Frank Almond

Frank Almond holds the Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He held similar positions with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra. 

 

Frank regularly performs as a soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and as soloist and chamber musician throughout the US and Europe. He is the founder of Frankly Music, a chamber music series consistently recognized for innovative programming and ability to attract leading performers from around the world.

His most recent series of recordings, A Violin’s Life, chronicles the history and lineage of his current violin, the 1715 Lipiński Stradivarius. The instrument has direct ties to, Giuseppe Tartini, Edvard Grieg, Johannes Brahms, and Robert and Clara Schumann. 

 

In 2014, the “ex-Lipiński” Stradivarius was stolen from Mr. Almond in an armed robbery after a concert. The robbery and recovery are the subject of a new documentary film, “Plucked,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April (2019) and he was recently featured from Lincoln Center on The Moth Radio Hour.

He is the Artist-in-Residence at the Milwaukee Youth Symphony, one of the largest youth arts programs in the United States. Community outreach is 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 is a rare and unusual presence.

Frank Almond writes an online column, as he admits, “instead of practicing.” Nondivisi offers his thoughts and expectations for the present and future of classical music.

More information about Frankly Music, A Violin’s Life and the Lipiński Stradivarius is available at frankalmond.com