American composer Aaron Copland is probably best-known for his ballet scores, including Billy the Kidd and Appalachian Spring. Copland had a wide range of artistic interests, collaborating with choreographer Martha Graham, writing film scores, and composing in most of the significant styles of the 20th century over the course of his career. His interest in…
Jose Bowen on his Pulitzer-nominated Symphony No. 1
José Bowen, among many other things, is the Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. His biography is extraordinary: as a scholar he has contributed immensely to the musicological field; as a jazz performer he has been all over the world. He has held a number of prestigious academic posts…
Program Notes: Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Our April 9-10 Season Finale includes Beethoven’s popular Symphony No. 7. Read on to learn about this piece… Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 Although Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony in A Major may not be quite as famous as his Fifth or Ninth, it recently starred in this year’s Oscar…
Amy Thiaville playing Bach and Ysaye, Mar 27th
I am so excited about my recital coming up at the end of this month. It’s a mixture of very standard with modern standard repertoire…..and a surprise or two. It will be a mostly solo recital, meaning only one violin on stage. This is a difficult feat to achieve because there is literally no time…
Danielle Kuhlmann on her Feb 27th solo concert
My upcoming ROCO Recital program will be a lot of fun- some of the most lush, romantic horn music paired with a little modern solo and some classic Mozart with strings. Choosing a program for a Horn recital is a unique process. To play consistenly for the length of a concert can be difficult-…
Why Conductorless?
Wikipedia defines conductorless as “a unique style of collaborative leadership in which the musicians interpret the music, not the conductor.” Performing conductorless requires collaboration, mutual respect, and “radical trust.” It empowers the individual musicians in a way that translates into an exciting experience for the audience. Removing the “wall” between orchestra and audience exposes an…
Peter and the Wolf is on, rain or shine!
Don’t let a little rain keep you away. Join us today, Sunday, January 16th, at 2pm in English, 3:30 in Spanish. We’re in the Brown Education Center Auditorium at the Houston Zoo.
ROCO and The Church of St. John the Divine present Amahl and the Night Visitors
The perfect way to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” by Gian Carlo Menotti, is the story of the journey of the Magi to visit the new Christ Child. Told through the eyes of a child, it is a poignant tale of a crippled shepherd boy and his destitute mother’s encounter…
ROCO to Premiere NANO Symphony
Molecules are motifs in nanosymphony New compositions to debut at Rice’s Buckyball Discovery Gala HOUSTON – (Oct. 5, 2010) – Rice University composer Anthony Brandt has compressed an entire evening at the symphony into a six-minute opus — a “nanosymphony” — as part of Rice University’s Year of Nano celebration. The River Oaks Chamber…
Announcing our 2010-2011 Season
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra is delighted to announce our 2010-2011 season, which will be “the most fun you can have with serious music”. The season features three concert weekends with the full 40-piece chamber orchestra, four “Music Tastings,” a solo concert series that features individual ROCO musicians, and several exciting collaborations. 2010-2011 Season Schedule ROCO IN…
Calling all amateur musicians!
ROCO is launching a Pro-Am Chamber Music Program. This program is for all of you who used to play an instrument: Dust it off and sign up for regular rehearsals and professional coaching by ROCO musicians. Pro-am musicians will be organized in chamber music groups: trios, quintets, etc. No auditions are required – just sign…
JoAnn Falletta Returns for 2010-2011
We’re delighted to announce that JoAnn Falletta will return as guest conductor for our 2010-2011 Season Opener, October 16-17. The New York Times calls Ms. Falletta, “one of the finest conductors of her generation.” The Season Opener program will include ROCO’s own principal bassist, Sandor Ostlund, who will premiere an original composition created especially for…
