Present Music Opens 45th Season With Celebratory “Forty Something” Concert
An evening and party exploring the biology of music and the orchestration of the human body
Image from Present Music.
MILWAUKEE — Present Music celebrates 45 years of boundary-pushing new music with “Forty Something!,” a concert and party marking the kickoff of its anniversary season. The program explores the human body as both instrument and subject, with music built around breath, movement, percussion and anatomy, alongside a world premiere by acclaimed composer Alex Temple and an afterparty featuring live music from the Extra Crispy Brass Band.
The program, conducted by Deanna Tham, features a carefully curated lineup of groundbreaking contemporary works:
THE PROGRAM
Donnacha Dennehy’s Limina
A gripping piano concerto featuring guest pianist Michael Mizrahi, whose movements—“Head”, “Chest”, and “Nervous System”— map the threshold of human endurance.
Nico Muhly’s Doublespeak:
A rapid-fire, minimalist tribute to the physical coordination of breath and vocal articulation.
Vinko Globokar’s ?Corporel
A striking theatrical piece where a performer generates sound exclusively by slapping, hitting, and thwacking their own body.
Alex Temple’s 3 Creatures
Guest electric guitarist Derek Johnson performs the “3 Arms and 17 half-legs” movement of this manic piece showcasing industrial prog rock.
Alex Temple’s 7×7×7 (World Premiere)
A compositional tour de force operating like a musical Rubik’s Cube. The piece rotates and locks physical textures around the number seven: chords, instruments, and repetitions all in sevens.
Aviya Kopelman’s Forty Something
The concert’s funky, jazz-fusion namesake piece offers a riff on Mozart’s Symphony 41, as well as chronological milestones.
“This concert challenges us to think about music not just as something we hear, but as something we embody,” says Artistic Director Eric Segnitz. “With ‘Forty Something!’, we are raising a glass to 45 years by inviting the audience to experience new music at its most raw, visceral, and celebratory.”
EVENT DETAILS
“Forty Something!” Concert and Party
Helen Bader Concert Hall, UWM Zelazo Center
2419 E. Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53211
Friday, October 30, 2026 at 7:30 PM
6:45 p.m. — Doors Open
7:30 p.m. — Concert
Tickets On Sale Now
414.229.4308 | presentmusic.org
$38 | General Seating
$70 | Premier Seating
$25 | Artist Seating
$15 | Student Seating (as available)
CONCERT SPONSORS
Heil Family Foundation | Woman’s Club of Wisconsin | UWM Peck School of the Arts
Alex Temple commission for Present Music is funded by Nora Finnigan Werra in celebration of the Woman’s Club of Wisconsin 150th Anniversary; and Mark Van Hecke
ARTIST BIOS
Derek Johnson is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and educator that performs with new music groups and orchestras across the country. He is the director of Ensemble AMP, an amplified chamber group comprised of electric guitars and percussion. Johsnon is also an avid transcriber and is currently working in collaboration with Paul Simon on his most recent album “Seven Psalms”.
Michael Mizrahi is a critically acclaimed concert pianist and Associate Professor of Piano at Lawrence University. A dedicated educator and chamber musician, he co-founded the Now Ensemble and directs Lawrence Summer Music Programs. Mizrahi holds a doctorate from the Yale School of Music and performs globally.
Alex Temple writes music that distorts and combines iconic sounds to create new meanings, often in service of surreal, cryptic or fantastical narratives. She also collaborates with performers and ensembles such as Mellissa Hughes, Julia Holter, wild Up, Spektral Quartet and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She has a DMA from Northwestern University, and teaches Composition at Arizona State University.
Deanna Tham is a powerful, compelling conductor known for her tenacious spirit both on and off the podium. Renowned for her versatility, Tham has led prominent ensembles worldwide, from the Oregon Symphony to the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall. This will be her third appearance with Present Music.
Extra Crispy Brass Band plays New Orleans-style brass band music whose repertoire includes pieces from the turn of the last century (1900!), traditionals, modern funk tunes, and originals.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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