The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, based in Houston, will premiere two fanfares commissioned in response to Hurricane Harvey. Anthony DiLorenzo’s Anthem of Hope: Houston Strong will be premiered on September 22 at Miller Outdoor Theatre and repeated on September 23 at the Church of St. John the Divine. DiLorenzo’s piece will also feature music, dance, and theater ensembles from the Houston area, including Stages Repertory Theatre, Rice University’s Shephard School of Music, Opera in the Heights, Mercury, Musiqa, Houston Youth Symphony, Wind Sync, Queensbury Theatre, MetDance, and Silambam Houston. Kevin Puts’s The Big Heart will be premiered on November 11; it explores Houston’s response to Harvey in the context of the city’s sheltering of the victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and includes text by librettist Mark Campbell. ROCO founder, artistic director, and principal oboist Alecia Lawyer said of the premieres: “I wanted to find a way to reach across Houston’s vibrant arts community and collectively embrace our wonderful city.” ROCO managing director Amy Gibbs added, “Our hope is for these pieces to illustrate how Houston is strengthened by our diversity and ability to build relationships to support one another.”
Posted September 15, 2017
