Present Music Unveils Its 2024-2025 Season Lineup

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Present Music, Milwaukee’s adventurous new music ensemble, announced today that it will embark upon its 43rd season with a lineup that includes: Claire Chase, flutist extraordinaire; Courtney Bryan, a recent recipient of the MacArthur ‘genius grant’; a free family-friendly sound-procession on Brady Street; a stunning feature-length silent film with live orchestral accompaniment; brand new works by that intrepid adventurer Kamran Ince, and percussionist/composer phenom Andy Akiho all in one night; and a world premiere from the fertile mind of composer Viet Cuong, with the brainy, ethereal, and totally unpredictable pop diva Julia Holter!

“Present Music’s 2024-25 season brings an unprecedented amount of exciting new music to Milwaukee, with recently commissioned works from one of the original Minimalists Terry Riley, PM favorite Kamran Ince, and fantastic new talents like Andy Akiho and Viet Cuong,” said Eric Segnitz, Present Music’s artistic director. “Guests can always count on surprises too, as we introduce vital and under-represented voices like Courtney Bryan and Alex Temple; a live-scored, silent film remake of Moby Dick by director Wu Tsang and a dream team of composers Caroline Shaw, Andrew Yee and Asma Maroof; and fantastic performers like flutist Claire Chase and Indie singer Julia Holter. Add to this, the beautiful, untraditional venues and the stellar performances our ensemble is known for, and it’s an experience unlike anything else— please join us for some serious fun!”

Early Bird Season Ticket Subscriptions will be on sale starting May 9; Regular Season Ticket Subscriptions will be available starting July 18; and single show tickets will be available starting in August. All will be available at www.presentmusic.org/events.

Thursday, October 31, 2024, at 7:30 pm – Holy Lift Off! with Claire Chase
Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202 (also live online via the Present Music Digital Stage)
Flutist extraordinaire Claire Chase joins Present Music for concert featuring a new, large-scale work by the legendary composer Terry Riley, called “The Holy Liftoff”. Several years in the making, this work sprang from the pages of Riley’s sketchbook, brimming with colorful drawings of angels, demons, and various mythologies where “all the energies rise up to a surreal sky-scape”. It’s a Happening!

This event will be held in conjunction with the arts exhibit LaToya Hobbs; Carving Out Time, and Robert Longo.

Artist Info:
Flutist Claire Chase – https://www.clairechase.net/

Sunday, November 24, 2024, at 5 pm – Concert for Peace
St. John’s Cathedral, 812 N Jackson St, Milwaukee, WI 53202 (also live online via the Present Music Digital Stage)
Courtney Bryan, a recent recipient of the MacArthur ‘genius grant’, brings “Sanctum” to this annual Thanksgiving concert— a work containing gospel influences and a plea to stand united against brutality. “Moses in Nederland” is a violin concerto by Michael Kropf, and features Sabrina Tabby. This work has echoes of Yiddish tunes and poetry from Nazi-occupied Holland. The concert is anchored by the power of the Little Priest Singers.

Artist Info:
Courtney Bryan – https://www.courtneybryan.com

Wednesday, December 4, 2024, – Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night
Brady Street, Milwaukee
Present Music teams up with the Brady Street Area Association for “Unsilent Night” by composter Phil Kline. A public performance piece involving boomboxes and smart phones— a street parade, and a shifting, shimmering sound-sculpture where everyone participates. The event is FREE and family-friendly, in conjunction with the first lighting of Brady’s new, European-inspired street decorations. It’s the closest you’ll ever get to feeling like a snowflake!

Composer Info:
http://philkline.com/

Friday, February 14 & Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 7:30 pm – Moby Dick; The Whale
Jan Serr Studio, 2155 N Prospect Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202 (also live online via the Present Music Digital Stage)
Ahoy! Celebrate Valentines Day with a deep dive into the subterranean currents of one of “The Great American Novels”, Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”! Award-winning filmmaker and visual artist Wu Tsang has created a stunning feature-length silent film with live orchestral accompaniment, with a score by composers Caroline Shaw, Andrew Yee and Asma Maroof. It’s a new take on the famous story, exploring hidden histories, marginalized narratives, and issues of social class and capitalism. And of course, a whale!

Composer info:
https://carolineshaw.com/

Wednesday March 26 and Thursday March 27, 2025, at 7:30 pm – March Mania
Jan Serr Studio, 2155 N Prospect Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Have we gone stark raving mad? Two major Premieres in one evening? Join us for this landmark event, with brand new works by that intrepid adventurer Kamran Ince, and percussionist/composer phenom Andy Akiho, Come and join the festivities, with a Steel Pan drum group and a Vegetable Orchestra. Stir the primordial soup and celebrate the end of those LONG winter months!

Thanks to Jan Serr and John Shannon for sponsoring this event including generously commissioning the new work by Kamran Ince.

Artist Info:
Kamran Ince – http://www.kamranince.com/

Composer Info:
Andy Akiho – https://andyakiho.com/#

May 25, 2025, at 7:30 pm – Baroque Pop! with Julia Holter
Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202
The commercial meets the experimental at the intersection of pop and contemporary music, a place we call Baroque Pop! See how this cross-fertilization has influenced music from the Sixties to now, creating a Utopian blend of rock, classical and avant-garde genres. Join us at the crossroads for a World Premiere from the fertile mind of composer Viet Cuong, and the brainy, ethereal, and totally unpredictable pop diva Julia Holter!

This event will be held in conjunction with the Art Museum exhibit Baroque Spain.

Composer Info:
https://vietcuongmusic.com/

Artist: Info:
https://juliaholter.com/

About Present Music
Since its founding 1982, Present Music’s mission has been to commission and perform new concert music, bringing over 100 new works to life. Ensembles range from a core group of seven musicians to an ensemble of 20 or more. Present Music has had the privilege of working closely with many of the nation’s top composers, including John Adams, Henry Brant, David Lang, Caroline Shaw, Ingram Marshall, Missy Mazzoli, Bright Sheng, Roberto Sierra and Michael Torke.

The not-for-profit organization has a long and impressive track record for identifying outstanding talent early in the artists’ careers. Present Music’s discography includes world premiere recordings on the Argo, Albany, Aoede, Northeastern, Naxos and Innova labels. The group is led by Artistic Director Eric Segnitz and Conductor/Artistic Advisor David Bloom. Present Music was founded by conductor Kevin Stalheim, who was Artistic Director for the first 37 years of the ensemble’s existence until 2019.

Thanks to Shepherd Express for serving as the official print media sponsor of the 2024-25 season.
Visit https://www.presentmusic.org/ for additional information.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.