Draft:Frank Almond

• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Sbotshtein (talk) 00:34, 14 May 2025 (UTC)

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Frank Almond (born December 20, 1963) is an American violinist, best known for his long tenure as concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and for performing on the "Lipiński" Stradivarius violin, which was notably stolen from him and later recovered. He is also the founder and artistic director of the chamber music series Frankly Music.

Early life and education

Frank Almond was born on December 20, 1963. He pursued his musical studies at the Juilliard School, where his teachers included Dorothy DeLay, Michael Tseitlin, Felix Galimir, and Joseph Silverstein. Early in his career, Almond achieved significant recognition in major international violin competitions. At the age of 17, he was one of the youngest prizewinners in the history of the Niccolò Paganini Competition in Genoa, Italy. Five years later, he was one of two American prizewinners at the Eighth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. His participation in the Tchaikovsky Competition was featured in an award-winning PBS documentary.

Career

Orchestral career

Almond served as the concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) for 25 seasons. He was appointed to the Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair in 1995 by then-Music Director Zdenek Mácal and concluded his tenure at the end of the 2019-2020 season. Prior to and during his time with the MSO, Almond held other significant orchestral positions. He was concertmaster of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Valery Gergiev. During a leave of absence from the MSO in 2002-2003, he served as guest concertmaster for both the London Philharmonic (with Kurt Masur) and the Rotterdam Philharmonic. He has also served as guest concertmaster for the Seattle Symphony, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Chamber music

Almond is the founder and artistic director of the Milwaukee-based chamber music series, Frankly Music. Launched in the early 2000s, the series is known for its innovative programming and has featured collaborations with many world-renowned musicians. As of the 2023-2024 season, Frankly Music was in its 20th season. He has collaborated with various chamber ensembles throughout his career. His work with the chamber group An die Musik garnered two Grammy Award nominations.

Teaching

Almond has an extensive teaching career. Since 2014, he has been an Artist/Teacher of Violin at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. In the same year, he was appointed to the Johnston Family Artist-in-Residence position at the Milwaukee Youth Symphony. Previously, he held faculty positions at Northwestern University (2010-2014), Texas Christian University, and San Diego State University. He frequently gives masterclasses and seminars at leading music institutions.

Recordings

Frank Almond has an extensive discography on various labels, including Avie, Innova, Summit, Albany, Hal Leonard, Boolean, Newport Classic, Wergo, and New Albion. A notable series of recordings is "A Violin's Life" on the Avie label, which features music connected to the history of the "Lipiński" Stradivarius violin.

* A Violin's Life: Music for The 'Lipiński' Stradivari (2013), with pianist William Wolfram.
* A Violin's Life, Vol. 2: Music for the 'Lipiński' Stradivari (2016), with pianist William Wolfram.
* A Violin's Life, Vol. 3: Music for the 'Lipiński' Stradivari (2023).

Other recordings include:

* Music of Edward Joseph Collins, Vol. 5 (2004, Albany)
* Respighi, Janácek, Strauss: Violin Sonatas (2007, Avie)
* Portraits & Elegies (2010, Innova)

His recordings have received positive critical reception, and his work with An die Musik resulted in two Grammy nominations.

"Lipiński" Stradivarius

Frank Almond performs on the "Lipiński" Stradivarius violin, crafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1715. The violin has a storied provenance, having been owned or played by violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini, Polish violinist Karol Lipiński, the Roentgen family, and Estonian violinist Evi Liivak.

Theft and recovery

On January 27, 2014, the "Lipiński" Stradivarius, then valued at an estimated $5-6 million, was stolen from Almond in an armed robbery. The attack occurred after a Frankly Music concert at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Almond was tased, and the assailants took the violin. An intensive investigation by local and federal authorities led to the recovery of the violin nine days later, found in an attic in Milwaukee. Several individuals were arrested and convicted in connection with the theft. The incident garnered international media attention and was the subject of a documentary film titled "Plucked," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2019. Almond also shared his experience on "The Moth Radio Hour."

Critical reception

Frank Almond's performances have been praised for their technical mastery, lyrical quality, and dramatic intensity. Critics have noted his "strong and singing tone, a flawless sense of pitch, energetic rhythm and an elegant ease of phrasing" (Shepherd-Express, Milwaukee) and performances "distinguished by fluid phrasing and a vigorous, singing tone" (The New York Times). The Dallas Morning News commended his "lyrical gift, solid intonation and a confident sense of the drama of the work." He also maintains an online column titled "nondivisi," where he shares his thoughts on classical music and related topics.