We’re back with another installment of ROCOInsider to preview this season’s first ROCO Unchambered concert, Mind Games! This week we chatted with composer Richard Lavenda, ahead of Saturday’s premiere of his most adventurous piece yet – Pathfinder, which incorporates audience input to help influence the piece’s direction in the moment.
ROCOInsider: Q&A with Checkmate’s Maxime Goulet
To kick off Season 14, we are excited to take you behind the scenes of ROCO In Concert: Checkmate with the first installment of ROCOInsider – a series featuring a sneak peek into the varied artistic and technical elements involved in the production of a ROCO concert.
Anthem of Hope: Houston Strong
Helping Houston heal from Harvey, ROCO commissioned Emmy Award-winning composer, Anthony DiLorenzo, to write Anthem of Hope: Houston Strong as a tribute to the city’s resilience. The two-minute fanfare honors the strength, caring, and courage our community showed the world, both during initial rescue efforts, and now in recovery. The new work received its world…
Hurricane Harvey Relief
ROCO’s heart is broken for our city and everyone who has been affected by Hurricane Harvey, including colleague organizations whose Houston performance venues, the Wortham Center, Hobby Center, and Alley Theatre, have been flooded. We realize the damage to these venues affects numerous organizations and all who work for them. If you work in the…
Support ROCO’s First Commercial Recording!
What: 5 ROCO world premiere commissions, all from living American Composers, selected by ROCO Musicians from our 58 world premiere commissions: – Marcus Maroney’s “Concerto for Chamber Orchestra” – Anthony DiLorenzo’s “Jabberwocky” – Derek Bermel’s “Murmurations” – Reena Esmail’s “Teen Murti” – Karim Al-Zand’s “Visions from Another World” Who: – World-Renowned Conductor, Mei-Ann Chen – Grammy-winning…
Season 13 announced: Subscribe today!
ROCO announces its 2017–18 season, themed “Cultivate Curiosity,” with a lineup of concerts and collaborations that appeal to lifelong learners and anyone who loves to explore new and exciting worlds. “In our 13th season, ROCO celebrates all the ways that we embrace innovation and invites audiences to cultivate their own curiosities in musical conversation with…
Welcome Amy Gibbs as Managing Director!
ROCO announces the hire of Amy Gibbs as managing director. Gibbs comes to ROCO with a rich background in arts administration and organizational development. “With her high energy, laser focus and strategic outlook, Amy Gibbs is the perfect catalyst to continue to support our rapid growth,” said Alecia Lawyer, ROCO founder, artistic director and principal…
A big poodle face with hearts for eyes? Composer Alexander Miller reveals his favorite emoji and more
Do you have a favorite emoji? If you could design your own, what would it look like and represent? We ask composer and oboist Alexander Miller this and more ahead of “Double Trouble” on Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1. Q: The idea of writing a piece inspired by emoji . . . we…
Home for the human soul: A concert of music that speaks to everyone
Ahead of “Roots, Reeds, & Rhapsody” at Asia Society Texas Center on March 23, ROCO clarinetist Maiko Saski shares her thoughts on the program. Q: How did you put this program together. What unifies all the pieces? Maiko Sasaki: My selection is based on “folk influences in classical music.” Throughout history, classical music composers have…
Music that Downton Abbey would love: Schubert tells a captivating story
Ahead of an Unchambered ROCO performance featuring Franz Schubert’s Octet on Sunday, March 5, 2017, we chat with principal clarinetist Nathan Williams about getting ready to perform this gorgeous, beautiful and meaningful work of chamber music. Q: What’s one thing that’s surprising about the Schubert Octet? Nathan Williams: The length of the work, which is…
ROCO’s Newest Partnership!
ROCO is excited to announce a partnership this season with Coregami, a Texas-based clothing company that specializes in performal™ wear – concert attire that combines athletic functionality with formal aesthetics. Frustrated by the incredible discomfort of his concert tuxedo and the lack of alternatives, Coregami founder, violinist Kevin Yu, became obsessed with re-thinking and re-imagining formal wear. The result? A high-tech,…
Danceable grooves in an unlikely dance inspired by an unlikely image
Born in Venezuela but currently residing in the U.S., Ricardo Lorenz is recognized internationally for his fiery harmonic compositions. He has a diverse musical background having earned a Ph.D. degree in composition from the University of Chicago and a Master of Music degree from Indiana University. He has taught at both schools as well as…
