Upcoming Performances
ROCO In Concert: Feels Like Home
ROCO opens its 21st season with the 40-piece orchestra in a back-to-back concert weekend led by Artistic Partner Delyana Lazarova and guest concertmaster Margaret Batjer– kicking off with three world premieres and a soon-to-be-familiar classic! Featuring Nathan Williams in Kevin Lau’s new clarinet concertino, as well as commissions by GRAMMY-winning composer Starr Parodi and Heather Schmidt – plus Emilie Mayer's Symphony No. 4 in B minor. Miler Outdoor Theatre is free to attend!
ROCO In Concert: Feels Like Home
ROCO opens its 21st season with the 40-piece orchestra in a back-to-back concert weekend led by Artistic Partner Delyana Lazarova and guest concertmaster Margaret Batjer– kicking off with three world premieres and a soon-to-be-familiar classic! Featuring Nathan Williams in Kevin Lau’s new clarinet concertino, as well as commissions by GRAMMY-winning composer Starr Parodi and Heather Schmidt – plus Emilie Mayer's Symphony No. 4 in B minor.
ROCO Soirée
Immerse yourself in ROCO's Season 21 festivities, which begin with the illustrious 40-piece orchestra's vibrant, adventurous performance, including multiple premieres about everything from canine rescues to riptides, and end with the Season of the Senses Soirée, a celebration set in the visual wonder of Artechouse, Houston's destination for innovative and immersive digital and experiential art.
ROCO Unchambered: Brook Ferguson & Rebecca Powell Garfield, flutes
ROCO opens its Unchambered Series with ROCO flute duo Brook Ferguson and Rebecca Powell Garfield at the Charles P. Rhinehart Music Auditorium, at Texas Southern University. From the shimmering heights of the piccolo to the rich depths of the bass flute, the program explores the whole spectrum of the flute family’s range. Audiences are invited to experience an intimate performance of lyrical and virtuosic works, offering a fresh, immersive look at the magic of woodwinds up close.
ROCO In Concert: Fragrant Memories
Led by Artistic Partner Mei-Ann Chen and featuring violinist Laura Frautschi, ROCO In Concert: Fragrant Memories explores remembrance, resilience, and sonic storytelling through evocative reimaginings and new works on Saturday, November 1, 5:00 p.m. at The Church of St. John the Divine. The program includes the world premieres of John Wineglass’ Sacred Ground and Anthony DiLorenzo’s arrangements of J.S. Bach’s iconic Toccata and Fugue in D minor and Maurice Ravel’s La Valse. Completing the program are Juan Pablo Contreras’ “Himno a la Mujer” from his violin concerto La Minerva, David T. Little’s Haunted Topography, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 10, constructed by Barry Cooper. This performance also offers the ROCOrooters music education and childcare program.
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.
Make a Joyful Noise!
Back by popular demand, Make A Joyful Noise! returns for an evening of community, creativity, and a bit of cheer. Held at Padre’s Wine Bar, this event invites guests to sip, mingle, and explore their musical side through ROCO’s Instrument Petting Zoo for adults. Led by ROCO musicians and perfect for beginners and enthusiasts alike, guests will have the chance for hands-on experiences with orchestral instruments in a relaxed, no-pressure setting, paired with a variety of wines, tasty bites, and festive vibes. Come ready to play, laugh, and celebrate the season with music-making.
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 In Concert: Do You Hear What I Hear?
A celebration of American stories and voices, ROCO In Concert: Do You Hear What I Hear? welcomes conductor Anthony Parnther in his ROCO debut, with guest concertmaster Tereza Stanislav, leading the 40-piece chamber orchestra on Saturday, February 7, 5:00 p.m. at The Church of St. John the Divine. Featured are Duke Ellington’s New World A-Comin’, and the premiere of a ROCO commission by Patricia Leonard commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, along with the ROCO commissioned premieres of Gala Flagello’s Droughts & Downpours for string orchestra, and Jason Stephens’ rescore of Antonin Dvořák’s New World Symphony. This performance also offers the ROCOrooters music education and childcare program.
ROCO Unchambered: Laurie Meister, harp
ROCO continues its Unchambered Series with an intimate performance featuring harpist Laurie Meister, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Julia Ideson Library. Set in one of Houston’s most iconic historic spaces, this program weaves together music and memory to highlight the expressive beauty of the harp and the building’s storied past. The concert includes a newly commissioned piece by Errollyn Wallen, created in homage to the library’s many murals painted by women during the Works Progress Administration era, capturing the enduring spirit of creative resilience.
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 In Concert: Seeing Is Believing
ROCO concludes its 21st season on Saturday, April 18, 5:00 p.m. at The Church of St. John the Divine with ROCO In Concert: Seeing Is Believing—a thrilling finale led by Artistic Partner Delyana Lazarova, and featuring guest soprano Viviana Goodwin and guest concertmaster Laura Frautschi, along with ROCO wind soloists. Featured are the ROCO commissioned world premiere of Richard Danielpour’s Breaking the Veil, set for full chamber orchestra, and his Adagietto for Strings, plus the world premiere of Composer In Residence Kevin Lau’s orchestral work inspired by the world of Narnia. The Houston Youth Symphony joins ROCO for a side-by-side performance in Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s Overture in C Major, and the evening concludes with J. Todd Frazier’s We Hold These Truths and Wild Horses, sung by Viviana Goodwin. This performance also offers the ROCOrooters music education and childcare program.
ROCO In Concert Subscription: Season 21
Featuring our full 40-piece chamber orchestra alongside distinguished guest conductors from around the world, The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation In Concert Series includes classical favorites, hidden jewels, and world premieres of original works commissioned by ROCO.
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.
Past Performances
ROCO Resound: Savor
Join us and explore commissions and composers of our 21st season, through a curated wine tasting led by sommelier and former ROCO board member Mike Muña!
