Clarinetist

ROCO concludes its Connections Series and its 21st season with Sense of Mind—a bold exploration of how music and the brain intertwine. Presented first at ARTECHOUSE Houston, the performance pairs ROCO musicians with advanced technology, translating real-time neural activity into immersive visuals that react to the sound waves emitted by the musical instruments.

Designed in partnership with neuroscientists and digital artists, Neurofeedback invites audiences to consider how music moves us emotionally and how we process it biologically. The concert features guest pianist Mei Rui (Director of Music in Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center) and a newly commissioned piece by Anthony Brandt, along with visuals created by animator/illustrator Badie Khaleghian.

ROCO Connections: Sense of Mind

Artechouse Houston

ROCO’s Connections Series continues with Quartet for All Time, a program of emotional resonance. Through a selection of thoughtfully curated works, this concert exhibits music’s power to reflect and uplift in times of grief and remembrance.

Featuring Rebecca Fischer (violin), Alexis Gerlach (cello), Nathan Williams (clarinet), and Audrey Andrist (piano), the evening honors personal and collective memory through music that speaks across generations and traditions, inviting audiences to reflect on the role of music in preserving hope and history.

ROCO Connections: Quartet for All Time

Texas Southern University

**Event Description: ROCO Connections: Simple Gifts**

Join us for an enchanting evening of music and dance at the "ROCO Connections: Simple Gifts" concert, taking place on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at 5:00 PM at the Rothko Chapel in Houston, TX. This event is now at capacity, but you can still be part of the experience by joining our free livestream or contacting us to join the waiting list at email protected or 713-665-2700.

Sponsored by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation and supported by the Betty Jane Seydler Foundation, this concert is a celebration of collaboration and artistic expression. The program, led by conductor Delyana Lazarova, features Aaron Copland’s iconic tone poem "Appalachian Spring" in its original 13-piece version, which has inspired the ROCO-commissioned world premiere of James Stephenson’s "Persephone." This premiere will include a solo dance performance with original choreography by Marlana Doyle, founder of the Houston Contemporary Dance Company. Additionally, Jennifer Higdon’s quintet "Celestial Hymns" will round out the evening's program.

**Musicians:**
- Scott St. John, violin
- Aloysia Friedmann, violin
- Eva Burmeister, violin
- Sean Riley, violin
- Matthew Dane, viola
- Lorento Golofeev, viola
- Mina Smith, cello
- Annamarie Reader, cello
- Timothy Pitts, bass
- Matthew Roitstein, flute
- Nathan Williams, clarinet
- Kristin Wolfe Jensen, bassoon
- Audrey Andrist, piano

**Dancer:**
- Madison Araiza

**Location:**
Rothko Chapel
Yupon Street, Houston, TX, USA

**Program:**
- Aaron Copland: "Appalachian Spring" (Suite for 13 instruments)
- Jennifer Higdon: "Celestial Hymns" (For clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano)
- James Stephenson: "Persephone" (ROCO World Premiere Commission with Houston Contemporary Dance Company)

Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience a blend of music and dance in a serene and inspiring setting.

ROCO Connections: Simple Gifts

Rothko Chapel

Claiming a wide territory for their unusual medium, Strata traverses a world of sounds. Their vast repertoire spans from the rural, folkloric style of Béla Bartók to the urbane wit of Jean Françaix. Highlighting works ranging from the English Pastoralism of Rebecca Clarke’s duo for clarinet and viola to the joyful eclecticism of Karim Al-Zand’s Stomping Grounds, which draws its inspiration from such diverse sources as Baroque ground bass, music of the African “thumb piano,” and “stop time” jazz, this program delivers a generous helping of assorted delights. 

Clarinetist

Nathan Williams

Events

Past events

May 2, 2026

ROCO Connections: Sense of Mind · ROCO

Jan 24, 2026

ROCO Connections: Quartet for All Time · ROCO

Future and recently performed repertoire

Clarinet in Quartet for the End of Time by Messiaen

ROCO

Clarinet in Quintet in E-flat for Piano and Winds by Beethoven

ROCO

Clarinet in Quartet for Tomorrow by Stephenson

ROCO

Clarinet in Street Antiphons by Jalbert

ROCO

About

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