Connections
The Connections Series takes audiences into new and unexpected places for site-specific performances, connecting the community through music in partnership with other arts and community organizations.
Upcoming Performances
ROCO Connections: The River Oaks Theatre
ROCO returns to the River Oaks Theatre to open its Connections Series with a cinematic celebration of silent film and live music. Led by guest composer and conductor Andrew Earle Simpson, the program features original scores performed by a live chamber ensemble alongside classic films including Disney’s Silly Symphony: "Music Land", Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant, and Laurel and Hardy’s Liberty. With a fresh new score by Simpson for each film, audiences will experience the magic of early cinema in a vibrant, reimagined format full of laughs, nostalgia, and musical storytelling. This one-night-only event is a must for film buffs, music lovers, and anyone looking for a fun night out in one of Houston’s most iconic venues.
ROCO Connections: Beer & Brass
Raise a glass with ROCO as the annual Beer & Brass tradition continues! Hosted at Saint Arnold Brewing Company, this spirited event features the ROCO Brass Quintet performing traditional beer hall music and favorite brass arrangements. Perfect for a midweek adventure, the evening pairs engaging, interactive performances with locally brewed craft beers, tasty bites, and good company. Whether you're a brass fan or just love a good brew, this event offers a fun experience to ring in the new year.
ROCO Connections: Songs of Comfort
ROCO’s Connections Series continues with Songs of Comfort, a program of emotional resonance hosted in the Boniuk Center at Holocaust Museum Houston. Through a selection of thoughtfully curated works, this concert exhibits music’s power to reflect and uplift in times of grief and remembrance. Featuring performances from a quartet of ROCO musicians, the evening honors personal and collective memory through music that speaks across generations and traditions, inviting audiences to reflect on the role of music in preserving hope and history. Commissioned by ROCO, the quartet premieres composer James Stephenson's new work Quartet for Tomorrow, written as a companion piece to Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time.
ROCO Connections: Celebrating the World EXPO in Japan 2025
ROCO joins the global celebration of the 2025 World EXPO in Osaka with Celebrating the World EXPO in Japan 2025, a cross-cultural evening honoring innovation, tradition, and international exchange. Hosted at Asia Society Texas Center, this concert features ROCO musicians Kana Kimura (violin), Maiko Sasaki (clarinet), Shino Hayashi (cello), and guest pianist Hiroaki Tokunaga in a program that bridges East and West.
ROCO Connections: Neurofeedback
ROCO concludes its Connections Series and its 21st season with Neurofeedback—a bold exploration of how music and the brain intertwine. Presented first at ARTECHOUSE Houston, the performance pairs ROCO musicians with advanced technology, translating real-time neural activity into immersive visuals that react to the sound waves emitted by the musical instruments. Designed in partnership with neuroscientists and digital artists, Neurofeedback invites audiences to consider how music moves us emotionally and how we process it biologically. The concert features guest pianist Mei Rui (Director of Music in Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center) and a newly commissioned piece by Anthony Brandt.
