29th December 2023, Garrett Harris, San Diego Reader
“If there was just one concert in 2023 that I wished everyone could have experienced it would have been Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. This was the concluding concert of the 2023 Mainly Mozart Festival. The concert was held at the Epstein Family Amphitheater on the campus of UC San Diego. Before the concert, Mainly Mozart Music Director shared a heartfelt vision of what Beethoven’s music can mean. If there is a Billy Graham of pre-concert comments, it is Michael Francis. The audience and players were moved by his words and the performance took off from there with some orchestra members wiping tears away at the conclusion. It is a rare and special moment when an orchestra shows its emotions.”
