ROCO joins the global celebration of the 2025 World EXPO in Osaka with Beyond the Rising Sun – A Musical Voyage, a cross-cultural evening honoring innovation, tradition, and international exchange. Hosted at Asia Society Texas Center, this concert features ROCO musicians Maiko Sasaki (clarinet), Kana Kimura (violin), Shino Hayashi (cello), and guest pianist Kana Mimaki in a program that bridges East and West.
Celebrating collaboration and space exploration, the evening’s program is inspired by a central question: Why have humans always been drawn to the cosmos? The centerpiece is a new ROCO-commissioned quartet by Hiroaki Tokunaga, Echoes of the Cosmos, a musical reflection on humanity’s awe of the universe—the playful dance of the stars, a longing for the eternal cosmos, and the idea of the universe as the birthplace of life.
Paired with a Japanese fashion collection display curated by Houston City College, the evening promises a vibrant tapestry of sound, visual art, and Japanese culture.
This performance will also be livestreamed free at ROCO.org, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.
Running Time:
7:00-9:00 pm
Thanks to Texas Monthly, Proud Media Sponsor of our Season 21 Connections Series.
Tickets
Tickets are Pay-What-You-Wish; Suggested Ticket Price is $45
Location
Asia Society Texas Center
1370 Southmore Blvd
Houston, TX 77004, USA
View on Google Maps
Program
Maiko Sasaki, clarinet
Kana Mimaki, piano
Kana Kimura, violin
Shino Hayashi, cello
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade (clarinet, violin, cello, piano)
Excerpts presented as prologue, promenades, and epilogue
Andrew Earle Simpson: luna (clarinet, violin, cello, piano)
Claude Debussy: Suite Bergamasque, CD 82, L. 75: III. Clair de Lune (for piano)
Taishi Ogura: Musicians Who Set Out to Reach the Stars「星を掴みにいった音楽家たち」
I. On a Star-Falling Hill 「星降る丘」(clarinet, piano)
Gustav Holst: The Planets
I. Mars (violin, cello, piano)
Hiroaki Tokunaga: Sora no Kodama (Echoes of the Cosmos) 「宙（そら）の谺（こだま）」
ROCO Commissioned World Premiere (for clarinet, violin, cello, piano)
Sponsored by
Connections Series
Proud Media Sponsor, Texas Monthly
