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Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Frank Almond joined Milwaukee Magazine Editor and Publisher Carole Nicksin for a livestream lunch Tuesday.
Almond talked about his decision to step down as concertmaster (first-chair violin) and his plans for the coming year. At the end of the season in June, Almond will leave his current position and become an artistic advisor for the orchestra.
“It’s just a spectacular orchestra,” Almond said. “I’m glad I was a part of it.”
He said that he wants to step away from the orchestra to spend time with his two daughters and work on other musical projects.
Almond said he wants to expand his musical performances series, Frankly Music, which is now in its 16th season. He is starting an offshoot of this program called Bridges, which aims to bring classical music to people who might not otherwise be able to access it — people in prisons and hospitals, for example.
“It’ll be sort of a branch of the chamber music series that gets classical music — short events, mostly — out into places that don’t really have access or where classical music might be an unusual presence,” Almond said. “If it’s done well, it can sometimes change somebody’s life.”
Almond said he was grateful for his time with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and he is looking forward to expanding his other projects.
“One of the nice things about playing music is that you don’t really ever stop,” Almond said. “You’re always exploring.”
