Alecia Lawyer

Enlarge Photo

Alecia Lawyer

15 photos

Home of the Day

Sponsor Listing

Alecia Lawyer is the founder, executive director and principal oboist of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra. After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree from Juilliard, Lawyer’s career has ranged from recording for American composer John Cage and soloing with Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, to a contemporary chamber music recital at Carnegie Hall, live radio broadcasts in New York, and disc jockeying for KRTS-92.1FM in Houston. Currently performing with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, she also collaborates with the chamber groups Musiqa and Foundation for Modern Music in Houston, and is on the advisory boards of the American Festival for the Arts and the Astrodome Studios. She has taught as affiliate oboe professor at the University of Houston and as woodwind coordinator and oboe instructor at the summer American Festival for the Arts in Houston while maintaining a competitive private oboe studio. She often appears as a soloist with Houston area orchestras and was a finalist with nine other musicians, including singer Willie Nelson, for Texas Musician of the Year. Lawyer was interviewed by Christine Hall

Q What made you decide to start the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra?

AI had met and performed with many fantastically energetic, immensely talented musicians over the years while at Juilliard and afterward. I wanted to pull together the 40 musicians that make me smile and jointly draw our audience into sharing our love and joy of performing together. ROCO musicians are described as being fun, intimate, expressive, joyful, powerful and virtuosic. All of us are quite eclectic in our musical performance styles and tastes. Many ROCO musicians have a rock or jazz background as well as being classically trained to the highest degree. I have also felt that “classical music” can be such a barrier. We focus on us, the musicians, communicating to you, the audience, through an alive language called music. ROCO removes the layers of concealment from the expected orchestral experience. We demystify our world of classical music.

[email protected] • 713-395-9635