Last month, I had the pleasure to be a part of Milwaukee’s Present Music ensemble for their Season Finale concert, MULTITUDE.
It was not just a concert, but truly an event with the evening ending in the audience dancing! The founder, artistic director, and conductor, Kevin Stalheim has created an anomaly and phenomenon; Present Music manages to regularly bring to their concerts audiences of 600 and they commission pieces that go on to be established repertoire for new music groups around the world.
“Hearne’s “Warning Song” (2006), “Snowball” (2008) and three postmodern cabaret/art songs from his Delusion Story (2011) completed the program. All are mind-bending, transcendent mash-ups of genres. The greatest, most unforgettable performances of the night were by Leah Coloff, who sang Hearne’s most searing songs while ferociously playing the cello part.” ~ John Schneider, Shepherd Express