ROCO’s In Concert series, which showcases the full 40-piece orchestra, kicked off at The Church of St. John the Divine on September 28, 2019, with “Time for Hope”, a concert built around a world premiere by Lisa Bielawa entitled “Centuries in the Hours”, sung by mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin. The text for the work comes from a collection of personal writings by American women of the 18th-20th centuries whose life circumstances rendered them historically invisible. The concert also highlighted ROCO’s first-ever Artistic Partner, conductor Mei-Ann Chen, who will be returning each season for spirited collaborations. Chen led the orchestra in the program, which also included works by local Houston composers Alejandro Basulto and Mark Buller, as well as Desmond Ikegwuonu and Franz Joseph Haydn. Recorded September 28, 2019 at The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, TX.