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Sunday's NOVA Chamber Music Series concert will showcase a wide variety of French music — from Camille Saint-Saëns' ultrafamiliar "Carnival of the Animals" (albeit in its original, less-familiar arrangement for 10 players) to an electric-guitar solo written by Tristan Murail. "It's a concert of substance," artistic director Jason Hardink said, but December also seems to be a time to "try to make it upbeat and fun."

The performance marks the NOVA debut of Utah Symphony concertmaster Madeline Adkins, who will play two pieces — Olivier Messiaen's Theme and Variations and a sonata by Francis Poulenc — with Hardink at the keyboard. "I've only played the Messiaen Variations once," said Hardink, a Messiaen specialist, "and I walked offstage thinking, 'How am I going to play anything else on this concert?' It's so intense. I hope Madeline doesn't mind a guitar intermezzo between her pieces."

That "guitar intermezzo" is "Vampyr!", performed by Jason Rabb — librarian by day, member of the "avant-garage" duo it foot it ears by night. The 8-minute piece bridges traditional concert-hall music with rock performance techniques, Rabb said. It dates from 1983, so "think of the guitar solos from rock music at that time," Hardink said. "It's definitely reminiscent of the virtuosity and histrionics of a Van Halen solo, but where [Eddie] Van Halen tends to use extremely tonal arpeggios, this goes off into a different realm."

The performance of "Carnival of the Animals" spotlights a handful of Hardink's Utah Symphony colleagues, including cellist Anne Lee ("The Swan"), bassist Jens Tenbroek ("The Elephant") and violinists Claude Halter and Veronica Kulig ("Donkeys"). Also featured are former Utahns Edward and Stephanie Neeman, who Hardink says have "a special chemistry" as a piano duo.

Flutist Lisa Byrnes will play another avant-garde piece, Edgard Varèse's "Density 21.5," to round out the program. "I've always wanted to program more Varèse just because his music was so important to [longtime Utah Symphony music director Maurice] Abravanel," Hardink said.

When • Sunday, Dec. 4, 3 p.m.

Where • Libby Gardner Concert Hall, 1375 E. Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City

Tickets • $20; $18 for seniors; free for students; novaslc.org