River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) continues its 2011-2012 season, “a fusion of cultures and generations,” by welcoming Kazem Abdullah, who will conduct Schubert Symphony No. 4, Haydn Cello Concerto, performed by soloist, Richard Belcher, the world premiere of Paul English’s Lumière Lunaire, plus a surprise or two. Maestro Kazem Abdullah has become one of the…
Peter and the Wolf at the Houston Zoo, Jan 15th
On Sunday, January 15th, 2012, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) and InterActive Theater Company will present two performances of the children’s classic, Peter and the Wolf, in partnership with The Houston Zoo. The story, whose original intent was to “cultivate musical tastes in children from the first years of school,” still delights and entertains. An…
ROCO and St. John the Divine present a holiday concert: Amahl and the Night Visitors
St. John the Divine and River Oaks Chamber Orchestra will present their second annual production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, on January 6th, 2012, at 6 and 8pm, at The Church of St. John the Divine. The perfect way to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” by Gian Carlo Menotti, is…
New ROCO String Quartet Series at University of St. Thomas
With the launch of this String Quartet series, ROCO is featuring chamber ensembles drawn from within the full 40-piece chamber orchestra. Chamber music has been called “music among friends” because of its intimate nature. This series allows ROCO to expand relationships among musicians, with composers, and with the audience by presenting musical conversations that include…
Announcing our 2011-2012 Season
ROCO’s 2011-2012 season is a “fusion of cultures and generations,” with ROCO’s 40 all-star musicians and guest artists from around the world presenting classical favorites and world premieres. First up is Beer & Brass at St. Arnold Brewery, September 20th, followed by the inaugural concert of a new ROCO Chamber Series hosted by the University of…
ROCO Concert Series on KUHF
Throughout the month of July ROCO Concerts will be rebroadcast on the new Classical 91.7 (formerly KUHF) on Wednesday evenings at 8pm. Tune in, or listen online at Classical91.7.org
Program Notes: Copland’s Clarinet Concerto
American composer Aaron Copland is probably best-known for his ballet scores, including Billy the Kidd and Appalachian Spring. Copland had a wide range of artistic interests, collaborating with choreographer Martha Graham, writing film scores, and composing in most of the significant styles of the 20th century over the course of his career. His interest in…
Jose Bowen on his Pulitzer-nominated Symphony No. 1
José Bowen, among many other things, is the Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. His biography is extraordinary: as a scholar he has contributed immensely to the musicological field; as a jazz performer he has been all over the world. He has held a number of prestigious academic posts…
Program Notes: Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Our April 9-10 Season Finale includes Beethoven’s popular Symphony No. 7. Read on to learn about this piece… Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 Although Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony in A Major may not be quite as famous as his Fifth or Ninth, it recently starred in this year’s Oscar…
Amy Thiaville playing Bach and Ysaye, Mar 27th
I am so excited about my recital coming up at the end of this month. It’s a mixture of very standard with modern standard repertoire…..and a surprise or two. It will be a mostly solo recital, meaning only one violin on stage. This is a difficult feat to achieve because there is literally no time…
Danielle Kuhlmann on her Feb 27th solo concert
My upcoming ROCO Recital program will be a lot of fun- some of the most lush, romantic horn music paired with a little modern solo and some classic Mozart with strings. Choosing a program for a Horn recital is a unique process. To play consistenly for the length of a concert can be difficult-…
Why Conductorless?
Wikipedia defines conductorless as “a unique style of collaborative leadership in which the musicians interpret the music, not the conductor.” Performing conductorless requires collaboration, mutual respect, and “radical trust.” It empowers the individual musicians in a way that translates into an exciting experience for the audience. Removing the “wall” between orchestra and audience exposes an…
