{{Short description|American string quartet}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} '''Apollo Chamber Players''' is an American string quartet based in Houston, Texas.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/01/business/security-line-blues-maybe-some-cool-jazz-will-help.html |title=Security Line Blues? Maybe Some Cool Jazz Will Help|last=Zipkin |first=Amy |date=May 1, 2017 |website=The New York Times |access-date= October 19, 2021 }}</ref> The ensemble, composed of Violinist and Founder Matthew Detrick, Violinist Anabel Ramirez Detrick, Violist Whitney Bullock and Cellist Matthew Dudzik,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/Apollo-Chamber-Players-MoonStrike-brings-14462133.php#photo-18313248 |title=Apollo Chamber Players' MoonStrike brings American Indian lunar legends to life |last=Knox |first=Lawrence |date=September 26, 2019 |website=Houston Chronicle |access-date= October 27, 2021 }}</ref> are known for their distinctive, globally-inspired programming<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sfcv.org/articles/feature/slow-dissolve-what-lies-beyond-classicalpopular-music-divide# |title=Slow Dissolve: What Lies Beyond the Classical/Popular Music Divide? |last=Elliot |first=Tamzin |date=September 19, 2021 |website=San Francisco Classical Voice |access-date= October 19, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/article/Ensemble-explores-cultural-mixing-in-music-5764731.php?t=5ab5b7b0054135ed9f&t=5ab5b7b005 |title=Ensemble explores cultural mixing in music |last=Eatock |first=Colin |date=September 8, 2014 |website=Houston Chronicle |access-date= October 16, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.houstonpress.com/arts/things-to-do-listen-to-apollo-chamber-players-mix-president-lincoln-and-beethoven-this-weekend-11867089 |title=Apollo Chamber Players Opens Season 'With Malice Toward None' |last=Byrd |first=Sam |date=September 7, 2021 |website=Houston Press |access-date= October 16, 2021 }}</ref> and have garnered international recognition for unique performances and a diverse catalog of commissioned works. In January 2017, they became the first American chamber music group to perform and record in the nation of Cuba since 1960.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://artsandculturetx.com/breaking-boundaries-apollo-chamber-players-in-cuba/ |title=BREAKING BOUNDARIES: APOLLO CHAMBER PLAYERS IN CUBA |last=Cheng |first=Sherry |date=March 2, 2017 |website=Arts and Culture Texas |access-date= October 16, 2021 }}</ref> The group has been featured on national broadcast radio on several occasions as part of American Public Media's ''Performance Today'' program.<ref>{{cite web |title=Houston's Apollo Chamber Players |url=https://www.yourclassical.org/episode/2017/09/02/houstons-apollo-chamber-players |website=YourClassical.org/PerformanceToday |accessdate=October 16, 2021}}</ref>
The ensemble's fifth studio album ''With Malice Toward None'' has been met with critical acclaim. James Manheim of AllMusic writes that the project is "a well-performed set of entirely novel chamber music".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Manheim|first1=James|title=With Malice Toward None Review|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/with-malice-toward-none-mw0003554615|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=October 16, 2021}}</ref> Jon Sobel of Blogcritics calls the album a "varied yet thematically contiguous fusion of international traditions and modern innovation".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sobel|first1=Jon|title=Music Reviews: Sky's Acetylene And Apollo Chamber Players- With Malice Toward None|url=https://blogcritics.org/music-reviews-david-fulmer-skys-acetylene-apollo-chamber-players-with-malice-toward-none/|website=blogcritics.org |accessdate=October 16, 2021}}</ref>
==Commissions== Composers commissioned by the Apollo Chamber Players include Libby Larsen, Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, Kimo Williams, N. Ravikiran, Pamela Z, Javier Farias, Vũ Nhật Tân, J.E. Hernández, Vanessa Vo, Jovino Santos Neto, Malek Jandali, Christopher Theofanidis and Jennifer Higdon among many others.<ref>{{cite web |title=20X2020 Compositions |url=https://www.apollochamberplayers.org/20x2020/#compositions |access-date=October 26, 2021 |website=ApolloChamberPlayers.org |archive-date=July 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726214316/https://www.apollochamberplayers.org/20x2020/#compositions |url-status=dead }}</ref> From 2014 to 2020 the ensemble commissioned new music as part of its 20x2020 project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://artsandculturetx.com/apollo-chamber-players-concludes-20x2020/ |title=APOLLO CHAMBER PLAYERS CONCLUDES 20×2020 |last=Brown |first=Steve |date=May 15, 2019 |website=Arts and Culture Texas |access-date= October 26, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/classical/houston-s-apollo-chamber-players-reflect-15740503 |title=Houston’s Apollo Chamber Players reflect cultural reckoning in new season |last=Gray |first=Chris |date=November 20, 2020 |website=Houston Chronicle |access-date= October 16, 2021 }}</ref>
==Recordings== * ''European Folkscapes'' (Navona Records, 2014)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/apollo-chamber-players-mn0003678271/discography |title=Apollo Chamber Players Discography |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=October 19, 2021 }}</ref> * ''Blurred Boundaries'' (Navona Records, 2016) * ''Ancestral Voices'' (Navona Records, 2017)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/ancestral-voices |title=Review: Ancestral Voices |last=Vittes |first=Laurence |date=March 2018 |website=Gramophone |access-date=October 16, 2021 }}</ref> * ''Within Earth'' (Navona Records, 2019) * ''With Malice Toward None'' (Azica Records, 2021) * ''MoonStrike'' (Azica Records, 2022)
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:American string quartets Category:Musical groups from Houston Category:Performing arts in Texas Category:Texas classical music Category:Culture of Houston Category:Musical groups with year of establishment missing
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