artistic Partner Delyana Lazarova, and featuring acclaimed pianist Lara Downes, this concert was a testament to daring artistry. The Houston Youth Symphony joined ROCO once again in a dynamic side-by-side collaboration, for Emilie Mayer‘s bold Overture No. 2 in D Major. Explore the cutting edge

ROCO In Concert: Courageous Catalysts

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Continuing its 13th season, ROCO presented “Courageous Catalysts”, featuring Bruce Adolphe’s I Will Not Remain Silent, a violin concerto inspired by the life of German-American rabbi and civil rights leader, Joachim Prinz. Throughout the concerto, the violin, played by ROCO concertmaster and featured soloist, Scott St. John, represented the voice of Prinz, while the orchestra represents opposing forces – Nazi Germany in the first movement and America during the Civil Rights era in the se

ROCO In Concert: Double Trouble

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ROCO's Season 12 “In Concert” series came to a close with “Double Trouble”. The concert was led by conductor Steven Jarvi, with Scott St. John returning as concertmaster. The orchestra premiered another newly commissioned work on this concert - Alexander Miller’s ROCOmoji, which explores emotion through sound 😃. ROCO flutist, Brook Ferguson, was also featured in this concert, performing Saverio Mercadante’s Concerto for Flute in E-minor. Recorded April 1, 2017, at The Church of

ROCO In Concert: Family

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ROCO’s In Concert series opened on September 23 and 24 with “Family” at Miller Outdoor Theatre and The Church of St. John the Divine! Artistic Partner Mei-Ann Chen led the orchestra in a program inspired by community, family, and hope, honoring Houston’s cultural diversity. Juan Pablo Contreras‘ Mariachitlán takes you to the colorful streets of the composer’s birthplace in Jalisco, Mexico, and the traditional Vietnamese folk song Bèo dạt mây trôi, tells the stor

ROCO In Concert: Flamenco

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ROCO's 16th season concluded with flair on April 24, 2021 in “Flamenco”, featuring the world premiere of "The History of Red", a co-commission by Reena Esmail based on a text by Chickasaw poet Linda Hogan, with soprano Kathryn Mueller as soloist, led by conductor Brett Mitchell. The program also included the world premiere of Quinn Mason’s Princesa de la Luna for harp and strings, Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Errollyn Wallen’s Photography, and Carlos Surinach’s flam

ROCO In Concert: Fortune

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ROCO’s In Concert series continued with “Fortune”, on November 12 at The Church of St. John the Divine! Conductor Delyana Lazarova made her ROCO debut in a concert inspired by fantasy and fortune, leading the full chamber orchestra in two ROCO-commissioned world premieres, including William Bolcom‘s Dedication, orchestrated by Edmund Cionek, and Judah Adashi‘s the sun begins to fade, as part of ROCO’s FIFteen Project. Also featured is Finding Rothko by Adam Schoenb

ROCO In Concert: Friends

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ROCO’s In Concert series continued with “Friends”, on February 18 at Brockman Hall for Opera ! ROCO’s Albert & Margaret Alkek Foundation In Concert Series continues with a celebration of “Friends“, on February 18th at the Lucian and Nancy Morrison Theatre at Brockman Hall for Opera – Rice University! This concert truly showcases the orchestra, as the ensemble performs conductorless, with Artistic Partner and Concertmaster Scott St. John leading from the chair. Underlin

ROCO In Concert: Future

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ROCO’s Season 18 Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation In Concert Series wrapped up with a look toward our “Future,” on April 29 at The Church of St. John the Divine! In a program inspired by daring creativity and artistic innovation, conductor Michelle Merrill made her ROCO debut, leading the orchestra in the premiere of a ROCO-commissioned orchestral work by Juno award-winner Vivian Fung, Parade. Louise Farrenc’s fiery Symphony No. 1 also featured, with Igor Stravinsky’s

ROCO In Concert: Infrared

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Conductor Johannes Debus made his ROCO debut in INFRARED, a program featuring more than the eye can see—including two radiant world premieres commissioned by ROCO. Triple-threat Grammy-nominated Brazilian-American composer Clarice Assad’s Ode to Carmen Miranda opens, then experience “Nell ‘Inferno”, the blazing first movement of Richard Danielpour’s Symphony in Three Movements After the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Go galactic in Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiti

