The Green Room

By Lenah Helmke

The Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) team has programmed more than 80 years of performances. The list of notable singers, dancers, orchestras, actors, and bands is extensive, and, each year, the list grows with new talent. This season, the Classical Series has a unique addition: Encore Concerts.

Most recently, the Classical Series includes six performances throughout the year that bring an impressive lineup to Madison. While all of that is still true, the Encore Concerts will bring a contemporary, more intimate experience. Eighth Blackbird and Roomful of Teeth, both Grammy-winning ensembles, will perform in Shannon Hall with limited and curated seating, intimate lighting, and, as always, beautiful sound.

For Eighth Blackbird, WUT will explore this unique audience experience with two distinct performances; on Sept. 26 as the sextet in Shannon Hall and on Sept. 27 with the UW–Madison Wind Ensemble, conducted by Professor Scott Teeple, in the Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall. Both performances will bring a special experience to Madison, but the partnership between the student musicians and Eighth Blackbird creates a collaboration that is crucial to the next generation of classical musicians.

“If people don't already know, the level of talent that the Mead Witter School of Music students have is incredible,” WUT Director Elizabeth Snodgrass said. “Previous guest artists who have performed with UW student ensembles have consistently been impressed at the students’ level of playing. I remember pianist Wu Han said, ‘I’d play with these kids any day.’”

This kind of collaborative performance is one model through which WUT provides distinct student engagement and enhanced educational opportunities. Another way WUT augments artists’ time in Madison is by arranging for the performers to facilitate studio classes for student performance artists. Often free and open to the public, these classes provide one-on-one experiences for the students and allow them to learn from professionals, who were once in their shoes.

“Workshops provide a unique lens into the artist's artistic process, and it can be an educational experience for people watching and listening to what the students take from getting coached,” Snodgrass said. “We don’t typically get to watch faculty give lessons, so it is pretty special and enlightening to see a student's progress in real-time.”

Another Encore option this season is Roomful of Teeth, a Grammy-winning vocal band that uncovers and tests the potential of the human voice. The group will perform on April 9, 2025, in Shannon Hall, for another truly unique experience in a reimagined space.

“The techniques that they use are jaw-dropping,” Snodgrass said. “I didn't know a human voice could make that sound.”

Eighth Blackbird and Roomful of Teeth are both performances you do not want to miss. With limited seating, the intimate environment will allow you to experience classical music in a special way, opening up the potential for deeper connection and understanding for the classical genre. Both ensembles expose the depth of classical music by integrating new technologies, vocals, and sounds.

“New composers and new music have every right to be on the same series as Beethoven and Bach,” Snodgrass said. 

The Encore Concert add-on series provides a space to celebrate all kinds of classical music and artists in our modern world. Learn more about the Encore Concerts and the full WUT season of what’s next now at union.wisc.edu/theater.