Every commission has a unique story, but they all have a similar path. ROCO commissions an average of 10 new works each season and will have performed the world premiere of nearly 80 commissioned new works by the end of the current season.
Buffalo Bayou’s new soundtrack is heard in landscape thanks to ROCO | Houston Chronicle Preview
Jill Jarvis has a goal of one outdoor outing a day with her four children.
Earlier this month, the local blogger added an interactive soundtrack to the family’s regular stroll along the Buffalo Bayou trails. The Jarvises parked as they always do near the Sabine Street bridge, setting off in search of ROCO’s new QR-coded musical stops along the bayou.
Houston’s ROCO teaches children how to listen to classical music | Houston Chronicle Preview
ROCOrooters is more than just a novel approach to child care. It’s a kid-facing classical-music program that doesn’t talk down to youngsters, hoping instead to nurture them into lifelong fans.
Music in the Air — This ROCO Gala Breaks New Ground in Virtual Fun | PaperCity Magazine
Planning virtual fundraising events is no easy task and honestly not very promising on delivering interest. That said, meeting the challenge in style over the weekend was ROCO (previously known as River Oaks Chamber Orchestra) which aired its live performance from Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. It was a first in many ways.
Houston’s ROCO: definitely not your parents’ chamber orchestra | Houston Chronicle Preview
With its emphasis on new technology and diverse programming – ranging from a work by a Public Enemy producer to an Aztec folk tale – the orchestra is ahead of the cultural curve.
ROCO on Buffalo Bayou
This October, Buffalo Bayou Partnership is celebrating their 5th anniversary of the revitalization and transformation of Buffalo Bayou. Explore forty stops along the trails of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, with ROCO providing the soundtrack to its landmarks and public art. Just scan the QR code and you’ll be taken to a page corresponding to each landmark or art piece, with a paired music selection from ROCO’s fifteen years of live performance recordings, curated by the ROCO team.
Season 16 Announced!
ROCO’s 16th season features illuminating musical collaborations exploring global soundscapes, presenting ten commissions, in three series of concerts showcasing the ensemble’s flexible model. New works include a nature-inspired triptych by Alyssa Morris, a concerto for bandoneon (a Latin-American bellowed instrument) by soloist Richard Scofano, a vocal work by Reena Esmail based on Chickasaw poetry, a…
ROCO offers ‘Hope’ in a socially distant era | Preview – Houston Chronicle
With orchestra musicians scattered all over the country, ROCO knows how to operate remotely. But last week the 39-member ensemble attempted a particularly complicated task: to perform “Anthem of Hope,” Anthony DiLorenzo’s four-minute composition from 39 different locations.
ROCO ahead of the corona curve with an emphasis on streaming
Long before audiences were forced to stay home, the Houston orchestra was deep into streaming. Long before anyone heard of “flattening the curve,” Houston’s ROCO was ahead of the curve. With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing Americans to seek entertainment and cultural enrichment on the Internet, the potential — and necessity — of streaming…
Coming full circle: a ROCOInsider Q&A with hornist Danielle Kuhlmann
Ahead of Saturday’s ROCO Unchambered, we had a chance to chat with principal hornist Danielle Kuhlmann about her program, and the colorful threads of her musical story it unravels. Discover the family ties which inspired her career, and the tapestry of music that has shaped her life – in this ROCOInsider!
River Oaks CO achieves liftoff with premiere of celestial erhu concerto | Texas Classical Review
River Oaks CO achieves liftoff with premiere of celestial erhu concerto Mon Feb 10, 2020 at 11:42 am By Steven Brown When the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra commissioned Kevin Lau to write a concerto for erhu, the two-stringed Chinese instrument, he sidestepped the obvious approach. Rather than seek inspiration in the music or culture of…
Of two worlds: a ROCOInsider Q&A with composer Kevin Lau
This Saturday, we’re so excited to welcome back a returning collaborator for ROCO’s 90th world premiere commission – composer Kevin Lau! In this edition of ROCOInsider, we chatted with Kevin to learn more about the out-of-this-world inspiration for his newest work, “Between the Earth and Forever,” and what it’s like writing for the exotic instrument it features, the Chinese erhu. It all started with an iconic image from space – read on to hear how it captured his imagination, sparking a musical fusion of east and west!
