Wisconsin Union: Wisconsin Sound, a New Event Series Featuring Wisconsin Artists, Will Begin Jan. 24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 19, 2021

Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 262-8862

WISCONSIN SOUND, A NEW EVENT SERIES FEATURING WISCONSIN ARTISTS, WILL BEGIN JAN. 24

MADISON –  The Wisconsin Union Theater’s new online event series, called Wisconsin Sound, will exclusively feature Wisconsin artists, beginning with the virtual streaming of a concert by the Willy Street Chamber Players on Jan. 24 at noon CDT.

In addition to the Willy Street Chamber Players performance, the series will include performances by flutist Iva Ugrčić and pianist Satoko Hayami on Feb. 21, the Johannes Wallmann Quintet on March 21, modern classical band Mr. Chair on April 11, and the Pro Arte Quartet on May 2. All performances will take place at noon CDT on their respective dates.

Tickets for this online series cost $15 per event or $50 for a subscription to all Wisconsin Sound performances. Each event will be available for ticket holders to enjoy on-demand for one week following its initial livestream, with the program becoming unavailable at 1 p.m. CDT one week after its initial livestream. For example, the first event will be available to ticket holders until 1 p.m. CDT on Jan. 31.

The Theater team created this new series both for its patrons as well as to help support performance artists, many of whom have experienced canceled performances due to COVID-19.

“We, at the Wisconsin Union Theater, want to do our part to support the great talent right here in Wisconsin,” Wisconsin Union Theater Director Elizabeth Snodgrass said. “We want artists to have the opportunity to continue to create art and enrich lives with their artistry.”

The debut event with the Willy Street Chamber Players will include a performance of Fantasiestücke for Cello and Piano, Op. 73 by Robert Schumann; Fantasy No. 2 for Violin and Piano by Florence Price; Kiép Nào Có Yeu Nhau for Violin and Piano by Rachel Eubank; and Adagio and Allegro for Cello and Piano, Op. 70 by Robert Schumann.

The Players’ performers include violinists Paran Amirinazari and Eleanor Bartsch, cellists Mark Bridges and Lindsey Crabb, and pianist Thomas Kasdorf. The Players aim to create community through music and bring imaginative approaches to classical music.

On Feb. 21, the Theater team will livestream Ugrčić and Hayami performing Flute Sonata, Op. 167 “Undine” by Carl Reinecke, “Chant de Linos” by André Jolivet, and “Fanmi Imen” by Valerie Coleman.

Serbia-born Ugrčić, a University of Wisconsin-Madison alumna, is known not only for her incredible talent as a flutist and teacher but also for her work to make a difference for women in the arts. Hayami, a native of Japan, won the Paul Collins Wisconsin Distinguished Fellowship and has performed at venues throughout the world. She is currently working toward her doctorate in musical arts at UW-Madison.

The series will continue on March 21 with a performance by the Johannes Wallmann Quintet. The Quintet includes pianist Johannes Wallmann, trumpeter Russ Johnson, tenor saxophonist Tony Barba, bassist Peter Dominguez, and drummer Jon Deitemyer. Wallmann works not only as a pianist but also as a composer and the UW-Madison director of jazz studies. The in-demand winner of many national scholarships and competitions has gained a reputation as a versatile performer adept at a wide range of musical styles.

The next performance by Mr. Chair on April 11 will include “Abandoned Cities,” “Appellation Spring,” and “Better Days” by Mark Hetzler; “Britten’s Written Rhythm” and “March” by Jason Kutz; “Elegy” by Ben Ferris; and “Fuchsia” by Jason Kutz with a poetry and reading performance by Buzz Kemper.

The group features trombonist Mark Hetzler, pianist Jason Kutz, drummer Mike Koszewski, and bassist Ben Ferris. Established in 2016, Mr. Chair does not limit itself to one genre; it fuses jazz, classical, rock and more, making it a band enjoyed by people of many musical interests.

The series will conclude on May 2 with Pro Arte Quartet’s performance of quartets by Ludwig van Beethoven in connection with the Quartet’s celebration of the composer’s 250th birthday in the 2020/2021 season. The celebrated Quartet began in 1912 and boasts a long history of accomplishments, including serving as the court quartet to the queen of Belgium. Stranded in the United States when Nazi forces invaded Belgium in 1940, the Quintet began a residency at UW-Madison, where it continues today. The group is the first and only quartet to reach its 100th anniversary.

“We are committed to our mission of delivering high quality performing arts to our community, despite the challenges we face this year and even if our shared experience can only be through a virtual space right now,” Snodgrass said.

For more than 75 years, the Wisconsin Union Theater has served as a cultural center for community members and visitors.

The Theater team strives for all of its spaces to be accessible. Those that need accommodations can email wisconsinuniontheater@union.wisc.edu.

The Wisconsin Union Theater team has committed to taking action in standing against racial inequities. For a full statement on the Theater’s stance and efforts, click here.

This season of Wisconsin Union Theater programming is made possible in part by Wisconsin Arts Board funding from the State of Wisconsin and financial assistance from the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information about Wisconsin Sound, visit union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-sound-series.

-###-

About the Wisconsin Union Theater

For more than 75 years, the Wisconsin Union Theater has served as a center for cultural activity in the heart of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The Theater hosts performances in multiple locations, including Memorial Union, and has an expansive history of remarkable performances. The Wisconsin Union Theater is part of the Wisconsin Union, a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more about the Theater: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-union-theater.

