Video Library Tag: By Composition

ROCO’s 17th season In Concert series continued February 26, 2022 at 5:00 pm Central with “Canvasing the Earth” at The Church of St. John the Divine and also livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, YouTube, and A440.

Conductor Sarah Hicks led the orchestra in her ROCO debut, featuring three world premieres, including the orchestral version of "Earth" by Aaron Jay Kernis, featuring tenor Nicholas Phan, reflecting upon the fundamental environmental crisis of our time.

Honoring survivors of human trafficking, Leanna Primiani’s "Neither men nor money validate my worth" also received its world premiere, accompanied by images from The New Abolitionists. Completing the program was the world premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff‘s fanfare "Score" and Mussorgsky’s classic "Pictures at an Exhibition" in a special presentation, with accompanying images from the collections of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Recorded live February 26, 2022 at The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, TX

Videography by BEND Productions
Audio engineering by Andrew Bradley

"ROCO’s 17th season In Concert series continued February 26, 2022 at 5:00 pm Central with “Canvasing the Earth” at The Church of St. John the Divine and also livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, YouTube, and A440.

Conductor Sarah Hicks led the orchestra in her ROCO debut, featuring three world premieres, including the orchestral version of ""Earth"" by Aaron Jay Kernis, featuring tenor Nicholas Phan, reflecting upon the fundamental environmental crisis of our time.

Honoring survivors of human trafficking, Leanna Primiani’s ""Neither men nor money validate my worth"" also received its world premiere, accompanied by images from The New Abolitionists. Completing the program was the world premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff‘s fanfare ""Score"" and Mussorgsky’s classic ""Pictures at an Exhibition"" in a special presentation, with accompanying images from the collections of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Recorded live February 26, 2022 at The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, TX

Videography by BEND Productions
Audio engineering by Andrew Bradley"

ROCO's livestreamed In Concert series continued Saturday, November 14, 2020 from The Church of St. John the Divine with “Oceans”, a nature-inspired program featuring the orchestra—conductorless!

ROCO's Connections series continued March 11 with "Journey to America", livestreamed in partnership with Holocaust Museum Houston, including chamber works by Bohuslav Martinů, Tom Hinck, and Milad Yousufi.

Martinů's Quartet for Oboe, Violin, Cello, and Piano, written in 1947 during his years in America, pays tribute to Mozart, with its Neoclassical style and graceful charm.

Listen for the lilting motion in triple meter, and simple tonality of the melody, which embody the elements of Czech folk song appearing throughout Martinů’s career.

In the composer’s words: ”I am always more myself in pure chamber music. I cannot express what pleasure it gives me when I start work and begin to handle four instrumental parts. In a quartet one feels at home. Outside it may be raining and darkness is falling but these four voices take no heed. They are independent, free to do what they like, free to create a unity, a new harmonious note."

Featuring musicians Alecia Lawyer, oboe; Maureen Nelson, violin; Courtenay Vandiver Pereira, cello; and Chelsea De Souza, piano.

"ROCO's 16th season concluded with flair on April 24, 2021 in “Flamenco”, featuring the world premiere of ""The History of Red"", a co-commission by Reena Esmail based on a text by Chickasaw poet Linda Hogan, with soprano Kathryn Mueller as soloist, led by conductor Brett Mitchell.

The program also included the world premiere of Quinn Mason’s Princesa de la Luna for harp and strings, Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Errollyn Wallen’s Photography, and Carlos Surinach’s fiery flamenco for orchestra, Ritmo Jondo, accompanied by live dance from the company Solero Flamenco.

Dances featured:
0:00 III. Bulerias
3:07 V. Saeta
8:39 VII. Garrotín

Learn more about this work, and Houston's Solero Flamenco, in our digital concert program:
https://bit.ly/ROCO_Flamenco_Program

Recorded live April 24, 2021 at The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, TX, with videography by BEND Productions, and audio engineering by Andrew Bradley."

"ROCO’s 17th season Albert & Margaret Alkek Foundation In Concert Series closed on April 23 with “Tying Up Loose Ends”, live at The Church of St. John the Divine.

Conducted by Rei Hotoda in her ROCO debut, the program centered around the world premiere of ""Plumes"" for large chamber orchestra by Composer-In-Residence Derek Bermel based on J. Henry Fair’s photography collection “Industrial Scars”—capturing the beauty and destruction of industrial and human impacts on our planet—and also included Viet Cuong’s percussion concerto Re(new)al, and a new work by Cynthia Lee Wong, ""In a Blink of an Eye"", commissioned as part of ROCO’s FIFteen Project.