ROCO In Concert: Luminescent

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ROCO welcomed back conductor JoAnn Falletta, as the full 40-piece chamber orchestra shined in works of luminous orchestral color and creativity, including three premieres! Glimpse a vision of paradise in the third and final movement of Composer-In-Residence Richard Danielpour’s Symphony in Three Movements After the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, then experience the bold sounds of Conni Ellisor’s consortium-commissioned A Woman Without Apology, and dance to Astor Piazzolla’s Ta

ROCO In Concert: Magnetic

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Collaboration and innovation were on display in this June 7, 2024 showcase led by ROCO Artistic Partner and conductor Mei-Ann Chen as part of the 2024 League of American Orchestras Conference in Houston. Comprising several of ROCO’s previously commissioned world premieres and passion project works, alongside works by Gabriela Lena Frank, Jennifer Higdon, Errollyn Wallen, Reena Esmail, Heather Schmidt, and Leanna Primiani, and a premiere by Autumn Maria Reed—one of the finalists of R

ROCO In Concert: Oceans

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ROCO's livestreamed In Concert series continued Saturday, November 14, 2020 from The Church of St. John the Divine with “Oceans”, a nature-inspired program featuring the orchestra—conductorless! Celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday, the concert featured the U.S. premiere of composer Anna Clyne’s newest work, STRIDE, for string orchestra—a ROCO co-commission, with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Lausanne Chamber Orchestra. In writing this piec

ROCO In Concert: Outspoken

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Bold musical expression, inspired by the human experience, took center stage in “OUTSPOKEN” on November 2nd, at The Church of St. John the Divine. GRAMMY-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta, led the full 40-piece chamber orchestra in the world premieres of Jonathan Leshnoff‘s No Grit No Pearl, a ROCO-commissioned work celebrating resilience, and Juan Pablo Contreras‘ vibrant Alma Monarca, another world premiere commissioned by ROCO—honoring his family and the tradition of Día de lo

ROCO in Concert: Remarkable

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The extraordinary was experienced in ROCO’s milestone 20th season-opening concert “REMARKABLE” – featuring the full 40-piece chamber orchestra in three world premieres plus a new twist on an out-of-this-world classic, recorded live from The Church of St. John the Divine on September 28th, 2024. Under the dynamic direction of Artistic Partner Mei-Ann Chen, we headed to the stars with the world premiere ROCO commission Constellations by Viet Cuong, ROCO’s Season 20 Composer in

ROCO In Concert: Seismic

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ROCO kicked off its 19th season with SEISMIC, an opening concert of epic proportions, featuring the full 40-piece chamber orchestra led by Artistic Partner Mei-Ann Chen in two ROCO-commissioned world premieres and an exhilarating tale of love, intrigue, and adventure! Presented at Miller Outdoor Theatre on September 29th, and at The Church of St. John the Divine on September 30th. Anthony DiLorenzo’s ROCO world premiere commission Tectonal, featuring AI text-informed animation b

ROCO In Concert: Shadows

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ROCO's Season 16 In Concert series continued with "Shadows", exploring the musical interplay of light and dark. The program was built around a commission by Alyssa Morris, Tlapalli Tlahuilli—inspired by an Aztec myth detailing how the world received its sound and color—featuring ROCO’s principal winds as soloists, preceded by narration of the book “Musicians of the Sun” by Gerald McDermott, by members of the Calmecac Indigenous Arts Organization. Led by conductor Ward Stare in hi

ROCO In Concert: Starburst

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ROCO’s 16th season In Concert series kicked off Sept. 26, 2020 with “Starburst”, a program of musical light and energy, conducted by ROCO Artistic Partner Mei-Ann Chen. The all-virtual concert featured Richard Scofano as composer and soloist on the bandoneon (a Latin-American bellowed instrument), in the world premiere of his new work La Tierra Sin Mal (The Land Without Evil), and additional works included Jessie Montgomery’s brilliant Starburst; Fauré’s Masques et bergamasques; De

ROCO In Concert: Supersonic

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Conductor Delyana Lazarova returned, leading ROCO’s full chamber orchestra in a high-octane program brimming with dynamic energy! Elfrida Andree’s colorful, lyrical Symphony No. 2 in A Minor, with its exuberant opening theme, paved the way for the U.S. premiere of Composer-In-Residence Richard Danielpour’s “Voci dal Purgatorio”, a journey to rebirth – the second movement of his Symphony in Three Movements After the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Then, thrill to Jess

