Adam Samuel Eaker was on the lookout ahead to an night of tunes the night time he achieved Brandon Patrick George in March 2019. Falling for the musician, although, was not meant to be part of the system.
Dr. Eaker, an affiliate curator of European paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, had earlier invested more than a yr putting collectively the exhibition “In Praise of Portray: Dutch Masterpieces at the Satisfied,” his initially at the museum, which opened in October 2018.
For the MetLiveArts collection in 2019, the museum had employed Mr. George, a flutist and member of Imani Winds, a classical wind quintet based mostly in New York, to perform baroque audio encouraged by the exhibit.
When Mr. George, who is also a school member at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, arrived at the party, he promptly discovered Dr. Eaker and informed his accompanist that he assumed Dr. Eaker was lovable.
“I really wished to get to know him,” Mr. George, 35, mentioned.
Dr. Eaker introduced Mr. George to the attendees and, just after an about 30-moment live performance, Mr. George took a break to allow a new viewers to cycle by way of the exhibition. The two adult males started off chatting and promptly bonded in excess of their enjoy of the arts. Mr. George questioned Dr. Eaker if he would have meal some time, but Dr. Eaker did not understand he meant as a lot more than just new close friends.
“I think it had been a extensive workweek, and it just did not register to me that Brandon was inquiring me on a day,” Dr. Eaker, 36, explained. But when the men matched on the dating application OkCupid about two weeks right after their initial assembly, it was distinct each had interests further than friendship.
They satisfied for Malaysian food stuff in Manhattan, and talked about opera and their respective work. A couple of times later on, Mr. George played at the Achieved yet again. Even while they had been on a date, Dr. Eaker mentioned he felt shy when he saw him.
They retained observing 1 a further. By May possibly 2019, the adult men began introducing each and every other to their pals. That July, they took a journey to Portland, Maine, due to the fact Mr. George was actively playing a live performance at Bowdoin School in Brunswick, Maine.
“We experienced a excellent time and ended up slipping in enjoy with Maine,” Dr. Eaker mentioned. “At the same time we were falling in adore with each and every other.”
They experienced presently started chatting about moving in collectively when the pandemic struck. Although it was previously than they had planned, Mr. George easily moved in to Dr. Eaker’s apartment. They baked and designed cocktails alongside one another, relishing the added time invested with one an additional due to the fact Mr. George’s work frequently concerned touring.
“The actuality that we finished up spending extra than 365 days with each other with no interruption was sort of a gift, even in the midst of a really awful time,” Dr. Eaker mentioned.
In September 2020, Mr. George amazed Dr. Eaker by proposing in front of a group of their close friends on the actions of the Met, which their buddies had adorned with rose petals.
The couple have been married on Oct. 16 at the Initial Parish Portland Unitarian Universalist Church in Portland, Maine, right before about 100 visitors vaccinated in opposition to the coronavirus. Limor Tomer, a pal of the few who was ordained by Open Ministry for the occasion, officiated at the ceremony, which included African-American Baptist and Jewish traditions.
“Adam is just the most amazing gentleman that I know,” Mr. George reported. “With Adam, I come to feel at dwelling, and I feel like he is my particular person. I really couldn’t be happier.”
