Apollo Chamber Players Announces 19th Season, Bold Serenity

Four-part Concert Series Traces Paths To
Tranquility and Purpose in the 21st Century

Featuring World Premiere Commissions by
Leo Brouwer, Anthony Brandt, Chitravina Ravikiran, Tian Qin, and Jalen Baker

Multidisciplinary Collaborations With Houston Poets Laureate and
Dancers from the Houston Ballet, Plus a Co-Presentation with Rothko Chapel

Annual Satellite Series Returns with Free Community Programs

“...a young, dynamic ensemble...creating programs in response to current events.” – NPR

“superb and out of this world” – Gramophone

“recasting music for a diverse and multi-ethnic generation” – Strings Magazine

www.apollochamberplayers.org 

Houston, TX (August 26, 2026) – The Houston-based Apollo Chamber Players, celebrated for their “passion for new music and impressive virtuosity” (The Whole Note), announce their upcoming 19th season, Bold Serenity, a four-program series meditating on the nature of a meaningful and centered life amid the distractions of the 21st century. As they approach their 20th anniversary as a string quartet, Apollo stages a reflective and galvanizing season highlighting newly commissioned works by Rice University composer Anthony Brandt, Indian Classical and Carnatic artist Chitravina Ravikiran, Chinese-American composer Tian Qin, Houston-based jazz composer Jalen Baker, and renowned Cuban composer Leo Brouwer. Four original programs – TRANQUILITY, FLOW, VOICE, and REFLECTION – will bring together the Apollo artists and special guests in performances spanning music, poetry, dance, neuroscience, and contemplative practice.  In addition to its four Bold Serenity concerts, Apollo will carry on its tradition of Satellite Series free community concerts at venues around Houston, including its annual Czech Heritage Month and Holiday Voyage concerts, along with a performance to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, an Interfaith Concert celebrating spiritual diversity in America, and a new concert geared to children and families.

In their nearly two decades as a quartet, the Apollo Chamber Players have championed music as a force for unity and reflection, commissioning more than 70 multicultural works that transcend borders and inspire connection. In recent seasons and its newest album, We The People, Apollo has applied that creative spirit to questions of what it means to be an American at the nation’s 250-year mark. With Bold Serenity, the quartet turns the page to an exploration of our inner and outer lives through four essential pillars of human flourishing: attention, engagement, expression, and wisdom.

“In an era of constant interruption, endless information, and increasing division, how do we live thoughtfully?” poses Apollo founder, violinist and Executive Director Matthew J. Detrick. “I’m sure you feel the cacophony too. Modern life often makes these things difficult. Constant distraction attacks attention and algorithms fragment engagement. Polarization undermines meaningful expression, while speed and swipes leave little room for reflection.

“At its core, serenity is not withdrawal from the world, but the ability to engage with it fully and presently.”

The series’ first program, TRANQUILITY, will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Houston’s Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. In a cross-cultural dialogue between new works, TRANQUILITY brings the World Premieres of Anthony Brandt’s Resting States along with a new commission, Illusion to Resolution, by Indian Carnatic musician Chitravina Ravikiran, the “Mozart of Indian Classical Music” – with Arvo Pärt’s Fratres completing the program. Through complementary perspectives from around the world, the program explores the challenges of contemporary life and the modern mind’s search for calm amid overstimulation and distraction, creating conversation between neuroscience and spirituality, Western contemporary music and Eastern Carnatic tradition.

The series continues with its second concert, FLOW, on Saturday, November 22, 2026 at Houston’s James Turrell Live Oak Quaker Meeting House. Curated from Apollo commissions and traditional masterworks, FLOW explores the elusive state where creativity, attention, and meaning converge, while calling us to make a space for focus in a world of endless scrolling. Presented in an intimate setting, the program brings the World Premiere of a new commission by Tian Qin, inspired by Buddhist meditation practices. The program also includes musical selections from contemporary composers Paul Wiancko, Joey Roukens, and Marty Regan, along with works by Debussy and Philip Glass. In addition, Leila-Scott Price, cofounder and Director of The Center for Healing Arts & Sciences in Houston, will lead a participatory conversation – “What Creates Flow?” – making this a program of music, conversation, and communal reflection in a unique journey toward presence and harmony.

On Thursday, February 4, 2027 at Houston’s Rothko Chapel, Apollo presents VOICE: Living Democracy, featuring the World Premiere of a new work by Houston jazz composer Jalen Baker. Composed for string quartet  and two vibrophones, Baker’s work draws inspiration from the Barnett Newman sculpture “Broken Obelisk,” which stands outside the Rothko Chapel in tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – tracing the artwork’s journey from civic controversy to beloved Houston landmark. Co-presented by the Rothko Chapel, VOICE is curated to explore democracy beyond politics – as a living practice of empathy, courage, participation, frustration, and hope. Among the program’s other musical selections are Daniel Bernard Roumain’s And Still We Cross – an Apollo commission and lead track on Apollo’s new album We the People – plus works by Jaylin Vinson, John Cornelius, and Emma Kent Wine. The program also includes live appearances by several Houston Poets Laureate, including current Laureate Reyes Ramirez, with a post-concert conversation led by Rothko Chapel CEO Abdullah Antepli.

