EarRelevant Staff | 18 AUG 2025
HOUSTON, Texas— Houston-based professional chamber orchestra ROCO is gearing up for its 2025-26 concert season, titled Season of the Senses, which will feature 15 commissioned world premieres and rescores, three new performance venues, and expanded audience engagement initiatives.
Composer Kevin Lau will serve as the ensemble’s Composer-in-Residence for the season, which also includes the launch of new performances at immersive digital art space ARTECHOUSE, the Holocaust Museum Houston, and Asia Society Texas Center. ROCO, known for its innovative programming and prolific commissioning, will reach 162 world premieres by the end of the season.
The ensemble will continue its Connections Series of site-specific collaborative chamber concerts across Houston. Highlights include a new commission by Hiroaki Tokunaga based on reflections from Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, a program featuring violinist Rebecca Fischer and ROCO principal cellist Alexis Gerlach at Holocaust Museum Houston, and a collaboration with ARTECHOUSE that will integrate real-time neurofeedback visualizations alongside a commissioned work by Anthony Brandt.
The Unchambered Series, curated by ROCO musicians, will also move into new spaces, including a harp performance by Laurie Meister at the Julia Ideson Library in celebration of its 100th anniversary, and a flute program at St. Francis Episcopal Church honoring its 75th anniversary.
The full 40-piece chamber orchestra will perform under the leadership of returning Artistic Partners Delyana Lazarova and Mei-Ann Chen in the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation In Concert Series. Conductor Anthony Parnther will make his ROCO debut, while three guest concertmasters—Margaret Batjer, Laura Frautschi, and Tereza Stanislav—will join the ensemble.
The season’s opening program, Feels Like Home, will feature the premieres of Starr Parodi’s Rip Tide and Heather Schmidt’s work based on husky rescue efforts. Lau’s new clarinet concerto, At the Still Point of the Turning World, will also debut, featuring ROCO principal clarinetist Nathan Williams.
In addition to new works, ROCO will continue its practice of rescoring traditional repertoire for chamber orchestra. Arranger Anthony DiLorenzo will adapt J.S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor and Ravel’s La Valse for ROCO’s ensemble size, while Andrew Earle Simpson will contribute new reductions of silent film scores.
The ensemble’s expanded technology initiatives include allowing in-person and livestream audiences to view live scores and parts via the ROCO mobile app during performances.
Other season highlights include a program featuring the U.S. premiere of Jason Stephens’ chamber reduction of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” a commission from Patricia Leonard commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, and works by John Wineglass, Gala Flagello, and Starr Parodi.
Special events this season include a gala at ARTECHOUSE on September 27, honoring guitarist Steve Vai and Frank Donnelly of Kensinger Donnelly, and a return of “Make a Joyful Noise!” on December 4 at Padre’s Wine Bar, an interactive event encouraging attendees to make music themselves.
ROCO will also continue its Music-in-Medicine partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center, blending music performance with brain science research. ■
For more information on ROCO’s Season 21 programming, visit roco.org.
ROCO’s 2025-26 Season
- Sept. 26, 2025 @ 7:30 pm
Miller Outdoor Theatre
Sept. 27, 2025 @ 5:00 pm
The Church of St. John the Divine
Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation IN CONCERT SERIES
“Feels Like Home”
Delyana Lazarova, conductor; Nathan Williams, clarinet
Starr PARODI: Rip Tide
Heather SCHMIDT: New work based on Husky Rescue [1]
Kevin LAU: At the Still Point of the Turning World [1]
Emilie MAYER: Symphony No. 4 in B minor - September 27, 2025 @ 7:30 pm
Artechouse
SPECIAL EVENTS
“Season of the Senses Soirée”
A reimagined digitally immersive celebration after the opening night concert. - October 11, 2025 @ 5:00 pm
Charles P. Rhinehart Music Auditorium, Texas Southern University
UNCHAMBERED SERIES
Brook Ferguson & Rebecca Powell Garfield, flutes
Featuring the full spectrum of the flute family, in solo, duo, and flute ensemble works - Nov. 1, 2025 | 5:00 pm
The Church of St. John the Divine
Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation IN CONCERT SERIES
“Fragrant Memories”
Mei-Ann Chen, conductor; Laura Frautschi, violin.
