For over a decade the Intermezzo Chamber Music Series has been a summer staple in Salt Lake City. The series opens Monday, and between now and August the five concerts Intermezzo will present will offer a broad range of works from the standard repertoire along with some contemporary and lesser known pieces.

The first half at Monday’s opener will feature Debussy’s Piano Trio in G major; the Sonata for Cello and Piano; and the Sonata for Violin and Piano. “We’ve got the younger and mature Debussy represented,” said Utah Symphony violinist and Intermezzo president David Porter. “I think it will make for a good contrast.”

Vedrana Subotic, piano, Anne Lee, cello

Playing will be new Utah Symphony members Anne Lee, cello, and Claude Halter, principal second violin. They’ll be joined by pianist Vedrana Subotic, Intermezzo’s music director. “Debussy will be elegantly served by Anne and Claude,” Porter said. “And their playing matches Vedrana’s.”

The second half will consist of only one work, Dvorák’s mighty Piano Trio in E minor, op. 90 (Dumky). “Vedrana has a great understanding of [Slavic] folk elements and she will do a fabulous job with it,” Porter said.

Another large scale work by Dvorák, the String Quintet No. 2 in G major, op. 77, will be performed the following week. “It’s not done often, but it’s a fun piece to play,” Porter said, adding that he’s played it a couple of times in the past. He’ll be one of the players next week along with Utah Symphony colleagues Lee, Halter, violist Leslie Richards and principle bass David Yavornitzky.

On the same program will be Giovanni Bottesini’s Grand Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass, with Porter and bassist Jens TenBroek, and John Corigliano’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, with Porter and Jason Hardink.

“Corigliano’s sonata is one of his first pieces and was the piece that catapulted him onto the international scene,” Porter said. It’s a lengthy work with a demanding violin part, he added. “The violin writing is so creative, probably because of his father,” who was the concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic at the time the sonata was written. “It’s a quintessential American work without being simple.”

One of the great works from the standard repertoire, Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, op. 60, will be played on the Aug. 5 concert. “It’s what I call a ‘desert island’ piece,” Porter said. “It’s a rich work with a lot of contrast in character. It goes from angst and despair” to beautifully crafted lyricism. “It has a gorgeous slow movement.”

The Aug. 5 program will be what Porter calls his “viola concert.” The Utah Symphony’s associate principal viola Roberta Zalkind was to have played this concert. “She couldn’t do it, so I’m going to play viola.” And Porter is looking forward to switching instruments, something he doesn’t get to do often.

In the last couple of years, the Utah Symphony has hired a number of new players and several of them will be playing on Intermezzo this summer. Among them is the orchestra’s principal flute, Mercedes Smith. “I’m very excited to feature her,” Porter said. “She has a quality of playing that pops.” She’ll be playing Mozart’s Flute Quartet No. 1 in D major, K. 285, and Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp. Also on the concert will be Joaquin Turina’s Sextet for Viola, Piano and String Quartet (Escena Andaluza) and Juan Arriaga’s String Quartet No. 3 in E flat major. “Arriaga was called the Mozart of Spain,” Porter said. “He was an incredibly gifted young man who died at 19.” His works are almost never performed today.

Porter said he first encountered the quartet when he was at a summer music camp run by violinist Charles Castleman. “[The quartet] is a mix of classical and romantic and very melodic.”

Vedrana Subotic

For the final concert, on Aug. 12, Subotic will play the Etudes for piano by a composer who is anything but a household name in the United States, Vasilije Mokranjac. “Vedrana introduced me to the piece 15 years ago,” Porter said. “The music is coloristic and virtuosic but very accessible.” The Serbian-born Mokranjac died in 1984 at age 61. His musical influences were Serbian and Bosnian, which in turn were influenced by Turkish elements. “It’s an atmospheric piece, and a great precursor to Bartók’s Contrasts,” which will round out the first half of the program.

Also on this program is Elegies for soprano and piano by University of Utah composer Steve Roens, and Ernst von Dohnányi’s Piano Quintet No. 1 in C minor, op. 1. “Dohnányi’s quintet is lush, almost decadent,” Porter said, “and I love how Kathryn [Eberle] and Vedrana play it.”

Porter said that in addition to the works on each program, there will be some surprises. “A few other pieces will be performed that are not on the program.” These pieces will relate to a musical event of historical significance from last year, he said. “I like to do unexpected things and take people out of traditional programming.”

Concerts start at 7:30 p.m. and take place in Vieve Gore Concert Hall on the Westminster College campus. Season tickets are $72 for general and $60 for seniors. Single tickets are $18 for general and $15 for seniors. Students and youth are admitted free of charge. Tickets are available online at www.intermezzoconcerts.org or by phone at 801-971-5050 or by email at gaibisso1234@yahoo.com.

Below is the concert schedule:

• July 8 – Program: Debussy, Piano Trio in G major; Debussy, Sonata for Cello and Piano; Debussy, Sonata for Violin and Piano; Dvorák, Piano Trio in E minor (Dumky). Performers: Claude Halter, violin; Anne Lee, cello; Vedrana Subotic, piano.
• July 15 – Program: Corigliano, Sonata for Violin and Piano; Bottessini, Grand Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass; Dvorák, String Quintet in G major, op. 77. Performers: David Porter and Claude Halter, violin; Leslie Richards, viola; Anne Lee, cello; Jens TenBroek and David Yavornitzky, double bass.
• July 29 – Program: Mozart, Flute Quartet No. 1 in D major, K. 285; Turina, Sextet for Viola, Piano and String Quartet (Escena Andaluza); Arriaga, String Quartet No. 3 in E flat major; Debussy, Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp. Performers: Mercedes Smith, flute; David Porter and Julie Wunderle, violin; Brant Bayless and Julie Edwards, viola; John Eckstein, cello; Louise Vickerman, harp; Kimi Kawashima, piano.
• Aug. 5 – Program: Beethoven, Serenade for String Trio in D major, op. 8; Kodály, Duo for Violin and Cello, op. 7; Brahms, Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, op. 60. Performers: Lun Jiang, violin; David Porter, viola; Pegsoon Whang, cello; Karlyn Bond, piano.
• Aug. 12 – Program: Mokranjac, Etudes; Bartók, Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet and Piano; Roens, Elegies for Soprano and Piano; Dohnányi, Piano Quintet No. 1 in C minor, op. 1. Performers: Erin Voellinger, clarinet; Cheryl Hart, soprano; Kathryn Eberle and Alex Martin, violin; Elizabeth Wallace, viola; Anne Lee, cello; Vedrana Subotic, piano.