The Cuarteto Casals may sound like it hails from over yonder across the pond, in a land filled with paella, Jerez and gazpacho, far away from all things Houston, like barbecue, Saint Arnold beer and Monica Pope.

But as deliciously Barcelonian as the group may be, one of its members has very strong cowboy roots in the Bayou City as a graduate of Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. Violist Jonathan Brown joined the Spanish cuarteto nearly 10 years ago and has been touring the world with a string quartet that knows just how to get that Bilbao spirit out of compositions by Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga and Sevillian sass from tunes found in the music of Joaquín Turina.

Now, Brown and his international buddies are in Houston for a Tuesday night performance at Shepherd.

Along with Schubert's String Quartet No. 13 "Rosamunde," the Houston concert program is slightly different from Cuarteto Casals's sold-out performance in Carnegie Hall Friday, but equally as compelling with more exotic Spanish works in lieu of Shostakovich.

Turina's Oración del torero or the Bullfighter's Prayer is on the bill, a work prized for its ability to audibly describe the essence of the Spanish spirit.

Curious to learn what it's like to be a touring classical musician? Houston Friends of Chamber Music is hosting its first Twitter chat. Starting at noon on Tuesday, interested tweeples can join the conversation by using the hashtag #casals.

Violinists Cibran Sierra Vasquez (temporarily replacing Abel Tomàs) and Vera Martinez Mehner and cellist Arnau Tomàs complete the foursome who will perform Tuesday night at Shepherd as part of Houston Friends of Chamber Music's 2011-12 classical season.