Ken Herman, San Diego Story, 14th June 2019
“Haydn’s Symphony No. 49 in F Minor, “La passione,” speaks the language of spiritual drama rather than Mozart’s realm of social and class drama. Especially in the symphony’s expansive slow opening movement, Francis discovered the power of understatement, and the orchestra responded with its most compelling sonority […]
Ken Herman, San Diego Story, 9th June 2019
“Francis conducted a compelling and impressively insightful interpretation of [Mendenlssohn’s] “Reformation” Symphony, elegantly delineating its many deftly scored contrapuntal sections—even in the opening movement’s bustling Allegro con fuoco—with refreshing clarity. He danced through the ebullient second movement, and empathetically shaped the cantabile themes of the Andante…
Francis and […]
Christian Hertzog, U-T San Diego, 9th June 2019
“The orchestra was precise, responsive to Francis’ conducting, with an effortless beauty of tone.
The concert began with a spirited performance of Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks.” It’s always a treat to hear orchestral music by Handel that is not “The Messiah.” Francis and the musicians captured […]
Beth Wood, U-T San Diego, 26th May 2019
A gathering of high-caliber musicians from prestigious orchestras from around the world is a treat for both audiences and musicians. It also raises the level of the performance, which makes everyone involved even happier.
This synergistic dynamic is a big reason behind the Mainly Mozart Festival’s success and […]
Stephan Hoffman, Mannheimer Morgen, 12th March 2019
“At the concert at Mannheimer Rosengarten, it was immediately obvious: The two are a match made in heaven. The orchestra played Beethoven’s Second Symphony with more speed and verve, more fire and precision than ever before. The musicians went to a number of extremes: extremely quiet, extremely pointed, […]
Karl Georg Berg, Die Rheinpfalz, 9th March 2019
“Symphony No. 2 in D major (Op. 36) by Beethoven was charged with explosive energy by the British maestro Michael Francis from the very first bar. Quick time measures (quite true to Beethoven’s metronome specifications), a dry sound, sharp contrasts with effectively utilized moments of surprise—these were […]
Ron Bierman, Broadway World, 22nd January 2019
“British conductor Michael Francis is known to San Diego concert goers as the music director of the city’s Mainly Mozart Festival. Since taking the job four years ago he has embarked on an ambitious chronological survey of the music of the composer who inspired the festival’s name. On […]
Ken Herman, San Diego Story, 19th January 2019
“[Michael Francis] did successfully refreshed Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique for his listeners’ ears. Maintaining sparkling, transparent textures, choosing exquisitely calibrated tempos, and keeping the drama alive without ever overplaying his hand brought these familiar musical episodes into sharp, arresting focus. It was like viewing for the first […]
Bill DeYoung, St. Pete Cataylst, 15th January 2019
Suave, erudite and comfortable in a tuxedo, native Londoner Michael Francis could very well be Tampa Bay’s James Bond – if, that is, 007 had wavy red hair, a baby face and an overwhelming obsession with symphonic music.
Michael Francis prefers listeners be stirred, not […]
Stefan M. Dettlinger, Mannheimer Morgen, 7th December 2018
He will commute between Florida and Ludwigshafen, says Michael Francis in an interview with this newspaper. The new Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz is in fact head of the Florida orchestra. Francis is the absolute favorite candidate of the Ludwigshafener Orchester.
