Driven by new artistic collaborations and adding performances in even more unique venues, ROCO’s bold 21st season is meant to be heard, felt, seen, and savored. “Season of the Senses” presents evocative new works and immersive soundscapes by the great composers of our time, paired with reimagined classics in a wide variety of spaces.
Announcing Season 20!
ROCO—Houston’s 40-piece professional chamber orchestra focused on innovative concerts, multidisciplinary collaborations, and engaging community-centric initiatives—announces its landmark 20th season. The season introduces new collaborative partners and new concert venues and celebrates a milestone in the ensemble’s commitment to commissioning and premiering new works.
Making Waves—Season 19 Announced!
ROCO celebrates questioning the status quo with “Making Waves” – its 19th season celebrating innovation, collaboration, exploration, and the impact of artistic creativity and integrity in the community. Committed to expanding the chamber music canon, the 2023-2024 season features over 18 works by women composers and presents multiple world premiere commissions, co-commissions, and two rescores.
Season 18 Announced!
For 17 years, ROCO has fostered deep connections between musicians and audience members, and meaningfully brought our Houston community together, as only music can. Now, join us for an impactful 18th season entitled ‘Grateful!’
Season 17 Announced!
Since 2005, ROCO has been committed to connecting our Houston community together through the joys of music. We have brought into the world over 110 new commissions from living composers of diverse backgrounds, shared performances in some of Houston’s most unique spaces, and with ROCO on the Go—continued to innovate even during a period of social distancing. Join us in our 17th season as we go even further in stitching the diverse parts of Houston together, weaving new musical tales which unite our community and beyond, in Season 2021-2022: Musical Threads!
Season 16 Announced!
ROCO’s 16th season features illuminating musical collaborations exploring global soundscapes, presenting ten commissions, in three series of concerts showcasing the ensemble’s flexible model. New works include a nature-inspired triptych by Alyssa Morris, a concerto for bandoneon (a Latin-American bellowed instrument) by soloist Richard Scofano, a vocal work by Reena Esmail based on Chickasaw poetry, a…
ROCO to perform game-changing brass piece | Houston Chronicle
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.”
A Chamber Piece So Difficult, the Composer Says It’s Too Hard for Him to Play | Houstonia
COMPOSER JAMES STEPHENSON wrote “Chase Sequence” for the United States Marine Band’s brass quintet about eight years ago. He had the idea that the piece would start out with an energetic start from a trumpet, with the other instruments following each other quickly through the music. River Oaks Chamber Orchestra’s brass quintet presents the piece to cap off its Unchambered series. With “Chase Sequence,” they’re highlighting a contemporary work, as well as classical jazz pieces.
Shaping the Future: ROCO Connects Through Commissioning | Arts + Culture TX
The numbers are in: 76 world premieres (33 for the full chamber orchestra and 43 for its flexible chamber ensembles), 36 composers commissioned—these are astounding numbers from the Houston-based River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO), now in its perpetually forward-looking 13th season.
