ROCO’s Connections Series returned 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 lead 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”.

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

Program

Quinn Mason, 19th Amendment
Featuring the Houston Contemporary Dance Company
ROCO Rescore Commission World Premiere

Richard Danielpour, Breaking the Veil
ROCO Commission World Premiere