Official Biography
Violinist Frank Almond held the Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for 25 years until 2020. He also held the ConcertMaster position with the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Valery Gergiev and Guest Concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Orchestra with Kurt Masur.
Frank has regularly performed as a soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and as soloist and chamber musician throughout the US and Europe. He is the founder of his own chamber music series in Milwaukee, Frankly Music, consistently recognized for innovative programming and its ability to attract leading performers from around the world. His most recent appearances were with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the Music Academy of the West (CA) and the Manchester Music Festival (VT).
At 17, Frank Almond was one of the youngest prizewinners in the history of the Nicolo Paganini Competition in Genoa, Italy, and five years later was one of two American prizewinners at the Eighth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, which was documented in an award-winning PBS film.
His extensive recording discography includes a wide range of repertoire on various labels that have garnered multiple Grammy nominations.
His most recent series of recordings, A Violin’s Life, chronicles the extraordinary history and lineage of his current violin, the 1715 Lipiński Stradivarius. This instrument has direct ties to Giuseppe Tartini, Edvard Grieg, Johannes Brahms, and Robert and Clara Schumann. Volume 3 of A Violin’s Life is scheduled for release in 2023 on the AVIE label, featuring works of Grieg, Tartini, and the newly discovered Piano Trio of Amanda Maier.
On January 27, 2014, the “ex-Lipiński” Stradivarius was stolen from Mr. Almond in an armed robbery after a concert. The violin was recovered nine days later, and the story continues to make headlines around the world. The robbery and recovery are the subject of a documentary film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2019. Frank will has also been featured on a hit edition of” The Moth Radio Hour” from Alice Tully Hall, the critically acclaimed story-telling program heard on Public Radio stations nationwide.
Community outreach and giving back to the Milwaukee community are also at the heart of Frank Almond’s artistic priorities. He mentors young musicians of all performing levels and backgrounds, and performs in nontraditional venues where classical music has a rare and unusual presence.
Frank holds two degrees from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Dorothy Delay, Michael Tseitlin, Felix Galimir, and Joseph Silverstein. He currently serves on the Faculty at Roosevelt University in Chicago and is the Johnston Artist-in-Residence at the Milwaukee Youth Symphony, the largest youth arts program in the United States. Previous teaching positions include positions at Northwestern University and Texas Christian University.
More information about Frankly Music, A Violin’s Life and the Lipiński Stradivarius is available at frankalmond.com.
Photos
Content referencing Frank Almond
Frankly Music Features Top Guest Artists
Performing music of Prokofiev, Haydn and Chausson on Tuesday night.
Nov 16th, 2024 by Michael Barndt
Frankly Music Offers Baroque Hits
Works by Vivaldi, Bach and Rameau. Urban Milwaukee readers get half off tickets.
Sep 11th, 2024 by Martha Brown
Frankly Music Concert Is All About Strings
Performing three all-string works by Strauss, Schoenberg and Brahms.
May 1st, 2024 by Martha Brown
Tamás Varga Guest Stars With Frankly Music
Renowned principal cellist with Vienna Philharmonic featured in Bach, Reger and Brahms.
Mar 11th, 2024 by Michael Barndt
Eugene Drucker Guests With Frankly Music
Founding member and violinist with renowned Emerson Quartet for 47 years will perform Faure, Bartok and more.
Jan 23rd, 2024 by Martha Brown
Young Brahms, Old Brahms
Frankly Music goes almost all Brahms, featuring 'one of the greatest clarinetists on the planet.'
Sep 9th, 2023 by Michael Barndt
It’s a ‘Chemistry Thing’ For Frankly Music
Frank Almond and two terrific guest artists perform Beethoven, Dvořák and Foss.
May 10th, 2023 by Michael Barndt
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Announces Appointment of New Concertmaster: Jinwoo Lee
May 8th, 2023 by Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Early Music Now Goes To The Devil
Baroque music by House of Time balances devilish music with angelic fare.
Apr 25th, 2023 by Michael Barndt
Frank Almond & Stas Venglevski Together Again
Performing Argentine tango music with cellist Roza Borisova on March 27.
Mar 23rd, 2023 by Michael Barndt
Bach Specialist Makes Milwaukee Debut
Simone Dinnerstein will perform works by Bach and Philip Glass with Frankly Music ensemble.
