S.D. Man Finalist in Music Contest

San Diegan Frank Almond Jr. is believed to be the first San Diegan to make the finals in the famed Tchaikovsky music contest in Moscow.

Almond, a 22-year-old graduate of Patrick Henry High School, was one of only two Americans among 12 finalists in the violin competition Wednesday. Now a student at Juilliard in New York, Almond received a diploma but no prize.

David Kim of New York City, a fellow Juilliard student who had shared a room with Almond two years ago at the Aspen Music Festival, was awarded sixth prize in violin along with Soviet contestant Dmitry Berlinsky. Soviet Ilya Kaler and Rafael Oleg, a Frenchman, took the top violin honors.

In May, Almond won the Juilliard concerto competition, playing the Brahms’ Violin Concerto.

Almond called his father, Frank Sr., from Moscow Tuesday with the news of his performance.

“He sounded just drained,” said the senior Almond, who directs the San Diego Master Chorale. Almond will return in August to the Aspen festival, where he had won the violin concerto competition.