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…
ROCO Connections: We Were the Music
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…
ROCO Connections: Celebration of Margaret Bonds
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…
ROCO Unchambered: Kaleidoscope
“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…
ROCO Unchambered: Love Notes
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…
ROCO In Concert: Oceans
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…
ROCO In Concert: Starburst
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…
ROCO In Concert: Double Trouble
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…
ROCO In Concert: Beauty is in the Eye
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…
ROCO In Concert: Courageous Catalysts
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…
ROCO – In Concert: Legendary Love
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…
ROCO In Concert: Bursting at the Seams
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…
