Jill Jarvis has a goal of one outdoor outing a day with her four children.
Earlier this month, the local blogger added an interactive soundtrack to the family’s regular stroll along the Buffalo Bayou trails. The Jarvises parked as they always do near the Sabine Street bridge, setting off in search of ROCO’s new QR-coded musical stops along the bayou.
With its emphasis on new technology and diverse programming – ranging from a work by a Public Enemy producer to an Aztec folk tale – the orchestra is ahead of the cultural curve.
With orchestra musicians scattered all over the country, ROCO knows how to operate remotely. But last week the 39-member ensemble attempted a particularly complicated task: to perform “Anthem of Hope,” Anthony DiLorenzo’s four-minute composition from 39 different locations.
Long before audiences were forced to stay home, the Houston orchestra was deep into streaming. Long before anyone heard of “flattening the curve,” Houston’s ROCO was ahead of the curve. With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing Americans to seek entertainment and cultural enrichment on the Internet, the potential — and necessity — of streaming…
In an age when advocacy has revolutionized female empowerment, ROCO travels back in time to give voice to the voiceless — generations of women who lived largely unheard and largely unknown.
A game player has three responsibilities: Gobble up the dots. Travel through the maze. Avoid the ghosts…Although the arcade game, released in 1980, wasn’t the inspiration for Chicago-based composer James Stephenson when creating “Chase Sequence,” it’s certainly a fitting analogy, particularly when Houston’s River Oaks Chamber Orchestra will perform the piece Saturday in a concert that closes its “Unchambered” series in a season titled “Games People Play.”
“I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could,” says Brett Mitchell, quoting a favorite bumper sticker of his. “That’s kind of like me. Any excuse to come back to Texas is great.” On Saturday, Mitchell will return to Houston to make his debut with… the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in “Ticket to Ride” at the Church of St. John the Divine.
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra’s founder and artistic director Alecia Lawyer wants to challenge you to a game — specifically, a round of 42.
