ROCO celebrates the sense of sight with season opening show ‘Eyes on the Horizon’

Some of the best art transcends audio and leaps off the page in visual form. ROCO is choosing to highlight this capability and remind Houston that music is worth more than just the sounds it produces. As the saying goes, seeing is believing, and in this case, both the ears and the eyes become the spectacles from which listeners view the world during “Eyes on the Horizon,” the opening performance in ROCO’s 2026-27 season.

“This idea asks what lens you see through and suggest that you need to be looking further ahead…I think Houston does that beautifully, and that’s why I think ROCO thrives here,” said Alecia Lawyer, founder and artistic director of Houston’s chamber orchestra. “We’re a beacon to show what Houston can be. ‘Eyes on the Horizon’ is just a reminder to keep looking forward.”

With a clear understanding of its past and an eagle-eyed view of a futuristic way to experience the arts, the group is already setting the tracks with a delight for the senses.

The program begins with Jonathan Peters’ “Sonus Colorum,” an orchestral celebration of color in sound. Peters’ composition provides the paintbrush that launches listeners into an auditory trip through the dynamic soundscape that uses orchestral fabric to challenge assumptions about time, emotion and sentiment.

“It’s important to bring every possible sense,” Lawyer said. “It focuses on colors and all the ways we experience them.”

Lawyer and the orchestra have their collective finger on the pulse of Houston’s arts scene and its social contract to bring music that both entertains and pushes the boundaries. The group delivers on that promise with the setlist, which includes two multimedia world premieres that investigate the connections that titillate the senses.

Leanna Primiani’s “Visions,” is an exploration of how we see, hear, feel and consume the surrounding world. It provides a dive into how perception influences our lived reality. Primiani has been recognized with the prestigious Toulmin Commission through the League of American Orchestras and American Composers Orchestra for her work. This particular selection dives into the underbelly of sex trafficking and its aftermath.

From there, composer and saxophonist Alison Shearer’s “The Light Paintings” extends the experience by debuting her composition that was inspired by abstract artwork created by her late father, acclaimed Life magazine photojournalist John Shearer. “It is the first time ROCO has had a saxophone soloist ever,” Lawyer said. “I love that we’re exploring the unexpected because she is a saxophonist who is not necessarily doing jazz, and it’s showing us art through a different lens.”

Shearer’s website says “the saxophonist peers through a hopeful lens and provides uplifting messages,” providing another viewpoint of how music and visuals tell a human story.

The program finishes with Nino Rota‘s “Symphony No. 3 in C Major.” Most enthusiasts will recognize Rota as the same composer behind The Godfather.

For ROCO, commissions and world premieres are a chosen part of their everyday language.

“It’s almost like every commission is a human,” Lawyer said. “Every commission has its own story. The commissions come from every possible direction, and then it’s a quilt where you have to put the square where it makes sense in the pattern. I think that’s my job — figuring out how to weave [the commissions] into the place that makes sense.”

The commissions are a driving force that keep the art form always looking toward its next iteration.

“We seek the Bachs, Beethovens, Bonds and Brubecks of our time,” she said. “That is what we do, and it is exciting to pair them with rarely heard gems and have people hear things they’ve never heard before but are still recognizable languages in some ways.”

Access is key. The organization doubles down on its commitment to finding ways to bring its music to the people. In addition to its “pay what you wish” pricing structure, ROCO takes the music beyond the stage and into the city’s heart. It is performing the opening concert at Miller Outdoor Theater at the best price in town — for free.

The organization also has offered free live-streaming for decades all over the world, having reached all seven continents. It works with local hospitals, parks and gathering spots to place QR codes that provide quick and easy access to its pantheon of music that ROCO has paid the rights to perform and record.

“It aligns directly with our vision of access,” Lawyer said, who schedules ROCO to perform at a multitude of venues, both traditional and otherwise, throughout the city. “We performed at 82 venues in Houston, which is a little crazy. That’s why our season is called ‘Odyssey.’ Go on the journey with us. You’re invited to be a part of the posse.”