ROCO

05/21/2026

At the heart of Dvořák’s “New World Symphony” lies a tender echo, that continues to resonate more than a century later.

The second movement, Largo, features one of the work’s most reflective moments. Rescored for chamber orchestra by Jason Stephens and performed by ROCO in February 2026, Spring Hill shapes the English horn solo’s gentle rise and fall through one of the most recognizable passages in orchestral music.

🎧 Experience the symphony in its entirety with guest conductor Anthony Parnther now on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/fNlI8rUGJr0

05/20/2026

Dive into Miles Davis and experience his music live in a dynamic special performance this Saturday night! 🎺

Our friends and artistic collaborators at Jazz Houston are honoring the Miles Davis Centennial, with a musical journey through his many eras of creativity that reshaped jazz forever.

Join the Jazz Houston Nonet with guest artists Summer Camargo and Marquis Hill at Unity of Houston this Saturday, May 23, at 7 PM 🎶

🎟️ Limited seating available: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/miles-davis-centennial-celebration

05/16/2026

The magic of a ROCO world premiere commission begins long before the concert. ✨

ROCO Resound: Savor is your chance to be part of the conversations that shape our season before the music ever reaches the stage. Join us for an intimate evening of wine, food, and connection with the composers bringing new works to life in ROCO’s 22nd season. 🍷

Meet Composer-In-Residence Jessica Meyer alongside commissioned composers Austin Wintory, Alison Shearer, and Leanna Primiani, composer as they join us virtually to share the inspirations behind their new works.

Join us at Soren’s on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 PM for a night of flavor, curiosity, and conversation. Reserve your seat at url.roco.org/ResoundSavor

05/15/2026

This Saturday, we officially launch our ROCO on the Go partnership with RunGo and City Place! 🎧 🎶

Experience a musical journey along a scenic waterfront trail at City Place Park. Using RunGo’s audio technology, ROCO’s performance recordings sync with your movement through the trail. Voice-guided navigation and curated music can transform any walk or run into an immersive experience shaped by the landscape around you.

Join City Place for a community celebration on May 16 at 8:30 PM, featuring a candlelit walk, complimentary refreshments, and a new interactive trail experience! 🏃‍♀️

🔗 More info: https://url.roco.org/ROCORunGo

05/14/2026

We're in! 🎉💎 ROCO's Marketing & Communications team, alongside our partners at Carlberg Branding & Advertising, has been named a finalist for the 2026 AMA Houston Crystal Awards in two categories: “Best Marketing Campaign – Non-Profit” and “Best YouTube Channel.”

We’re honored to be recognized for the impact our creative strategy and global outreach have had on ROCO’s growth as both an arts organization and a hub for community connection.

Winners will be announced Thursday, May 21, at the AMA Crystal Awards Gala!

05/11/2026

Thank you to Chris Becker for featuring ROCO and Artistic Director Alecia Lawyer in his latest article with Houstonia Magazine!

"Houston’s Contemporary Classical Music Scene Is Rewriting the Score."

🗞 Read the full article:

The city’s classical music scene is rewriting the score.

05/08/2026

Inspired by Roi Ottley's book of the same name, Duke Ellington’s New World A-Comin’ brims with Harlem jazz swagger 🎹

Follow the score along with ROCO Principal Pianist Audrey Andrist as she moves from a brushed shuffle and playful piano groove, to usher in a sweeping bloom of symphonic color.

Originally premiered by Ellington himself at Carnegie Hall in 1943, the classic work received a newly commissioned rescore by Houston composer Joel Love, premiered in February 2026 during ROCO In Concert: Do You Hear What I Hear?

🎬 Watch the full performance with guest conductor Anthony Parnther now: youtu.be/acIETJV5wyw

05/07/2026

We got to see the brain on music one last time this week in a repeat performance of ROCO Connections: Sense of Mind, as part of UT MD Anderson Cancer Center's Music-In-Medicine Series 🧠

This program would not have been possible without the collaboration between Badie Khaleghian, whose brain visualization system transformed live EEG data into a live audiovisual framework, and Dr. Mei Rui, Director of Music-in-Medicine and Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Featuring Anthony Brandt's newly commissioned work, Coloring Outside the Lines–funded in part by Houston Arts Alliance–we've brought neuroscience and music together in an unforgettable way.

05/05/2026

Please join us in warmest wishes for a wonderful birthday—to Principal Bassoonist Kristin Wolfe Jensen!! 🥳 Hope it's been a lovely, fun-filled day! 🎂🎉

Kristin has served on the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin's Butler School of Music since 1995, is on the faculty of the International Festival Institute at Round Top, and is a Founder/Artistic Director of the biennial Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition & Bassoon Symposium. Also, she has published "The Breathing Book for Bassoon", now in its 2nd edition - check it out at: https://www.trevcomusic.com/products/wolf-jensen-kristin-the-breathing-book-bsn

Get to know Kristin at her ROCO Artist Page: https://roco.org/artists/kristin-wolfe-jensen/

And see Kristin in action with ROCO as a featured soloist in Richard Danielpour's Breaking the Veil, from our recent In Concert finale livestream! https://youtube.com/live/W80gqBGO_TY