Houston has its fair share of classical music groups and orchestras. The Apollo Chamber Players, on their way to perform at Carnegie Hall in a few weeks, have managed to set themselves apart from the others. Not only because the members are extremely talented, but because of the group’s interest in illuminating the connection between classical music and folk music. ”We feel that folk music — cultural/ethnic music, more specifically — provides an interpretive lens with which to experience classical music,” Artistic Director Matthew Detrick tells us. Classical composers, Detrick says, were often influenced by the folk music of their time and culture. Some composers directly integrated folk songs into their classical works. Today’s concert, which features composer Karim Al-Zand’s Fantasy on Bulgarian Rhythms, a work commissioned by Apollo, continues that exploration. ”This has been a rich programmatic vein for us the past five seasons, and we’ve only touched the surface!” says Detrick.

6 p.m. Rice University, 6100 Main. For information, visit apollochamberplayers.org. $25.

Sun., Sept. 22, 6 p.m., 2013

This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2012.