It’s no surprise that the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra’s enterprising nature would attract the same qualities in its dedicated volunteers, some of whom are involved in many philanthropic projects in the city of Houston.
Such is board member Susan Osterberg, who gives of herself at every turn.
Susan’s passion was recently recognized by The Greater Houston Service Awards and Volunteer Houston. Susan was the recipient of the 2015 Greater Houston Service Award for Arts and Culture.
The Greater Houston Service Awards and Volunteer Houston believes that “a volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens – citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.”
The staff at ROCO couldn’t agree more about how that description applies to Susan, a valuable and cherished friend who only wants the best for the organization, the musicians and classical music at large.
Everyone at ROCO congratulates Susan on this much deserved distinction.
Kristin Wolfe Jensen in the garden at the International Festival Institute at Round Top.[/caption]
Principal bassoonist Kristin Wolfe Jensen conducting a woodwind sectional rehearsal of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony at Round Top.[/caption]
“The concept of ‘Side By Side’ starts simply with two 1’s standing together to create the number 11 as ROCO embarks on its 11th season,” explains ROCO Founder, Artistic Director and Principal Oboist 
East meets West as “Pacific Crossings” celebrates ROCO’s partnership with Asia Society Houston, November 13th at Asia Society Houston’s Brown Foundation Performing Arts Theater, and November 14th at St. John the Divine. Conductor 
“Sliding Into Home” brings the 2015-2016 In Concert series to a close with a single performance at ROCO’s home base, St. John the Divine April 9, featuring the commissioned world premiere of 
“Dressed To The Nines” features ROCO’s players performing Josef Rheinberger’s Nonet in A-major, considered the one of the best of the few nonets in the classical canon. The April 24, 2016 program is filled out with works that split up the nonet into a woodwind quintet for Ligeti’s “Bagatelles,” and a trio for Dohnanyi’s “Serenade” for violin, viola and cello.
The celebrated ROCO Brass Quintet gets a 3-concert series, with repeats, of its own with performances of each concert at The MATCH and in The Woodlands. “ROCO is built on the LEGO model,” explains Alecia Lawyer, “wherein smaller groups like the ROCO Brass Quintet develop their own unique identity and their own concert series under the larger ROCO brand. This allows ROCO to reach much further and serve the entire Houston community, and strengthens the full orchestra’s artistic growth.”
I got the idea for this program a few years ago when I realized that if I wanted a piano part for Ray Steadman-Allen’s piece “Immortal Theme – Suite for Trombone” I had to write it myself. The only available version was for trombone and brass band. I had first heard this piece as a teen-ager in Sweden, performed by the American trombonist Charlie Baker. At that time I played in a Salvation Army band in my hometown of Katrineholm, and Charlie, principal trombone with the New Jersey Symphony, came to Sweden with the Salvation Army New York Staff Band to perform in Stockholm. I was greatly impressed not only by Charlie’s playing, but also with the piece itself.
I wanted to create a program that had a sacred theme, but also lots of variation. It opens with “Ev’ry Valley”, the first solo aria (originally for a tenor singer) from “The Messiah” by G F Händel. Jim Curnow has written a beautiful arrangement of the gospel classic “He Touched Me” by Bill Gaither. Swedish-American composer Erik Leidzén wrote “A Never-Failing Friend” in the mid-30s, it is a theme-and-variations solo typical of that era. The first part of the program will close with Sonata Vox Gabrieli (The voice of Gabriel) by Croatian composer Stjepan Sulek.
Join Thomas and ROCO for 
