Florida Orchestra names new musical director
Tampa Tribune, 24th June 2014 "After a season of conductors playing musical chairs, so to speak, the Florida Orchestra announced Tuesday that British musician Michael Francis, Chief Conductor of Sweden's…
Mainly Mozart is on a roll
James Chute, U-T San Diego, 14th June 2014 “…Francis knew every nuance of this difficult score and he and the orchestra offered a compelling, convincing interpretation. He found exactly the…
RPO ends season with strong program
Daniel J. Kushner, Democrat & Chronicle, 1st June 2014 "Guest conductor Michael Francis' blend of control and effusiveness sustained the magisterial momentum of the prologue... Under Francis' direction, "Venus, The…
RPO presents Holst’s “The Planets”
David Raymond, Rochester City Newspaper, 30th May 2014 "But the most memorable portions of [Walton’s 'Suite from Henry V']…were delicately paced by Michael Francis and exquisitely played by the RPO…
Conductor Michael Francis will give TSO a good workout with Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony
Trish Crawford, Toronto Star, 13th May 2014 "Michael Francis is chomping at the bit to take on Felix Mendelssohn’s famous Symphony No. 3, a piece of music that really gives…
RTÉ National Symphony & Irish Chamber Orchestras
Pat O’Kelly, Irish Independent, 7th April 2014 "Following several weeks’ lull, the latest in the RTÉ NSO’s ‘Subscription Season’ finds the ensemble in top form under re-visiting English conductor Michael…
Michael Francis Conducts the Helsinki Philharmonic in an All-British Program
Derek Ho, ResMusica, 20th March 2014 "...From the opening timpani strikes it was immediately clear that this music is Francis’ passion. There were many highlights, from the clumsy woodwinds in…
Walton’s Violin Concerto enchants with its beauty
Hannu-Ilari Lamila, Helsingin Sanomat, 16th March 2014 "Young, skilled and sympathetic British conductor Michael Francis ensured that the atmosphere was authentically English. It is often down to small detail whether,…
Slavic Dances With Youthful Ardour
Geoffrey Newman, Seen and Heard International, 14th March 2014 "...Janacek’s six Lachian Dances (1890) are in many ways just a Moravian variant of Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, balancing brisk, rustic rhythms…
Panufnik centenary concert, Barbican, London
Richard Fairman, Financial Times, 6th February 2014 ★★★★ “...The Sinfonia Sacra, probably his best-known work, is typically clear-headed and direct. Four solo trumpets at the corners of the stage announce…