Frank Almond, acclaimed concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and renowned violinist, will perform with internationally recognized pianist William Wolfram in a stunning duo recital during the 10th anniversary season of Music by the Lake on Sunday, Aug. 1, at 4 p.m. in The Ferro Pavilion at George Williams College of Aurora University, 350 Constance Blvd. in Williams Bay, Wis. Almond will play a 1715 Stradivarius violin in a spectacular program showcasing the artist in solo and duet repertoire. He and Wolfram are Juilliard-trained artists. Almond holds the Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair at the MSO. He returned there after holding positions as concertmaster of the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Valery Georgiev, and guest concertmaster of the London Philharmonic with Kurt Masur. He continues an active schedule of solo and chamber music performances in the U.S. and abroad, including recent appearances with the Ojai Festival, American String Project in Seattle, Nara Academy in Japan, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Music in the Vineyards, and various solo appearances with orchestras. He has been a member of An die Musik in New York City since 1997 and also directs the highly successful Frankly Music Chamber Series in Milwaukee. At 17, Almond was one of the youngest prize winners in the history of the Nicolo Paganini Competition in Genoa, Italy, and five years later was one of two American prize winners at the Eighth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, which was documented in an award-winning PBS film. Since then, he has kept up an eclectic mix of activities in addition to his concertmaster duties with the MSO. Almond has recorded for Summit, Albany, Boolean (his own label), Newport Classic, Wergo and New Albion and has appeared numerous times on NPR’s “Performance Today.” In 2002 and 2004, An die Musik received Grammy nominations for its “Timeless Tales” series. The re-release of Almond’s recording of the complete Brahms Sonatas, performed in collaboration with pianist William Wolfram, brought extraordinary critical acclaim. BBC Music Magazine wrote, “…the disc ends with an explosive finale which reaffirms the players’ unassailable technical mastery and absolute temperamental harmonization.” A review from American Record Guide was equally enthusiastic: “…this is easily the greatest Brahms I have ever heard. Almond and Wolfram tower above giants.” Almond holds two degrees from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Dorothy DeLay. Other teachers included Michael Tseitlin, Felix Galimir and Joseph Silverstein. When he’s not traveling around playing the violin, he lives in Milwaukee with his wife and two daughters. American pianist William Wolfram, tall and powerfully built, has a technique to match. While he is able to summon torrents of sound for the grandest moments in Romantic literature, he is also able to produce the subtlest gradations in volume and inform soft passages with the most persuasive, lambent tone. He won the silver medal in the William Kapell and the Naumberg International Piano Competitions. He also holds the distinction of bronze medalist of the prestigious Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow. A versatile recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician, he has won the respect of musicians and the acclaim of critics across the country. Wolfram’s concerto debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony under the baton of Leonard Slatkin was the first in a long succession of appearances and career relationships with numerous American conductors and orchestras. He has appeared with the New Jersey Symphony, National Symphony and Florida Symphony, among many others. He enjoys regular and ongoing close associations with the Dallas Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony and Minnesota Orchestra. The conductors with whom Wolfram has worked include Andrew Litton, Jeffrey Tate, Andreas Delfs, Hans Vonk, Jeffrey Kahane, William Eddins and Marin Alsop. Performances abroad include appearances with the Warsaw Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic, Budapest Philharmonic, Capetown and Johannesberg Symphonies of South Africa, and National Symphony of Peru. An enthusiastic supporter of contemporary music, Wolfram has close ties with a number of composers. The most significant of his own published compositions, the “Etude en douze exercises,” was issued in Marseille. In the recording studio, he has undertaken a project featuring the piano concertos of Edward Collins with Marin Alsop and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Wolfram brings to these two large-scaled works the large technique and visionary interpretation to match their scale and textures. Live performances of early versions of Liszt’s etudes are under preparation for release on the Naxos label. The Sundays at 4 Series performances are underwritten in part by the generous support of the Judith and John Graff Charitable Fund. The Main Stage series continues with: · Singer, composer and pianist Ann Hampton Callaway will perform her signature songs in a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald with Jeff Lindberg’s Chicago Jazz Orchestra on Saturday, Aug. 7, at 7:30 p.m. This performance is underwritten in part by the generous support of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation. The season finale Pritzker Spotlight Concert is: · Grammy Award winner Peter Frampton on Saturday, Aug. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Frampton, one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history, has one of the top-selling live records of all time. He received a 2006 Grammy Award for the all-instrumental work, “Fingerprints,” and his most recent album, “Thank You Mr. Churchill,” is an autobiographical collection. This performance is generously underwritten by The J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation. Available single-ticket prices for the Main Stage Series and Sundays at 4 Series range from $75 to $15. Seating is available in the Dress Circle, Orchestra, Rear Orchestra and Terrace. Terrace seating is not available for Sundays at 4 Series performances on July 18 and Aug. 1. Outdoor lawn seating is available at all Saturday evening performances for $15 per ticket. Remaining tickets for the Spotlight Concert are $15 for lawn seating. For more information or tickets, call 866-843-5200 toll free or 262-245-8501, or e-mail mbtl@aurora.edu. Visit the website at www.musicbythelake.com for secure online ordering. The 2010 Music by the Lake concert series is generously supported by Platinum sponsors Fairwyn Investment and Development; Gold sponsors Grand Geneva, Keefe Real Estate (Honorary Presenting Sponsor), and Scherrer Construction; Silver sponsors Aurora Health Care, Balestrieri Development and Environmental, Inc., Community Bank Delavan, HGA Architects and Engineers, Lake Geneva Cruise Line and Gage Marine, M&I Bank, Sodexo Campus Services, Voyager Capital Management, LLC, Walworth State Bank, and Wells Fargo Private Bank. Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. Approximately 4,000 degree-seeking students are enrolled each year on the university’s Illinois and Wisconsin campuses, and the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. The George Williams College campus offers 16 academic programs, unique conference facilities, and is home to Music by the Lake and other education and enrichment programs. – END –

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