“As the United States marks 250 years as a democratic republic, we are reminded that democracy requires listening, imagination, and a recognition of our shared humanity,” Antepli said. “Collaborating with Apollo Chamber Players on this special performance will further create fruitful dialogue, inspire action, and expand our understanding of ‘We the People.’”

The series concludes with REFLECTION on Friday, May 28, 2027 at Houston’s MATCH in Midtown. A meditation on legacy, memory, and the sharing of wisdom across generations, REFLECTION brings the World Premiere of a new commission by acclaimed Cuban composer Leo Brouwer, featuring a remarkable collaboration with multiple GRAMMY®-winning performers João Luiz Rezende Lopes and Anabel Gil Díaz.

Paired with new original choreography, the work will be performed in its World Premiere with Houston Ballet dancers Monica Gomez and Gian Carlo Perez, along with dancers from Houston Ballet Academy – bringing emerging and established artists together in a shared act of intergenerational creation. The program also highlights Tolo (Sunrise) by Afghan-American composer Homayoun Sakhi, along with Beethoven’s final string quartet, Op. 135 – a late-life masterpiece that wrestles with acceptance, resilience, and what we leave behind. As Apollo approaches its 20th anniversary, REFLECTION serves as a thematic bridge linking past, present, and a bold look into the future.

Satellite Series Free Community Concerts

In the first of the season’s Satellite Series free community concerts, the Apollo Chamber Players present their 10th Annual Czech Heritage Month Concert on October 28, 2026 at the Czech Center Museum Houston.

On Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 3:00pm, they perform their new Interfaith Program, a collaboration with Compassionate Houston and Harris County Public Library, at Houston’s West University Branch Library.

Apollo performs its Holiday Voyage program, a festive annual tradition, on Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 7:00pm at First Congregational Church Houston, presenting their signature celebration of religious pluralism and cultural harmony through music inspired by traditions from around the world. This year’s proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters Greater Houston.

In partnership with E.B.O.N.Y., an organization enriching and celebrating African-American youth in Northwest Houston since 1980, Apollo performs in the Annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday at The Centrum in Houston on Saturday, January 16, 2027 at 2:00pm.

The season’s Satellite Series concludes on April 7 and 8, 2027 at 11:00am with My First Orchestral Concert, presented in partnership with Prelude Music Foundation and musicians from the Houston Symphony and Mercury Chamber Orchestra at Houston’s Miller Outdoor Theatre.

Apollo Chamber Players Season 19: Bold Serenity

Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 7:00pm
TRANQUILITY
Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts | Houston, TX
Link: www.apollochamberplayers.org

Program:
Anthony Brandt: Resting States for string quartet [World Premiere]
Chitravina Ravikiran: new commission for string quartet and chitravina [World Premiere]
Arvo Pärt: Fratres

Wednesday, October 28, 2026
10th Annual Czech Heritage Month Concert
Czech Center Museum Houston | Houston, TX
Link: www.czechcenter.org/

Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 3:00pm
Interfaith Program
West University Branch Library | Houston, TX
Link: hcpl.net/locations/wu/

Saturday, November 22, 2026 at 5:00pm
FLOW
Live Oak Quaker Meeting House | Houston, TX
Link: www.apollochamberplayers.org

Program:
Tian Qin: New commission for string quartet [World Premiere]

Joey Roukens: Forgotten Dutch Melodies (selections) (2025)
Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 3, Mishima
Artist & Audience Conversation: What Creates Flow?
Claude Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 (2nd movement)
Paul Wiancko: Only Ever Us
Marty Regan: Splash of Indigo (2015)

Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 7:00pm
Holiday Voyage

First Congregational Church | Houston, TX

Saturday, January 16, 2027 at 2:00pm
Annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday
The Centrum | Houston, TX

Thursday, February 4, 2027 at 7:00pm
VOICE: Living Democracy
Rothko Chapel | Houston, TX
Link: apollocp.org/RothkoVoiceLivingDemocracy

Program:
Jaylin Vinson: Hold These Truths… (2025)
Jalen Baker: Kindling (2025)
John Cornelius: PAX (2022)
Jalen Baker: New Work for string quartet and two vibraphones [World Premiere]
Emma Kent Wine: The Path (2025)
Daniel Bernard Roumain: And Still We Cross (2026)

Guest Artists:

Houston Poets Laureate
Outspoken Bean
Aris Kian Brown
Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton
Reyes Ramirez

