Christian Hertzog, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 20th June 2023
“Gustav Mahler arranged Beethoven’s String Quartet for a string orchestra. It’s an effective transformation, especially when played as well as the All-Star Orchestra strings did under Francis’ direction. Attacks and intonation were precise. There was no loss of textural clarity in the arrangement, and lyrical lines […]
Christian Hertzog, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 16th June 2023
“Francis has a knack for finding new insights into standard repertory. He brought this talent to his interpretation of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8. Beethoven’s 8th is typically treated as a fun, lightweight work, but Francis sees it as an architectural marvel like the 5th or 7th […]
Kurt Loft, Classical Voice North America, 19th April 2023
Mention the name Anton Bruckner and you might expect crickets from friends and two-for-one tickets at the box office. Unless you’re in the big city, Bruckner is a tough sell, as his colossal, unhurried works require stamina on both sides of the proscenium.
The Florida Orchestra will […]
Frank Pommer, Rheinpfalz, 27th March 2023
“Since the 2019/2020 season, the British conductor Michael Francis has been the principal conductor of the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. Now his contract has been extended early for another five years. Why this is good news for Ludwigshafen, the region, and of course, the orchestra.
If you want to describe Michael […]
Joseph So, La Scena Musicale, 12th January 2023
“With British conductor Michael Francis at the helm, the evening opened dramatically, in a totally dark theatre, with “O virtus Sapientiae,” an ode to wisdom, by Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179). Ten female members of the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers entered downstage and slowly crossed from left to right, […]
Leslie Barcza, Barczablog, 12th January 2023
“…it was truly brilliant.
The Toronto Symphony and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir were led tonight by Michael Francis in a program that left me speechless with wonder…
Tonight it was as though someone (Francis? Or the ghosts of Mozart, Allegri, Beethoven & Van Bingen) sought to consecrate the hall, to […]
Andrew Clements, Guardian, 25th November 2022
★★★★
“Bedford’s piece, Staggered Nocturne, which was composed for Currie and commissioned by the Philharmonia, was receiving its premiere – the first performance had been originally scheduled for 2020. As the title suggests, it’s not by any means a conventional concerto crammed with flashy percussion writing, though that doesn’t mean […]
Sam Jacobson, Bachtrack, 31st October 2022
A hearty tip of the hat to Michael Francis and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestrafor presenting an utterly fascinating program comprised of four beguiling works, each from a different part of the 20th century and from a composer representing a different nationality and distinctive musical voice. Perhaps only one is […]
Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati Business Courier, 30th October 2022
“On the podium was guest conductor Michael Francis, whose easy communication with the audience and clear direction of the orchestra was a bonus in his program of lesser-known, 20th-century orchestral works. Charles Ives’ “The Unanswered Question” was likely the most familiar to regular concertgoers. Francis also led […]
Sigrid Feeser, Die Rheinpfalz, 12th September 2022
“Chief conductor Michael Francis and the orchestra did [Mahler’s Seventh arranged by Klaus Simon ] with all the necessary dedication, precisely and with a clarity that cannot always be produced in the large-scale original with its overwhelming strings and brass fanfares.”