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/wisconsin-sound-2021.

gener8tor: Black and Brown Founders Invited to Pitch to Investors During Lightning Rounds

MADISON, WISCONSIN – Nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor announced today an exciting opportunity for startups to pitch to investors through its Lightning Rounds pitch event on March 4, 2021. Lightning Rounds is gener8tor’s quarterly event that connects startups with accelerators and investors via quick-pitch opportunities. Through Lighting Rounds, gener8tor’s goal is to create an industry-leading pitching series centered on investing in underrepresented founders. gener8tor believes a gold-standard pitch event that connects diverse-led innovation, venture capitalists and thought leaders is long overdue.

Read more here

Gebhardt Development: Pleased to Announce Its Latest Development, Colorado Commons

(Sun Prairie, WI) – Colorado Commons, a unique market rate multifamily development, is coming to the West Prairie Village Community. This development will provide much needed housing for those seeking to live, work, and play in the City of Sun Prairie.

Read more here

Colorado Commons Site Plan

DeWitt’s Heather L. Kierzek Admitted to Practice in Illinois

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2021          

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michelle M. Friedman
mmf@dewittllp.com / 262-754-2877

DeWitt’s Heather L. Kierzek Admitted to Practice in Illinois

MADISON | MILWAUKEE | MINNEAPOLIS – Today DeWitt LLP announced associate Heather L.  Kierzek was admitted to practice law in Illinois on January 14, 2021 during a swearing in ceremony with Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman presiding.  Kierzek is the newest member of DeWitt’s growing Intellectual Property group.

Kierzek is an attorney who earned her Juris Doctor from University of Illinois – Chicago John Marshall Law School and a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Marquette University. She began as a summer associate at DeWitt during the summer of 2019.  She drafts patent applications and responses to the USPTO office actions for patent and trademark applications.  She also conducts legal research for patent, copyright, and trademark litigation.

Prior to joining DeWitt, Kierzek gained valuable experience as an Electrical Engineer with a worldwide leader in thermal management where she specified components and designed control panels including component placement and wire routing configurations for commercial-sized heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units.  Additionally, she managed and maintained a wiring diagram software for current and new product development.  Further, she researched and compiled a condensed 46-page customized technical electrical standard for department-wide use and researched components for alternative solutions while maintaining product quality​.

While working as a Powertrain Electronics and Controls Engineering Intern with an internationally recognized truck and diesel engine manufacturer, Kierzek developed and validated controls software for diesel engine emissions aftertreatment system to meet government EPA emissions standards, a tri-state input signal processing system for various circuit configurations, exhaust gas temperature monitor to protect diesel engine from overheating, and created a system design proposal and validation requirements for diesel engine intake air heater controls.

About DeWitt

DeWitt LLP was founded in 1903 and is one of the ten largest law firms based in Wisconsin, with an additional presence in Minnesota. It has nearly 140 attorneys practicing in Madison and Metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a variety of legal areas and has the experience to service clients of all scopes and sizes. The firm is known for its work in several areas, including intellectual property, patents, trademarks and copyright law, construction litigation, corporate law, employment, environmental, employee benefits, estate planning, family business, family law, government relations, health care, litigation, real estate, and tax law.  More information is available at dewittllp.com.

###

M3 Insurance Adds Six New Shareholders

M3 Insurance recently announced six new company shareholders:  Alicia Kiser, Vice President of Human Resources; Brandon Veit, Senior Account Executive; Breanna Hellenbrand, Senior Account Executive; Jamie MacDonald, Senior Account Executive; Jennifer Vanderlip, Senior Private Client Risk Executive; and Marty Malloy, Director of Education & Government Practice.

Kiser is responsible for the direction, performance, and strategy of the human resources department with company-wide focus on strategic human resource initiatives, talent management and development, compensation and benefits design, and employee relations. She joined M3 in 2011.

Veit consults with and advises clients about the design and implementation of their employee benefit programs and continues to work with them to ensure that their programs meet their needs. He joined M3 in 2002.

Hellenbrand joined M3 in 2004. She supports the agency’s efforts to gain new business and build lasting client relationships through working with employee benefit client on program design and risk management.

MacDonald specializes in employee benefits, consulting with clients on the design, implementation, and management of their benefit programs. She coordinates ongoing service for clients to ensure that their coverage meets their needs. She joined M3 in 2009.

Vanderlip specializes in personal insurance planning and wealth preservation strategies for M3’s private client group. She joined M3 in 2011, coming to the agency with more than 11 years of previous personal lines experience.

Malloy serves as a subject matter expert, strategist, and thought leader for M3’s education and government practice. He serves the property & casualty need of clients within this industry sector, drawing on his more than 30 years of insurance and risk management experience working with Wisconsin public entities. He joined M3 in 2014.

Each of M3’s 44 shareholder partners is a current employee who is actively involved in our business and must sell his or her shares prior to retirement. This ownership structure ensures engagement while aligning with M3’s commitment to remain privately held. 

---

About M3

M3 is a top 50 insurance broker and risk management firm in America. We’re leaders in the products we represent and the industries we serve. M3’s people are an extension of your team, providing world-class resources to help you manage risk, purchase insurance, and provide employee benefits. And our focus on community builds better places to live and work.