Thursday, Sep. 21, 2017 – Thursday, Sep. 21, 2017

06:00 PM
US/Central

Music of Peace and Reconciliation
All proceeds from this event will go towards Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston's efforts to help homebound seniors and refugee families affected by Hurricane Harvey.
If you are unable to attend, but would still like to contribute, please click here.

In observation of International Day of Peace, join the Apollo Chamber Players for a program of music for string quartet by Grammy-winning American composers Libby Larsen and Phillip Glass, Millennial composer Alexandra du Bois, and Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali.

Libby Larsen’s "Sorrow Song and Jubilee" is inspired by the relationship between African-American composer Henry Thacker Burleigh and Czech composer Antonin Dvorak, fusing spirituals with Czech idioms. Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali incorporates centuries-old folk music from his home country in his works. Millennial composer Alexandra du Bois was inspired by the on-going refugee crisis in Syria and by people displaced as a result of war and conflict to compose her latest string quartet, subtitled "Obala" or "Sea," a piece about peace. Philip Glass' work takes listeners to a place of inner peace and reflection in his String Quartet No. 3, "Mimisha."

The program will include:
String Quartet No. 3 Mishima (1985)..............Philip Glass
Sorrow Song and Jubilee (2014)..................Libby Larsen
String Quartet in E-flat Major (2017)...........Malek Jandali
String Quartet No. 4 Obala (2016)..............Alexandra du Bois

About the presenters:
Houston-based Apollo Chamber Players has “found fruitful territory” (Houston Chronicle) through its mission to explore the cultural and folkloric influences in classical music, and the ensemble’s performances have “rhythmic flair and doses of virtuosity” (The Strad). Apollo presents thematically-programmed concerts regionally, nationally, and internationally, with the distinction of being the first American chamber ensemble to record and perform in Cuba in January 2017. Nationally, the group counts two recent tours of the East Coast, with concerts at Carnegie Hall in 2013 and 2017, and concerts in Hartford, Little Rock, Charleston, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore, among others. Apollo is featured frequently on American Public Media’s nationally syndicated program, "Performance Today."

Apollo’s 20x2020 commissioned works have reached over 10 million listeners since the project’s launch in 2014. 20x2020 includes a roster of some of the world’s leading composers and up-and-coming artists, including Grammy-winners Libby Larsen and Christopher Theofanidis. In recent seasons, Apollo has collaborated with Houston Ballet, Houston METdance, and concertized with acclaimed artists James Dunham, Chitravina N. Ravikiran, Ivo-Jan van der Werff , Timothy Pitts, Ismail Lumanovski, and Vanessa Võ.

Passionate about arts education, the ensemble curates culturally-enriching programs for performances in Houston and across the U.S, for students of all ages. Most recently, Apollo performed for and mentored students in Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's OrchKids outreach program, at-risk youth at Boys & Girls Harbor Houston, and presented entrepreneurship lectures at Seattle University (WA). Apollo is the quartet-in-residence for Youth Orchestras of San Antonio’s Summer Symphony Camp.

Ensemble musicians include Matthew J. Detrick, violin and Artistic Director; Anabel Ramirez, violin; Whitney Bullock, viola and Educational Outreach Director; and Matthew Dudzik, cello. Learn more by visiting apollochamberplayers.org. To learn more about other Concerts in the Chapel, click here.