J.S. BACH/arr. Anthony DiLorenzo: Toccata and Fugue in d minor
David LITTLE: Haunted Topography
John WINEGLASS: Sacred Ground [1]
Juan Pablo CONTRERAS: La Minerva, III. “Himno a la Mujer”
Maurice RAVEL/arr. Anthony DiLorenzo: La Valse [2]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 10 in E♭ Major (realized and arranged by Barry Cooper) - November 14, 2025 @ 8:00 pm
The River Oaks Theatre
CONNECTIONS SERIES
“ROCO at ROT”
Andrew Earle Simpson, conductor
Classic films with live scores performed by ROCO, including The Immigrant (Charlie Chaplin), Liberty (Laurel & Hardy), and Disney’s Silly Symphony “Music Land.” - December 4, 2025 @ 6:30 pm
Padre’s Wine Bar
SPECIAL EVENTS
“Make a Joyful Noise”
Adult Instrument Zoo and Wine Night - January 7, 2026 @ 6:30 pm
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
CONNECTIONS SERIES
“Beer & Brass”
Featuring the ROCO Brass Quintet - January 24, 2026 @ 5:00 pm
Holocaust Museum Houston
CONNECTIONS SERIES
“Songs of Comfort”
Featuring and curated by Rebecca Fischer, violin & Alexis Gerlach, cello - Feb. 7, 2026 @ 5:00 pm
The Church of St. John the Divine
Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation IN CONCERT SERIES
“Do You Hear What I Hear? – America at 250”
Anthony Parnther, conductor
Duke ELLINGTON: New World A-Comin’
Patricia LEONARD: America 250 [1]
Gala FLAGELLO: Droughts and Downpours, for string orchestra[3]
Antonín DVOŘÁK/arr. Jason Stephens: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World” [4] - February 28, 2026 @ 5:00 pm
Julia Ideson Library
UNCHAMBERED SERIES
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Julia Ideson Library, with a ROCO Commissioned World Premiere by Errollyn Wallen inspired by the murals in the library painted by women in the 1930s through the Works Progress Administration. - March 28, 2026 @ 5:00 pm
Asia Society Texas Center
CONNECTIONS SERIES
“Celebrating Japan’s Expo 2025”
Featuring Maiko Sasaki, clarinet; Kana Kimura, violin; Shino Hayashi, cello; Hiroaki Tokunaga, piano - April 18, 2026 @ 5:00 pm
The Church of St. John the Divine
Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation IN CONCERT SERIES
“Seeing Is Believing”
Delyana Lazarova, conductor; Viviana Goodwin, soprano; Brook Ferguson, flute; Alecia Lawyer, oboe; Kristin Wolfe Jensen, bassoon; Houston Youth Symphony
Fanny MENDELSSOHN HENSEL: Overture in C Major (Houston Youth Symphony Side-by-Side piece)
Richard DANIELPOUR: Breaking the Veil for wind soloists, string orchestra, harp & percussion [5]
Kevin Wilks LAU: Chronicles of Narnia [1]
Jonathan PETERS: Sonus Colorum (The Sound of Colors)
“We Hold These Truths” Text by Thomas Jefferson
“Wild Horses” Original Words and Music by Jean Ritchie (Interpretation and Arrangement by J. Todd Frazier) - May 2, 2026 @ 5:00 pm
Artechouse
May 5, 2026 @ 12:00 pm
MD Anderson Cancer Center Music in Medicine
CONNECTIONS SERIES
“Neurofeedback Collaboration”
Beethoven’s Piano Quintet plus ROCO Commissioned World Premiere by Anthony Brandt and featuring pianist Dr. Mei Rui
Footnotes:
- [1] ROCO Commissioned World Premiere
- [2] ROCO Rescore Commissioned World Premiere
- [3] ROCO Co-commissioned Premiere
- [4] ROCO Rescore US Premiere
- [5] Originally commissioned and premiered by ROCO. Rescored for full string orchestra
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- ROCO: roco.org
Read more by EarRelevant Staff.
RECENT POSTS
[display-posts exclude_current=”true” include_date=”true” date_format=” \• d M Y” offset=”0″ posts_per_page=”5″ image_size=”thumbnail” wrapper=”div” wrapper_class=”display-posts-listing image-left” meta_key!=”_thumbnail_id”
.png){kind=logo}