ROCO’s Connections Series returns to the Asia Society Texas Center on October 20 presenting “Rise Up”— an evening of thought-provoking new chamber works and dialogue spotlighting the ongoing fight for women’s rights and equality, in the U.S, Iran, and around the world.

Artistic Partner Mei-Ann Chen leads an ensemble of thirteen female ROCO musicians in the world premiere of Breaking the Veil by Grammy-winning Season 19 Composer-In-Residence Richard Danielpour and a new scoring of Texas-native composer Quinn Mason‘s ballet The 19th Amendment—performed along with members of Houston Contemporary Dance Company, premiering new choreography by Founding Artistic and Executive Director Marlana Doyle.

Inspired by the current uprising and historic struggles of Iranian women seeking equal rights and freedom, Grammy-winning composer Richard Danielpour’s Breaking the Veil honors his family’s Persian heritage, and is dedicated to his mother Mehri Danielpour Weil, an Iranian sculpturist.

Quinn Mason’s ballet The 19th Amendment, in the composer’s words, “not only depicts the struggle of obtaining the right to vote, but contemplates the effect that passing of the 19th amendment has had on our current generation”.

Immediately following the work’s premiere, a panel discussion centered around women’s rights will take place, in partnership with Iranian Cultural Foundation-Houston, including women from Iran or with ties to the country, along with composer Richard Danielpour and his mother, sculptor Mehri Danielpour Weil.

Join us starting at 6:30 pm for a pre-concert reception and to view the galleries of Asia Society Texas Center!

This performance will also be livestreamed free at ROCO.org, Facebook, YouTube, and A440.live.

ARTISTS
Mei-Ann Chen, conductor

Soloists
Brook Ferguson, flute
Alecia Lawyer, oboe
Kristin Wolfe Jensen, bassoon

Ensemble
Eva Burmeister, violin
Anne Chandra, violin
Aloysia Friedmann, viola
Meredith Harris, viola
Alexis Gerlach, cello
Courtenay Vandiver Pereira, cello
Rachel Martin, bass
Emily Klein, harp
Ksenija Komljenovic, Lindsey Hoehn, percussion

Houston Contemporary Dance Company
Tamia Bradford
Genene Wallis McGrath
Avery Moore

PANELISTS TO INCLUDE
Seth Eslami, former board member, Iranian Cultural Foundation-Houston
Donya Ziraksari, author, filmmaker, human rights activist
Shermin Hassanpour, human rights activist
Mehri Danielpour Weil, artist and sculptor
Richard Danielpour, composer
Quinn Mason, composer

Location

Asia Society Texas Center
Asia Society Texas Center
Southmore Boulevard, Houston, TX, USA
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