Explore more of Cynthia's work at: https://cynthialeewong.com/

Recorded live April 23, 2022, at The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, TX
Videography by BEND Productions, and audio engineering by Andrew Bradley"

"Derek Bermel
Plumes
0:00 I. Turbulent
8:21 II. Laminar

ROCO’s 17th season Albert & Margaret Alkek Foundation In Concert Series closed on April 23 with “Tying Up Loose Ends”, live at The Church of St. John the Divine.

Conducted by Rei Hotoda in her ROCO debut, the program centered around the world premiere of ""Plumes"" for large chamber orchestra by Season 17 Composer-In-Residence Derek Bermel, a ROCO commission based on J. Henry Fair’s photography collection “Industrial Scars”—capturing the beauty and destruction of industrial and human impacts on our planet. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts for supporting Derek Bermel's residency!

Explore more of Derek's music at:
http://www.derekbermel.com/
View more of J. Henry Fair's photography at:
https://www.jhenryfair.com/

Also featured in the concert were Viet Cuong’s percussion concerto ""Re(new)al"", and a new work by Cynthia Lee Wong, ""In a Blink of an Eye"", commissioned as part of ROCO’s FIFteen Project.

Recorded live April 23, 2022, at The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, TX
Videography by BEND Productions, and audio engineering by Andrew Bradley"

"ROCO’s In Concert series, showcasing the full 40-piece orchestra, opened on September 25 with “Bursting at the Seams” at The Church of St. John the Divine, and livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, and YouTube.

Conducted by ROCO’s Artistic Partner Mei-Ann Chen, the concert featured the world premiere of the first movement of Maxime Goulet’s Ice Storm Symphony, Turmoil, telling the story of Canada’s historic, devastating 1998 ice storm, and also featured the world premiere of Marcus Maroney’s OK, Goodbye. for flute, viola d’amore, and chamber orchestra, inspired by the melting of the Icelandic Okjökull glacier, and highlighting soloists Matt Dane and Christina Jennings. Sharing our joy to be back in performance with you, Michael Abels’ Delights & Dances and Domenico Cimarosa’s “Il Maestro di Cappella” Overture completed the program, with a surprise - the opening of Beethoven's ""Pastoral Symphony""!"

"ROCO's 16th season concluded with flair on April 24, 2021 in “Flamenco”, featuring the world premiere of ""The History of Red"", a co-commission by Reena Esmail based on a text by Chickasaw poet Linda Hogan, with soprano Kathryn Mueller as soloist, led by conductor Brett Mitchell.

The program also included the world premiere of Quinn Mason’s Princesa de la Luna for harp and strings, Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Errollyn Wallen’s Photography, and Carlos Surinach’s flamenco for orchestra, Ritmo Jondo, accompanied by live dance from the company Solero Flamenco.

Learn more about each work in our digital concert program:
https://bit.ly/ROCO_Flamenco_Program

Recorded live April 24, 2021 at The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, TX, with videography by BEND Productions, and audio engineering by Andrew Bradley.""ROCO's 16th season concluded with flair on April 24, 2021 in “Flamenco”, featuring the world premiere of ""The History of Red"", a co-commission by Reena Esmail based on a text by Chickasaw poet Linda Hogan, with soprano Kathryn Mueller as soloist, led by conductor Brett Mitchell.

The program also included the world premiere of Quinn Mason’s Princesa de la Luna for harp and strings, Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Errollyn Wallen’s Photography, and Carlos Surinach’s flamenco for orchestra, Ritmo Jondo, accompanied by live dance from the company Solero Flamenco.

Learn more about each work in our digital concert program:
https://bit.ly/ROCO_Flamenco_Program

Recorded live April 24, 2021 at The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, TX, with videography by BEND Productions, and audio engineering by Andrew Bradley."

On November 13, ROCO’s Season 17 In Concert series marched on with “A Stitch in Time” at The Church of St. John the Divine and also livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, and YouTube.

"On November 13, ROCO’s Season 17 In Concert series marched on with “A Stitch in Time” at The Church of St. John the Divine and also livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, and YouTube.

Conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson made her ROCO debut, leading the Texas premiere of Mark Adamo’s Last Year for cello and orchestra, featuring ROCO Principal Cellist Richard Belcher, with each movement representing one of the four seasons. Winding up the program were Beethoven's Symphony No. 8, Hilary Purrington’s FIFteen Project commission Threshold, and Jonathan Peters’ Arthropod Suite—accompanied by images from the Houston Museum of Natural Science and Houston Arboretum & Nature Center.

Recorded live at The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, TX, November 13, 2021.
Videography by BEND Productions, and audio engineering by Andy Bradley."

ROCO’s Connections series continued on November 19, 2021, presenting Huang Ruo’s A Dust in Time: Passacaglia for Strings at Asia Society Texas Center, and also livestreamed at ROCO.org, Facebook, and YouTube.