Sep 15th, 2022 by Martha Brown
Frankly Music Features Pianist Joyce Yang
Critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated pianist makes rare appearance doing chamber music.
May 12th, 2022 by Michael Barndt
The MSO Is Back and Captivates in New Hall
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is back with a performance of contemporary and classic pieces.
Oct 18th, 2021 by Brendan Fox
Festival City Symphony Concert Jan. 20 Featuring Frank Almond
In Person, Live Stream Tickets Available
Jan 6th, 2021 by Festival City Symphony
The Return of Frankly Music
Tuesday streaming concert offers great music performed by great musicians.
Sep 21st, 2020 by Michael Barndt
So Many Great Musicians
Frankly Music features some of the top MSO players performing Mozart, Milhaud, Turina.
Mar 12th, 2020 by Michael Barndt
MSO Sparkles In All-Russian Program
And guest pianist Joyce Yang wows audience in Tchaikovsky piano concerto.
Jan 27th, 2020 by Brendan Fox
Glories of the Harp
Frankly Music presents beautiful works featuring MSO harpist Kelsey Molinari.
Jan 24th, 2020 by Michael Barndt
Marquette University to cohost social justice summit with NŌ STUDIOS
The summit will feature a variety of activists, artists, authors and academics converging to discuss the lived experience of disenfranchisement and offer solutions to some of the most pressing social justice issues affecting us locally, nationally and internationally.
Nov 11th, 2019 by Marquette University
The Life of a Violin
Frankly Music concert features works connected to Frank Almond's famed Stradivarius violin.
Nov 7th, 2019 by Michael Barndt
‘Plucked’ Is a Local Crime Thriller
The inside story of how Frank Almond's Stradivarius violin was stolen and recovered.
Oct 22nd, 2019 by Jeramey Jannene
Frankly Music Brings on Many Guests
Many top Milwaukee Symphony players will perform Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Palestrina.
Sep 20th, 2019 by Michael Barndt
Frank Almond to Celebrate Final Season with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra after 25 Years as Concertmaster
As the Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair of the MSO, Almond holds arguably the most prestigious and visible role within the orchestra.
Sep 20th, 2019 by Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Announcing the Milwaukee-Made Films
'Give Me Liberty' headlines strong list of films slated for Milwaukee Film Festival.
Sep 20th, 2019 by Jeramey Jannene
Milwaukee Symphony Opener Is Uneven
New maestro Masur’s debut starts slowly, but ends in bang-up rendition of Der Rosenkavalier.
Sep 16th, 2019 by Brendan Fox
A Triumph for Frankly Music
The performance of two great works with guest cellist Lynn Harrell was simply sublime.
May 15th, 2019 by Brendan Fox
Grammy Winner Comes to Town
Cello superstar Lynn Harrell will perform with Frankly Music.
May 9th, 2019 by Michael Barndt
Worshipping At the Altar of Mahler
De Waart and the MSO take on Mahler’s 9th, leaving some players with tears in their eyes.
Apr 29th, 2019 by Brendan Fox
Music That Heals the Soul
Frankly Music presents new works by five women composers, two who won Pulitzers.
Apr 5th, 2019 by Michael Barndt
All Hail the Clarinet
Frankly Music offers works by Mahler, Bartok, Schubert with a big role for the clarinet.
Nov 8th, 2018 by Michael Barndt
A Lot of Love Music
Frankly Music plays works inspired by love by Mendelssohn, Schumann, Janáček.
Oct 25th, 2018 by Michael Barndt
German vs. Italian by Frankly Music
Frank Almond and company tackle Bach and Vivaldi in a musical clash of cultures.
Sep 21st, 2018 by Michael Barndt
Six String Players in Musical Conversation
Frankly Music explores two great works -- by Mozart and Brahms.
May 11th, 2018 by Michael Barndt
A Touch of Glass
Frankly Music plays all minimalism. By Philip Glass, yes, but Tchaikovsky?
Jan 19th, 2018 by Michael Barndt
Frankly Music Goes To The Movies
Concert features film composers Erich Korngold, Bernard Herrmann, John Williams.
Nov 24th, 2017 by Michael Barndt
“Franck In A Nutshell”
Frankly Music to perform works by 19th century composer César Franck.
Sep 21st, 2017 by Michael Barndt
Almond Joined by Two Terrific Guests
Pianist Adam Neiman, cellist Robert deMaine join Frank Almond.
