ROCO performs a piece written after Harvey to honor the strength, caring and courage of Houstonians. ROCO in concert on September 23, 2017 at The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston. Blueprint Film Co / ROCO
CATHERINE LU | POSTED ON
HPM’s “Houston Music Highlight” Series features performances with local connections – whether spotlighting music by Houston composers, commercial recordings by Houston musicians, or performances by local or visiting artists recorded at Houston Public Media.
In the days immediately following Harvey and its devastating floods, Houston chamber orchestra, ROCO, commissioned two works to help celebrate the resilient spirit of the city and to help people heal.
The first of those Harvey commissions was Anthem of Hope: Houston Strong by Emmy Award-winning composer Anthony DiLorenzo. ROCO gave the World Premiere on September 22 at Miller Outdoor Theatre and September 23 at The Church of St. John the Divine, to kick off its 2017-18 season.
“Our hope at ROCO is that the performance of the piece touches people and reaffirms the pride we all have in Houston,” says Alecia Lawyer, who is Founder, Artistic Director and Principal Oboist.
The orchestra is making this piece available to all arts groups in Houston to perform through this 2017-18 season, “to create a thread of music tying us all together, illustrating the unity Houston has displayed in the past few weeks.”
Listen to ROCO’s performance of Anthony DiLorenzo’s Anthem of Hope: Houston Strong, above. Recorded in concert at St. John the Divine on September 23, 2017.
ROCO’s presents the World Premiere of its second Harvey commission, “The Big Heart” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts, on the concert Courageous Catalysts, this Saturday, November 11, 2017, 5pm at The Church of St. John the Divine.
Source: Houston Music Highlight – Anthem of Hope: Houston Strong | Houston Public Media
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