Image from Present Music.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
MILWAUKEE, WI \u2014 This Halloween night at the Milwaukee Art Museum<\/a>, several ancient traditions will get a modern makeover in a concert to raise the dead. Present Music<\/a>\u2019s All Souls Eve brings together ancient folk traditions such as Aztec D\u00eda de los Muertos, Celtic pagan Samhain, and Roman Catholic All Souls Day, reimagining them in a concert equal parts spooky, joyful, and profound.<\/p>\n Ticket holders are encouraged to arrive as early as 5:30 for the D\u00eda de los Muertos festivities: Mexican and Vietnamese food trucks, access to the museum exhibits (free admission) as well as an ofrenda by artist Francisco X Mora<\/strong> that everyone can add to, so bring photos or items that represent deceased loved ones. There will be a pre-concert conversation with composer Viet Cuong<\/strong> and guest conductor Deanna Tham<\/strong> at 6:30 before a concert of music that moves between the sacred and the surreal.<\/p>\n At the heart of the evening will be the world premiere of Viet Cuong\u2019s Music on a While, a commission for Present Music that takes inspiration from Henry Purcell<\/strong> but bursts with Cuong\u2019s signature imagination and adventurous textures. Hailed by The New York Times as \u201cwildly inventive,\u201d Cuong is one of today\u2019s most in-demand young composers whose works have been performed by the New York Philharmonic, Kronos Quartet, and Los Angeles Philharmonic.<\/p>\n The program:<\/strong><\/p>\n All Souls Eve Concert<\/strong> Tickets<\/a><\/p>\n Concert sponsors: Suzanne<\/strong> & Richard Pieper<\/strong> and PieperPower <\/em><\/p>\n Viet Cuong Commissioners: <\/em><\/p>\n Randall Lindert<\/strong> in honor of Cecile Cheng<\/strong>, and Christine Rundblad<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n In partnership with the Milwaukee Art Museum, featuring <\/em>The Bradley Collection of Modern Art: A Bold Vision for Milwaukee<\/em><\/a>, an exhibition honoring \u201cPeg\u201d Bradley\u2019s extraordinary gift of nearly 400 twentieth-century masterpieces by icons of modernism.<\/em><\/p>\n Viet Cuong<\/strong>\u2019s music has been performed on six continents and featured in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. His works for wind ensemble have amassed several hundred performances, and he was recently featured on the PBS NewHour. He is currently the Pacific Symphony\u2019s Composer-in-Residence and serves as Assistant Professor of Music Composition at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.<\/p>\n Deanna Tham<\/strong> is currently the Associate Conductor with the Oregon Symphony and Music Director of the Union Symphony Orchestra. Previously, she served as Assistant Conductor with the Omaha Symphony and Assistant Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony. She last appeared with Present Music in the 2022-23 season, conducting The Blue Hour with Shara Nova at the Milwaukee Art Museum.<\/p>\n Alisa Jordheim<\/strong> has been described as \u201cvocally resplendent,\u201d \u201cpowerful,\u201d and possessing \u201cimpeccable coloratura,\u201d and been praised for her compelling and vocally assured performances in opera, concert, musical theatre, new music, early music, and recital. A Fulbright Scholar and Fellow of the American Scandinavian Foundation, Ms. Jordheim is a two-time winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions.<\/p>\n Brian Geibler<\/strong>, a \u201cfaultless high tenor\u201d (Seattle Times), studied at the University of Michigan, the Eastman School of Music, and the Royal Academy of Music<\/a> in London. He performs with chamber ensembles throughout the United States, including Conspirare of Austin, Seraphic Fire of Miami, Clarion Music Society in New York City, and he is a member of the Trinity Wall Street Choir in Manhattan.<\/p>\n Ben Russell<\/strong> is a violinist, vocalist, and composer who has played all over the world with all sorts of people. He is a member of the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) and co-creator of the songwriting collective Founders. He has toured and recorded with several artists, including Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire, The National, Max Richter, and J\u00f3hann J\u00f3hannsson. Ben was featured last season when Present Music performed Kamran Ince<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s \u201cthen, nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n Pianist John Orfe<\/strong> has earned critical acclaim for his interpretations of five centuries of keyboard repertoire. He has been a keyboardist for Present Music since 2019. In 2021, he edited and premiered the organ part central to Raven Chacon<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Voiceless Mass, which won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Music. As the core pianist and a founding member of Alarm Will Sound, Orfe has performed in music series and festivals across the United States, Europe, and Asia, and recorded on the Kairos, Albany, Nonesuch, Cantaloupe, and Parma labels.<\/p>\n Artist Francisco X Mora <\/strong>was born in Mexico City, Mexico and moved to Milwaukee in 1980 to study printmaking. He has shown his work in galleries across the United States, including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Museum of Wisconsin Art<\/a>, Racine Art Museum, and the Mexican Museum of Art.<\/p>\n About Present Music:<\/strong><\/p>\n Since its founding 1982, Present Music\u2019s 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\u2019s top composers, including John Adams<\/a><\/strong>, Henry Brant, David Lang<\/a><\/strong>, Caroline Shaw, Ingram Marshall, Missy Mazzoli, Bright Sheng, Roberto Sierra and Michael Torke<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n The not-for-profit organization has a long and impressive track record for identifying outstanding talent early in the artists\u2019 careers. Present Music\u2019s discography includes world premiere recordings on the Cantaloupe, New World Records, Argo, Albany, Aoede, Northeastern, Naxos and Innova labels. The group is led by Artistic Director Eric Segnitz<\/a><\/strong> and Conductor\/Advisor David Bloom<\/a><\/strong>. Present Music was founded by conductor Kevin Stalheim<\/a><\/strong>, who was Artistic Director for the first 37 years of the ensemble\u2019s existence until 2019.<\/p>\n www.presentmusic.org<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/i><\/p>\n\n
Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI
Friday, October 31st, 2025
5:30 p.m. Doors | 7:30 p.m. Show
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30 in the Lubar Auditorium<\/em>
Tickets: presentmusic.org<\/a><\/p>\nMentioned in This Press Release<\/h3>\n
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