Marking its own landmark anniversary this summer in Utah’s performing arts scene, Intermezzo Chamber Music Series will celebrate its 25th anniversary this summer with concerts inspired in part by Robert and Clara Schumann, along with music by Chopin, Dvořák, Liszt, Ravel, Schubert. Debussy and Brahms. Pianist Vedrana Subotić, music director and cofounder of the series, has appropriately leveraged the historical significance of one of classical music’s greatest couples, by inviting guest artists who also happen to be couples. Among the featured musicians will be Lun Jiang and Pegsoon Whang, who will play in two of this summer’s concerts. As Subotić noted, these two Utahns have performed in at least one concert every season since the series was established.
The Schumann relationship traversed many levels. Robert and Clara had their alternate avatar personalities, Florestan and Eusebius, respectively. For example when the young Schumann wrote his Symphonic Etudes, op. 13, the theme came from an amateur aristocrat whose daughter also studied with Schumann’s piano teacher, Friedrich Wieck. When the young Schumann began composing this work, he was in love with the baron’s daughter, a relationship which the father did not approve of and he eventually found a new piano teacher for his daughter. Schumann stopped working on the piece. Of course, this cleared the path for Schumann to fall in love with Clara Wieck. Inspired by his love for Clara and Chopin’s music, Schumann resurrected and completed the Symphonic Etudes. As a young man, Brahms sought to impress the Schumanns with his early opuses. Clara also turned out to be an astute judge of Brahms’ potential as a composer. After Robert’s death in 1856, Clara remained one of the most important figures in the Romantic Era as a pianist, composer and critic, for the remainder of her life until her death in 1896.
The lifespan of Intermezzo, as with other major musical series, coincides with the expanded breadth and depth in the bench of talent, when it comes to playing the most challenging and emotionally satisfying examples of chamber music literature available. Jiang said in an interview with The Utah Review that Subotić has always “been very open-minded about programming and we are really blessed to have had so many opportunities.” Whang added that the pandemic shutdown of live performances in 2020 was an especially memorable time, as they recorded performances at the Gallivan Center in downtown Salt Lake City which were later streamed for subscribers. Both Jiang and Whang praised Subotić for her perseverance and due diligence to ensure Intermezzo has lasted 25 years. For a city of its size, Salt Lake City stands out for excellence in long-running chamber music series including Intermezzo, NOVA Chamber Music Series and Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City.
There are really many great musicians in the Salt Lake city area who make themselves available during the summer for Intermezzo. They include familiar names in demand not just in Utah but nationally and internationally as well: violinists Alex and Aubrey Woods, violinist William Hagen, cellist Lauren Posey, tenor Brian Stucki, harpist Alicia McQuay, pianist Michael McQuay, pianist Hyunsoon Whang, violist J.T. Posadas and numerous other instrumentalists.
The summer’s five Monday concerts at 7:30pm, in the Vieve Gore Concert Hall at Westminster University include:
Monday, June 29 · 7:30pm – From the Salon to the Stage · Chopin (intimately scaled version of his Second Piano Concert & Dvořák (String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 77,)
Vedrana Subotić, piano · Blanka Bednarz & Aubrey Woods, violins · Alex Woods, viola · Cheung Chau, cello · Andrew Keller, double bass
Monday, July 13 · 7:30pm – Robert & Clara: A Musical Portrait · Schumann & Liszt (piano trios by both Schumanns and Liszt’s piano transcriptions of two of Robert Schumann’s Widmung and Frühlingsnacht
Hyunsoon Whang, piano · Lun Jiang, violin · Pegsoon Whang, cello
Monday, July 20 · 7:30pm – Schubert: Song and Silence · Cello Quintet & Die schöne Müllerin
Vedrana Subotić, piano · Will Hagen & Andrea Ashdown, violins · Whittney Sjogren, viola · Lauren Posey & Brian Stucki, cellos · Brian Stucki, tenor
Monday, July 27 · 7:30pm – Color and Counterweight · Debussy and Ravel (sextets featuring the harp & Brahms Piano Trio No. 1
Alicia McQuay, harp · Michael McQuay, piano · Erin David & Dallin Hansen, violins · Kristina Horrocks, viola · Nicole Pinnell, cello · Nadine Luke, flute · Adam Ballif, clarinet
Monday, Aug. 3 · 7:30pm – Schumann: Two Faces of a Master · Kreisleriana & Piano Quartet
Vedrana Subotić, piano · Lun Jiang, violin · J.T. Posadas, viola · Pegsoon Whang, cello
For tickets and more information, see the Intermezzo website.