Daniel Bernard Roumain, composer and speaker
Kenneth Morris, Jr., co-creator & narrator
Jalen Baker, composer and vibraphone
Drew Johnson, vibraphone

Penelope Campbell, soprano
Elizabeth Tait, mezzo-soprano
Wayne Ashley, tenor
Kenneth Gayle, tenor
Keaton Brown, baritone

Wednesday, April 7 & Thursday, April 8, 2027 at 11:00am
My First Orchestral Concert
Miller Outdoor Theatre | Houston, TX

Friday, May 28, 2027 at 7:30pm
REFLECTION
MATCH | Houston, TX
Link: www.apollochamberplayers.org

Program:
Leo Brouwer: World Premiere Commission for string quartet, guitar & flute
Leo Brouwer: Sonata Cubana No. 7 & Paisajes, Retratos y mujeres (TBD)
Homayoun Sakhi: Tolo (Sunrise) (2024)
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135

Guest Artists:
João Luiz Rezende, guitar
Anabel Gil Díaz, flute

Monica Gomez, choreographer & dancer (Houston Ballet)
Gian Carlo Perez, choreographer & dancer (Houston Ballet)

About Apollo Chamber Players

Houston-based Apollo Chamber Players “performs with rhythmic flair and virtuosity” (The Strad) and “recasts music for a diverse and multi-ethnic generation” (Strings Magazine) through globally inspired programming and multicultural new music commissions. The ensemble was named 2025 honoree of Chamber Music America’s prestigious Ensemble of the Year award, citing the quartet’s recent themed concerts highlighting American democratic ideals and the dangers of censorship as exemplars of “exceptional artistry, musicality and groundbreaking impact on the chamber music landscape.” Also a past recipient of Chamber Music America’s Residency Partnership award, the ensemble has performed for sold-out audiences at Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center, and is featured frequently on American Public Media’s nationally syndicated program Performance Today.

Celebrated for blending vibrant multicultural commissions with social commentary, Apollo was described by NPR as a “young, dynamic ensemble...creating programs in response to current events.” The quartet’s 2026-2027 season of themed concerts, Bold Serenity, meditates on the nature of a meaningful and centered life amid the distractions of the 21st century, featuring collaborations with such composers as Leo Brouwer and Jalen Baker, while drawing on influences from neuroscience to Eastern spirituality.

Over recent seasons, Apollo programs have explored diverse facets of the American experience in the runup to the nation’s 250-year mark – culminating in its newest album, We the People, released July 3, 2026 on Azica Records. Headlined by a newly commissioned work by Daniel Bernard Roumain, the recording was called “ambitious, timely and utterly engaging” by Cultural Attaché. Among the highlights of its reflections on America’s past, Apollo has been lauded for its work with the legendary actor, author, and activist George Takei, who spoke powerfully in live and recorded performances on wisdom gained from his childhood experience in an internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II. The collaboration was recognized by dignitaries including Houston Mayor John Whitmire and U.S. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, who wrote a letter commending the ensemble’s “artistic effort to bring enlightened inspiration of the Founding Fathers meaningfully into the 21st century, to expand on those ideals, and to help build a more perfect union through connection and community.”

Apollo’s discography on Azica Records includes BAN: Stories of Censorship (August 2025), called “compelling” (BBC Music Magazine) and “grippingly played” (Pizzicato); Trace of Time (2024), praised as the work of “gifted musical storytellers” by Musical America; and With Malice Toward None (2021), which reached No. 1 on Amazon’s Hot New Release chart. The ensemble’s catalog of records has been featured on hundreds of radio and media stations worldwide. The organization’s debut feature film, MoonShot: The Remarkable Journey of Apollo Chamber Players, won international accolades, including Best Documentary and Best Documentary Soundtrack at the Seattle, Vancouver, Houston, and Screen ATX International film festivals. It is now available on Amazon Prime and Tubi.

A passionate advocate of globally-inspired contemporary music and art, Apollo counts an expanding catalogue of more than 60 commissioned works and eight critically acclaimed commercial albums. The ensemble’s diverse roster of leading and emerging composers includes Jennifer Higdon, John Corigliano, Libby Larsen, Pamela Z, Jerod Tate, Allison Loggins-Hull, Brian Raphael Nabors, and Vanessa Võ.

Apollo’s community partners include schools and universities, at-risk youth centers, refugee and veterans’ service organizations, and public libraries. The ensemble’s vanguard Library Voyage project, an initiative to perform in all Harris County/Houston Public Libraries, is the first of its kind in the nation. Apollo was founded in 2008 by violinist and music entrepreneur Matthew J. Detrick and violinist Timothy Peters.

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Photo credits: Apollo Chamber Players by Lynn Lane; Jalen Baker, Anthony Brandt, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and Leo Brouwer courtesy of the artists; Rothko Chapel by Ben Doyle.