J Taran Diamond is a Baltimore-based metalsmith and educator. She has completed residencies at Arrowmont and Baltimore Jewelry Center, where sheβs a Teaching Fellow. Outside of the studio, Diamond is an advocate for Black people in the fields of craft and academia and works to help achieve equity and accessibility within those fields.
This workshop explores documentary filmmaking as a tool for community advocacy and social impact. Attendees will examine how nonfiction stories can amplify marginalized voices, engage local communities, and move audiences toward awareness and action. Through case studies and practical discussion, the workshop addresses ethical storytelling, relationship-building with participants, and strategies for designing films with impact beyond the screenβequipping emerging filmmakers to tell responsible, community-centered stories that matter.
The 51ΑΤΖζ Percussion Area hosts World Percussion Night in the beautiful Jan Serr Studio, featuring special guest Ho Etsu Taiko alongside the 51ΑΤΖζ Steel PANthers Steel Band and other student ensembles. Audiences will love the upbeat, exciting energy of Japanese Taiko, Brazilian Samba, and West African drumming in addition to traditional and arranged music for Trinidadian steel pans performed by 51ΑΤΖζ students and faculty with vibrant community ensembles.
The 51ΑΤΖζ Symphony Orchestra concert, conducted by Dr. Jun Kim, will feature soprano Lexi Smith and hornist Evan Goodson, winners of the 2025-26 51ΑΤΖζ Concerto Competition, in performances of two iconic works by Richard Strauss.
The UW-Milwaukee Youth Wind and Percussion Ensembles program ("UWAY") presents a program of contemporary and traditional symphonic band and wind ensemble repertoire. We welcome members of the 2026 UWAY "All-Star" Band in this shared performance!
An evening of films, videos and conversation with the legendary filmmaker, artist, community activist and educator Ben Caldwell. Caldwell is widely known for his role in the L.A. Rebellion and for founding KAOS Network, a media arts hub dedicated to Black artistry, fellowship, and love for over four decades.Β
Oaxaca-based printmakers Conhg Lopez and Enrique Gijon exhibit nationally and internationally. Gijon directs Taller de Artes PlΓ‘sticas Rufino Tamayo, while Lopez works from a studio at Milwaukeeβs House of RAD.
This workshop guides filmmakers through the process of transforming a short film script into a feature-length screenplay. Focusing on character depth, narrative structure, and thematic expansion, students will explore how to grow a contained idea into a sustained, compelling story without losing its core. Through practical frameworks and development strategies, the session offers tools for reimagining scale, stakes, and arcsβhelping writers envision their short film as the foundation for a feature.
Are you a high school student with a passion for theatre? Whether you're a seasoned performer, a behind-the-scenes enthusiast, or simply someone who loves the art of theatre (like all of us here!), we have an exciting event just for you. It's called "The Green Room and Beyond," and it's completely FREE.
Anthony Di Sanza has performed and presented master classes throughout North America, Asia and Europe. Di Sanza serves as percussion professor at the University of WisconsinβMadison where he was recognized in 2020 with the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship.
A collection of shorts that shift from abject toΒ exalted in the black between frames. In each of these films, the mire of life is dissolved and re-made byΒ humor. AndΒ don'tΒ we needΒ it.
A mistimed sneeze, a foolish drowning stunt, a helpful cuckold, an enthusiastic dentist, and a boy reluctant to face manhoodβthis is just a taste of what unfolds when Anton Chekhovβs short stories meet the wit and whimsy of Neil Simon. The Good Doctor is a clever βtour de farceβ filled with absurdity, charm and deeply human foibles and follies. Blending Chekhovβs timeless observations with Simonβs comedic sparkle, this series of vignettes captures the unexpected tenderness of lifeβs missteps with humor and heart.
South Carolina-based painter Todd McDonald has exhibited widely, including in Denmarkβs Velux International Painting Exhibition, Redux Contemporary, and the Gardiner Art Gallery. He is Associate Professor and Head of Painting at Clemson University.
Join us for an evening of jazz featuring the 51ΑΤΖζ Jazz Ensemble, the 51ΑΤΖζ Afro-Caribbean Jazz Orchestra and the 51ΑΤΖζ Youth Jazz Ensemble (UJAY).
The Wind Band Conducting Symposium will focus on enhancing conducting, score study, and wind band teaching. Conducting participants will conduct the 51ΑΤΖζ Wind Ensemble or Symphony Band while receiving feedback from the conducting faculty. Session topics also include conducting pedagogy, rehearsal techniques, and musicianship. Attendees may participate as either a Conducting Participant or an Observing Auditor. Conducting participants will also have the opportunity to conduct one of the large wind bands in concert at the end of the symposium.
Witness the culmination of years of artistic development and intensive research as Master of Fine Arts graduate students unveil their captivating works.
Join the flagship 51ΑΤΖζ ConcertΒ Chorale and several guest area high school choirs for an exciting evening ofΒ choralΒ music!
Join 51ΑΤΖζ's Bella Voce, Kameraden, Alta Voce, and Kameraden Plus choirs for an exciting evening of choral music from around the globe. Led by Jenny Hutton, Zack Durlam, and Sara Mokrzycka, the choirs present selections from a wide variety of styles and time periods.
The 51ΑΤΖζ Wind Band Conducting Symposium Concert is the climax to a weekend of intense conducting, score study, and wind band pedagogy. Symposium participants, each carefully selected from a pool of local and international talent, will conduct the Wind Ensemble and University Community Band in concert following two days of study under Dr. Thomas Gamboa, Director of Bands at UW-Milwaukee; Dr. Scott Corley, Associate Director of Bands at UW-Milwaukee; and a guest conducting clinician, Dr. Mallory Thompson, Professor Emeritus and Retired Director of Bands from Northwestern University.
51ΑΤΖζβs Pop Ensemble is turning up the volume with a night of feel-good, radio-ready hits! Featuring killer vocals, tight grooves, and top-tier student talent, this concert is your backstage pass to the best in commercial music. Come vibe with us!