An Evening With Frank...

Photo from Frank Almond's website

We've been together thirty one years, but Handsome still delights in surprising his wife. He told me last week that I had to clear my calendar for a surprise date on Monday, May 21st. He wouldn't give me even the tiniest hint all week, even though I have to admit I might have teased once or twice.

We drove to Milwaukee, WI (Brookfield, actually) and turned into Mitchell Park. As we were entering the parking lot for the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, it occurred to me that he might be surprising me with an evening with my favorite violinist in the whole world - Frank Almond (concertmaster for the Milwaukee Symphony). When I asked, he smiled and said, "Maybe."

The impressive, carved fireplace in the lobby.

The Wilson Center is nestled in an area surrounded with fields and forest. Its decor settles right into the landscape. What a beautiful place for an evening of music.

Glass birds light the ceiling in the auditorium with their changing colors.

I didn't take photos inside the auditorium (except for the ceiling lights prior to the concert), but I can tell you the venue was beautiful, inside and out.

Frank Almond performed a program called "A Night of Tango", with three other artists: Stas Venglevski (bayan), Rosa Borisova (cello) and Nell Buchman (piano). Not all the music was tango music, but every piece was a delight for the senses.

Frank and Stas are obviously good friends as they spent the evening entertaining us with music, humorous banter and information about the pieces they performed. All four were consumate musicians who easily moved from one number to the next.

I have been a fan of Frank Almond's since Handsome and I lived in Wisconsin and held season tickets to the Milwaukee Symphony. For many years, we drove to Milwaukee once a month during each season for their performances. It's one of the major things we both miss about living in Wisconsin.

When Frank plays the violin, I'm frequently moved to tears of joy. He plays the "ex-Lipinski" Stradivari violin crafted in 1715 and makes some of the most beautiful music I've been privileged to hear in my life. 

Thank you, Husband for a wonderful evening of music - followed by a quiet dinner in a fabulous restaurant (NorthStar in Brookfield, WI). It's an evening I'll long remember.