HOUSTON, TX – ROCO embarks on its 22nd season, ROCO Odyssey, with Eyes on the Horizon, an opening weekend featuring two world premiere commissions in back-to-back performances, led by conductor and Artistic Partner Delyana Lazarova on Friday, September 25, at 7:30 p.m. at Miller Outdoor Theatre and Saturday, September 26, at 5:00 p.m. at the Church of St. John the Divine.
The program begins with Jonathan Peters‘ Sonus Colorum, an orchestral exploration of color in sound, before moving into two multimedia world premieres by Leanna Primiani and Alison Shearer that pair live performance with visual storytelling. The evening concludes with The Godfather composer Nino Rota’s Symphony No. 3 in C Major.
Jonathan Peters‘ Sonus Colorum opens the concert with an orchestral meditation on the relationship between color and sound. Accompanied by projected imagery, the piece explores the relationship between color and sound through five distinct color palettes.
Composer and alto saxophonist Alison Shearer performs as soloist in her ROCO-commissioned work, The Light Paintings. The piece is inspired by abstract artworks created by her father, award-winning LIFE photojournalist John Shearer. Created in the final year of his life, these previously unseen works will be publicly unveiled for the first time during the performance, creating an intimate dialogue between image and sound.
Commissioned by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, Leanna Primiani’s new multimedia concerto for chamber orchestra, VISIONS, explores the lenses we use to see the world and how vision shapes our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Accompanied by curated imagery, the work moves from biomedical engineering to the Hubble Space Telescope, to the challenges faced by children without access to vision care, weaving these perspectives into a multi-sensory concert experience.
Closing the program is Nino Rota‘s Symphony No. 3 in C Major, a rarely performed orchestral work by the celebrated Italian composer best known for his film scores—particularly for The Godfather trilogy.
Immediately following Saturday’s performance, the weekend continues with ROCO Revelry 2026 at ARTECHOUSE Houston. Kicking off at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, guests can explore ARTECHOUSE’s immersive digital installations while enjoying craft cocktails and catered dining. During the experience, guests are invited to find musicians from all four instrument families—winds, brass, strings, and percussion—to then have a chance to strike the ROCO gong.
Returning only for opening weekend this season is ROCOrooters, ROCO’s music education and childcare program. While caregivers enjoy the concert and an evening out, children participate in an interactive music lesson, listen to a single piece performed live in the concert hall, and receive up to 5 hours of supervision from certified childcare professionals—creating a memorable musical experience for the entire family.
Admission to Friday’s concert at Miller Outdoor Theater is free, with reserved seating available beginning on September 24 on Miller Outdoor Theater’s official website and a free livestream available on the Miller Dream Streams webpage.
Pay-What-You-Wish tickets are available now for Saturday’s performance at The Church of St. John the Divine on the ROCO official event page, with a free livestream at roco.org/live, YouTube, Facebook, and the ROCO mobile app.
LOCATION & INFO:
ROCO In Concert: Eyes On The Horizon (Miller Outdoor Theatre)
Friday, September 25, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Miller Outdoor Theatre
6000 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030
Free Admission
Reserved Seating Available Sep. 24 on Miller Outdoor Theater website
Digital program and more available through the ROCO Mobile App
ROCO In Concert: Eyes On The Horizon
Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
The Church of St. John the Divine
2450 River Oaks Blvd, Houston, TX 77019
Official Event Website
Tickets are Pay-What-You-Wish; Suggested Ticket Price is $55
Digital program and more available through the ROCO Mobile App
Further info is at ROCO’s website at ROCO.org,
or contact the ROCO office at (713) 665-2700.
PROGRAM:
Delyana Lazarova, Conductor & Artistic Partner
Alison Shearer, Composer & Saxophone Soloist
Jonathan Peters
Sonus Colorum (The Sound of Colors)
Alison Shearer
The Light Paintings
ROCO Commissioned World Premiere
Leanna Primiani
VISIONS
World Premiere
Commissioned by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation in partnership with the League of American Orchestras and American Composers Orchestra
Nino Rota
Symphony No. 3 in C Major
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