River Oaks Chamber Orchestra

In November 2007, the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) began its third season in Houston playing works from such musical legends as Vivaldi and Mozart.  While the success of the orchestra can be attributed to all 40 of the musicians, the “brains of the operation” belong to SMU Meadows alumna Alecia Lawyer.  Lawyer graduated from SMU with a Bachelor of Music degree, with a concentration in oboe, and then earned a master’s degree at The Juilliard School in New York.  Lawyer’s musical abilities have allowed her to perform in Carnegie Hall and Europe as well as in Texas.  In 2005, Lawyer founded the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in Houston, where she lives with her husband and two sons. 

Lawyer uses the word “miracle” to describe the success of the orchestra.  “Everything just seemed to fall into place,” she says.   Lawyer’s church, St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, where ROCO usually performs, underwent intense renovations that turned the building into a perfect concert space for a chamber orchestra. In addition to the performance space, Lawyer was able to bring together talented musicians from all over the world whom she had gotten to know during her career.

What separates ROCO from any other orchestra? Whereas other orchestras focus on simply performing the music, Lawyer created ROCO with the idea of “breaking the fourth wall between the audience and the players.”  During intermission, the orchestra members don nametags, exit the stage, and converse with the audience members.  ROCO not only has succeeded in breaking down the wall between the stage and the audience but also between the stage and the world outside.  The company offers performances in their offices, in people’s homes, at public parks, and in wine bars, where they pair the style of music with the nationality of the wine.

Lawyer’s unique approach to the orchestral experience is based on the idea of “building community,” which the orchestra does in multiple ways.  For example, it provides pronunciation guides for audience members.  It also offers a childcare program, called ROCORooters, which exposes the children to classical music during and after the performance.   ROCO also holds a drawing at each performance, picking four audience members who are invited to sit on stage with the orchestra.  ROCO members aim to build a sense of community not only with their audience but among themselves.  The vast majority of orchestras have one conductor; ROCO does not. During most of their performances, that job is shared among the members of the orchestra in an attempt to take the focus from one person and put it on the group.

Lawyer wants ROCO to “bring the joy and fun” back into classical music.

“You don’t want to change the music,” Lawyer says, “It’s already amazing so you don’t have to.”   ROCO goes beyond normal orchestral experiences with the hopes of not only developing in audiences a comprehension and appreciation for the music, but also creating unforgettable experiences. 

More information on River Oaks Chamber Orchestra and Alecia Lawyer can be found at http://www.rocohouston.org. 

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