ROCO returns to the River Oaks Theatre to open its Connections Series with a cinematic celebration of silent film and live music. Led by guest conductor and composer Andrew Earle Simpson, the program features original scores performed by a live chamber ensemble alongside classic films including Disney’s Silly Symphony: “Music Land”, Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant, and Laurel and Hardy’s Liberty.

With fresh new scorings by Simpson for each film, audiences will experience the magic of early cinema in a vibrant, reimagined format full of laughs, nostalgia, and musical storytelling. This one-night-only event is a must for film buffs, music lovers, and anyone looking for a fun night out in one of Houston’s most iconic venues.

ROCO Connections: From Silence to Sound

The River Oaks Theatre

With live musical accompaniment by pianist Andrew Earle Simpson
This film is on loan from and is preserved by the Library of Congress. Bare Knees is an American silent film comedy-drama directed by Erle C. Kenton starring Virginia Lee Corbin an early Hollywood child star turned flapper in the 1920’s. In the film, Corbin plays the family’s black sheep, who returns to her small hometown causing a sensation with her short skirts, cigarettes, and other “flapper” accouterments. Flappers of the 1920s were young women known for their energetic freedom, embracing a lifestyle viewed by many at the time as outrageous, immoral, or downright dangerous due to the sexual undertones and sexual promiscuity displayed. Now considered the first generation of independent American women, flappers pushed barriers in economic, political, and sexual freedom for women.

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Atlas Presents Silent Film Series: Bare Knees – 1928

Atlas Performing Arts Center

ROCO joins the global celebration of the 2025 World EXPO in Osaka with Beyond the Rising Sun – A Musical Voyage, a cross-cultural evening honoring innovation, tradition, and international exchange. Hosted at Asia Society Texas Center, this concert features ROCO musicians Kana Kimura (violin), Maiko Sasaki (clarinet), Shino Hayashi (cello), and guest pianist Kana Mimaki in a program that bridges East and West.

The centerpiece is a new ROCO-commissioned quartet by Hiroaki Tokunaga, inspired by the reflections of Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who will join the ensemble as a guest speaker at the event. Paired with a Japanese fashion collection curated by Houston City College and a Suntory Toki whisky tasting, the evening promises a vibrant tapestry of sound, visual art, and Japanese culture.

Andrew Earle Simpson

Events

Upcoming events

Mar 28, 2026

ROCO Connections: Beyond the Rising Sun – A Musical Voyage · ROCO

Past events

Nov 14, 2025

ROCO Connections: From Silence to Sound · ROCO

Apr 14, 2024

Atlas Presents Silent Film Series: Bare Knees – 1928 · Atlas Performing Arts Center

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