Step into a world of musical possibilities in “OPTIMISTIC”, featuring the full 40-piece chamber orchestra on April 26th, at Rice University’s Brockman Hall for Opera! Led by long-time ROCO collaborator Alastair Willis, experience the Texas premiere of Dai Wei’s Invisible Portals, a ROCO co-commissioned work that opens new dimensions of sound. Be moved by Keane Southard’s poignant Lamentation for String Orchestra, and then groove to the world premiere of Vincent Gardner’s Mancini Mashup, a thrilling collaboration with the Jazz Houston ensemble. Finally, ROCO premieres a groundbreaking rescore of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, by Marlijn Helder, offering a fresh take on a soul-stirring classic that heralded a new frontier in orchestral music.