ROCO launches its 2016–2017 In Concert series with “Dance Like No One’s Watching,” on Sept. 24 at The Church of St. John the Divine (SJD). The program features the Texas premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon’s Dance Card, a work for string orchestra based on the baroque dance suite form, which ROCO co-commissioned with the San Francisco-based New Century Chamber Orchestra. Mei-Ann Chen conducts, Chester Englander solos as cimbalom player for Kodaly’s “Hary Janos” Intermezzo, and Scott St. John returns as concertmaster for this program that also features Dmitri Shostakovich’s Ballet Suite No. 2, Fanny Mendelssohn’s Overture in C, and Mikhail Glinka’s Kamarinskaya.

On Nov. 19, ROCO presents “Space: The Final Playground.” The program features another ROCO commission and the Texas premiere of Michael Gilbertson’s Cosmos, a piece in five short movements, each of which is inspired by an element of the cosmos. During the concert, soloists from WindSync — a theatrical, Houston-based wind quintet — will move throughout the performance space while playing. David Danzmayr conducts and Scott St. John is concertmaster for the program, which also includes Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 6, Czech composer Vilém Tausky’s Coventry, and Elgia Andina by Gabriela Lena Frank.

ROCO audience favorite Andrés Cárdenes returns to lead ROCO’s annual conductorless concert on Feb. 25, 2017. The Grammy-nominated violinist will lead from the chair and serve as soloist during “People are People.” The program features the world premiere of a violin concerto commissioned by ROCO and written specifically for Cárdenes by Ricardo Lorenz. Other works on the program are Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini’s Symphony No. 25 in A-Major, Aaron Copland’s Three Latin American Sketches, and Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia No. 8 in D Major.

The Season 12 “In Concert” series comes to a close on April 1, 2017, with “Double Trouble.” The concert is led by Steven Jarvi, conductor and Scott St. John as concermaster. Alexander Miller’s Concerto Grosso for double reeds is the commissioned world premiere along with Saverio Mercadante’s Concerto for Flute in E-minor featuring ROCO flutist Brook Ferguson. Also on the program: Green Brook Suite by Gustav Holst and Verklarte Nacht by Arnold Schoenberg.

Concert dates are:
Saturdays, 5:00pm

September 24, 2016
November 19, 2016
February 25, 2017
April 1, 2017

Location

The Church of St. John the Divine

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