About the Performance

About Maiko Sasaki

A native of Chiba, Japan, Maiko Sasaki has performed with prestigious arts organizations throughout the musical spectrum, appearing with The Houston Grand Opera, Da Camera of Houston, Musiqa, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Opera in the Heights, The Texas Repertory Theatre Co., Bayou City Concert Musicals, and Main Street Theater. She is also an active recitalist, and has been invited as a guest artist at Houston’s Japanese Consulate and Houston Young Artist Concerts. In addition, Ms. Sasaki has been featured at the Kennedy Center with The Conservatory Project. She has appeared as a soloist of Concerto works by Alvin Etlar and Carl Nielsen with the Shepherd School Orchestra, and collaborated with Benjamin Kamins in the Richard Strauss’s Duett Concertino.

Also active as a period instrument (five-keyed clarinet) player, Ms. Sasaki has served as principal clarinetist of the Orchestra Symposion, and has toured with Anner Bylsma, and the Bach Collegium Japan. In addition to her passion for classical and romantic repertoire, Ms. Sasaki finds interest in working with contemporary composers. She has commissioned numerous works by Japanese composer, Kunihiro Kato and these recordings, Suite Nostalgia, Two Clarinet Sonatas, and Adieu Todorokican, can be found on the Office Makina label. She also appears on the recording of Society of Composers, Inc.'s Musings, published by Capstone Records which features the work of Karim Al-Zand.

Ms. Sasaki has won numerous awards for her work, including first prize in the International Clarinet Association Orchestra Audition Competition, the Shepherd School of Music Concerto Competition, and the JILA Music Competition in Tokyo. Ms. Sasaki holds a Master’s degree in music from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and is currently studying for her doctoral degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music with Professor Michael Webster. Her doctoral studies have been aided by a scholarship from the Nomura Cultural Foundation, and she was awarded a prestigious Presser Award, a grant to support a musician’s summer project.

About River Oaks Chamber Orchestra

The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) is a forty-piece professional chamber orchestra that was founded in 2005 by Alecia Lawyer. A Juilliard-trained musician with an eclectic background as a performer, recording artist, adjunct professor, and radio host, Ms. Lawyer had a vision to reimagine the orchestral experience for both audience and musicians. The result is ROCO: an orchestra of all-star musicians, distinguished conductors, and contemporary composers who come together from all over the world to present unexpected classics, original compositions, and delightful performances that dissolve the barriers between audience and orchestra.

Bank of America is presenting sponsor of Performing Arts & Culture programs. Generous funding also provided by AARP, Nancy C. Allen, CNOOC-NEXEN, the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, The Clayton Fund, the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, and Mickey Rosenau & Dr. Ellen Gritz. Funding is also provided from Friends of Performing Arts & Culture at Asia Society Texas Center, a premier group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming to Houston.This program is presented in collaboration with River Oaks Chamber Orchestra.