ROCO In Concert: Tying Up Loose Ends

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ROCO’s 17th season Albert & Margaret Alkek Foundation In Concert Series closed on April 23 with “Tying Up Loose Ends”, live at The Church of St. John the Divine. Conducted by Rei Hotoda in her ROCO debut, the program centered around the world premiere of "Plumes" for large chamber orchestra by Composer-In-Residence Derek Bermel based on J. Henry Fair’s photography collection “Industrial Scars”—capturing the beauty and destruction of industrial and human impacts on our planet

ROCO Unchambered: Alecia Lawyer & Audrey Andrist

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Capturing an evening of gorgeous sounds and sights, ROCO’s Unchambered Series opened on October 19th, 2024 at Horizon on Sunset Art Gallery & Event Center and featured Founder, Artistic Director, and Principal Oboist Alecia Lawyer and pianist Audrey Andrist. Be swept away in picturesque works curated by the performing artists themselves, such as Houston-native Jefferson Todd Frazier‘s Music for the Birds, inspired by species of the Gulf Coast, a duo by Jessica Meyer, Carl Emm

ROCO Unchambered: Bernhard Scully and Matthew McClung, Mark Schultz – Dragons in the Sky

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Recorded live on November 21, 2024, from The Menil Collection’s Dan Flavin Installation at Richmond Hall, ROCO Principal Hornist Bernhard Scully and Principal Percussionist Matthew McClung deliver a thrilling performance of Mark Schultz‘s Dragons in the Sky.

ROCO Unchambered: Force of Nature

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ROCO’s principal flute, Brook Ferguson, featured as soloist and curator on “Force of Nature”, joined by pianist Susan Grace, on December 8, 2018, at MATCH (Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston). Showcasing nature-themed music for flute, oboe, cello, and piano, the program included Michael Gandolfi’s Geppetto’s Workshop, and a new ROCO commission by Stephanie Ann Boyd – Sapien. Videography by Blueprint Film Co.

ROCO Unchambered: Kaleidoscope

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"Konza Parable", a ROCO commission, is inspired by the Konza Prairie's lifecycle of burning and rebirth. ROCO's 16th season continued with “Kaleidoscope,” the second performance of ROCO’s musician-curated Unchambered series—streamed live in partnership with and from The Alta Arts, an organization celebrating cultural arts and architecture in southwest Houston. Featuring ROCO’s principal winds, the nature-inspired program presented two world premieres by ROCO’s composer-in-resid

ROCO Unchambered: Kristin Wolfe Jensen

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Listen back to ROCO’s Season 18 Unchambered series performance from November 4 at Life HTX! Kristin Wolfe Jensen, ROCO’s Principal Bassoonist, curated a program centered around our gratitude for educators across the world, featuring chamber music for double reeds, and an interactive Q&A. This heartfelt, vibrant program also included a ROCO World Premiere Co-Commission by Kate Pukinskis for bassoon, oboe, and voice, and other works by Jenni Brandon, Scott Joplin, Astor Piazzolla, H

ROCO Unchambered: Love Notes

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ROCO's Season 16 Unchambered series opened with “Love Notes,” a nature-inspired program of beauty, respite, and reflection, featuring flutist Rebecca Powell Garfield, oboist Spring Hill, and harpist Laurie Meister, broadcast from the galleries of Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art. Featured artwork is by artist Christina Nicodema, from the exhibit "Mayfly". Opening the concert was the world premiere of a ROCO commission by Karim Al-Zand, "Dance Interlude for Two Oboes and English Horn", featuring

ROCO Unchambered: Morsels

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ROCO's Unchambered series featured a musical tasting menu of string quartets, curated by ROCO concertmaster Scott St John, in "Morsels", from November 2, 2019. Joined by ROCO violinist Min-Jeong Koh, co-principal violist Matthew Dane, and principal cellist Richard Belcher, Scott took the audience through a program telling his own coming-of-age story as a musician, with featured works ranging from the Baroque up to the brand-new. Pieces by Mozart, Dvořák, Hindemith, Webern, Busch, and a worl

ROCO Unchambered: Spinning Tales

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ROCO’s Season 17 Unchambered series wrapped up April 2 with “Spinning Tales”, highlighting the percussion family, live from MATCH and also livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, YouTube, and A440.live. Featuring and curated by ROCO percussionists Matthew McClung, Christina Carroll, and Craig Hauschildt, the program presented music by composers such as Quinn Mason, Thomas Rex Beverly, Christopher Deane, Keiko Abe, and more, taking the audience on a journey through a wide variety of percussi

Performance Archive