It's a busy time for Present Music, Milwaukee's internationally acclaimed new music ensemble. It is currently prepping for its season finale, "Home Place," coming up this weekend at the Broadway Theatre Center. If that wasn't enough, this afternoon, Present Music named Chad Piechocki the group's new managing director. 

Piechocki is a 2001 graduate of the United State Military Academy at West Point, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Art, Philosophy and Literature. After studying poetry in New York City with Marilyn Nelson and leaving the Army to further pursue his career in the arts, Piechocki came to Milwaukee in 2003. Here, he's held arts management positions at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, the United Performing Arts Fund, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the South Milwaukee PAC.

He has written produced plays for the Boulevard Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Soulstice Theatre, along with a film produced by Avant Guardian Films. Two years ago, Piechocki also worked with choreographer Petr Zahradnicek and musicians Neil Davis and Seth Warren-Crow on "Love in a Time of War," a short poetic piece for Danceworks' annual Art to Art series. 

Piechocki will begin his new role as managing director on July 15.