You don't usually see robots and amplifiers at the symphony; nor are the composers usually present in the room to literally breath life into their new orchestral arrangements.

Saturday, inside and outside of Vogel Hall at the Marcus Center for Performing Arts, the busts of deceased composers smiled down on three new composers for the world premieres of their works.

Present Music, a Milwaukee-based ensemble, concerns itself with what is happening right now in the world of music. The season opener concert and surrounding festivities commemorated the group's 25th anniversary.

A crowd dressed in T-shirt and jeans, a scene unfamiliar to many symphonic concertgoers, took in the world premier of "Loud American Sublime" along the riverfront. Many were passers-by but they seemed to enjoy the work by Phil Kline, who usually composes symphonies best experienced on a boom box.

As the Rufus King and Nicolet high school marching bands marched toward each other playing in different meter and key, listeners were treated to a surround sound experience.

After this, the crowd moved inside the hall for a performance of "Jasmine," composed by Tatjana Sergejewa in 1998 and presented on a stark stage by only a pianist and accordionist.

The inclusion of the accordion on an arrangement of Igor Stravinsky's "Tango" reflects how the instrument is only recently gaining respect in collegiate studies and resulting compositions. A duo also danced to this flirty arrangement.

The connecting thread throughout all of the pieces felt very post-modern in that they not only embrace tension and contrast, but actually revel in it, challenging people's conceived notions on what beautiful music is.

To the average listener, the music won't necessarily sound "new" — just different.

In Judd Greenstein's "Get Up/Get Down," the conductor mixes different, simultaneous harmonies that vie for listeners' attention.

The connecting thread in this piece is an underlying funk groove that shifts from section to section.

Violins don't usually match the trumpet's squeals, as they are typically not seated near each other. It is also rare to include an electric keyboard and bass.

The smaller ensemble allows for this freedom, and lets each player's interpretation shine through.

Greenstein, highlighted as an "under 30 (years old)" composer, also performed on the synthesizer in this piece.

Conventional orchestral standards were challenged during Juan Garcia Esquivel's "Mini Skirt," which featured a seven-foot robot, complete with blinking lights and movement, whose sexual comments were blended with the music.

The audience felt free to laugh during this part, as they did between movements of the world premiere of "Graffiti in 11 Movements" by Armando Luna.

The piece strings together composers as diverse as Bach, Benny Goodman and Gershwin.

In between parts the movements usually trailed off, leaving a slightly uncomfortable rest that made the audience laugh haughtily as if they were in on the joke.

The surf-guitar finale of "Miserlou," by Nicholas Roubanis, was punctuated by about 30 belly dancers of all ages and was the perfect ending to a night of artistic collage and interpretation.

Eight more world premiers are on tap for the rest of the season, including works from two other "under 30" composers.

Students also receive 50 percent discount off all levels of seating when single tickets are purchased.

For more information on future concerts, visit the ensemble's Web site at www.present music.org.