May 10th, 2017 by Michael Barndt
Festival City Symphony’s May 7 Season Finale Features “Pioneers and Prodigies”
Monte Perkins Conducts His Final “Symphony Sundays” Concert
Apr 11th, 2017 by Festival City Symphony
The Miró Quartet’s Ambitious Encore
The quartet's 2014 Frankly Music appearance was impressive. Expect nothing less.
Apr 6th, 2017 by Michael Barndt
A Millionaire’s Neoclassical Mansion
$1.7 million East Side mansion where Fred Miller grew up is architectural gem.
Mar 3rd, 2017 by Michael Horne
Spotlight Shines on Wind Players
Wind players, rare in chamber concerts, take center stage at Frankly Music.
Jan 19th, 2017 by Michael Barndt
Great Violinist, Great Guitarist
Violinist Frank Almond teams up with guitarist Rene Izquierdo. Sparks should fly.
Nov 17th, 2016 by Michael Barndt
A Nod to German Composors
Frankly Music opens its season with works by Brahms, Haydn, and Reger.
Sep 23rd, 2016 by Michael Barndt
The Return of the Tango
Stas Venglevski performs with Frankly Music. And no, that's not an accordion he plays.
May 13th, 2016 by Michael Barndt
Four Cool Concerts Coming Sunday
Concerts by Frank Almond, Philomusica Quartet and others, all in one day.
Mar 10th, 2016 by Michael Barndt
7 Great Classical Concerts
It's a big week for music, with many top musicians and composers coming to town.
Mar 2nd, 2016 by Michael Barndt
MSO Flutist Steals The Show
Sonora Slocum soars in Nielson concerto, but guest conductor Anu Tali is a letdown.
Feb 22nd, 2016 by William Barnewitz
A Bloody Good Show
Violinist Frank Almond literally bled for his art in powerful concert.
Jan 20th, 2016 by William Barnewitz
All About the Russian Soul
Frankly Music features two top guest artists doing Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Shostakovich.
Jan 14th, 2016 by Michael Barndt
Frank Plays the French
Frankly Music's Monday concert offers a varied yet all-French, and mostly Romantic program.
Nov 4th, 2015 by Michael Barndt
Frankly Music Shines
The ensemble's performance of Bach and Brahms set the chapel aglow with energy and virtuosity
Sep 16th, 2015 by William Barnewitz
Bach, Brahms — and Almond
Frank Almond's Frankly Music series opens the season with the two Bs, and top-flight guest musicians.
Sep 9th, 2015 by Michael Barndt
Crowd Celebrates City Birthday Party
Politicians, PR people and other notables schmoozed away. The best rumor was that Chief Flynn might be retiring.
Feb 2nd, 2015 by Michael Horne
Mayor Tom Barrett’s 2014 State of the City Address
Milwaukee February 24, 2014 As Prepared for Delivery
Feb 24th, 2014 by Mayor Tom Barrett
Festival City Symphony Offers “Timeless Romance” Symphony Sundays Concert
Festival City Symphony will continue its “Symphony Sundays” series with a concert titled Timeless Romance on Sunday, March 16, 2014, at 3:00 pm at the Pabst Theater, 144 East Wells Street.
Feb 14th, 2014 by Festival City SymphonyAnother Opportunity to Hear the ‘Lipinski’ Sradivarius!
Violinist Frank Almond with the beloved ‘Lipinski’ Stradivarius will solo and conduct on the Wisconsin Philharmonic concert, Viva Verdi, Viva Vivaldi on February 23, 2014 at 3:00pm at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts.
Feb 12th, 2014 by Wisconsin Philharmonic
Will Water Technology Transform the City?
Badger Meter CEO says Milwaukee can remake itself as 15th century Florence once did, in speech at downtown GMC event.
Feb 11th, 2014 by Michael Horne
Owner of Strad Violin Tips Her Identity
The violin's owner was at the scene of the crime and signed her first name to a message published by Frank Almond.
Feb 6th, 2014 by Michael Horne
Reward to be offered for Stolen Lipinski Stradivarius
$100,000 reward offered for information leading to the safe return of the violin
Jan 31st, 2014 by Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
The Mystery of the Stolen Violin
Who owns the Stradivarius stolen Monday night? The story of a violin worth millions.
Jan 29th, 2014 by Michael Horne
