Andrew Meacham, Tampa Bay Times, 28th October 2017
“All of those threads come together, however, in the fourth movement, a furious gathering of dozens of themes growing in real time to a smashing conclusion. [Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2] challenges both musicians and the audience to stay abreast of a multitude of its joyously twisting shapes. […]
Andrew Meacham, Tampa Bay Times, 3rd August 2017
“…this night and this event was all about the orchestra, which showed care and precision throughout. Under the baton of music director Michael Francis, an all-hands-on-deck contingent navigated the sharp turns that compellingly drive the piece.”
David Smythe, Bachtrack, 5th August 2017
★★★★
“Gershwin’s An American in Paris was a colourful opener, the players immersing themselves into the spirit of Parisian daytime bustle with motor horns and bluesy nights. With double woodwinds and seventeen brass players, the sound was rich and powerful, Francis drawing big sweeps with his arms, yet producing the […]
Neil Fisher, The Times, 6th July 2017
★★★
“[Burgess’s Symphony in C] has some juicy orchestration and, conducting, Michael Francis brought glitter and bombast in equal measure to its swelling climaxes and whimsical interludes.”
Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23rd June 2017
“Fully sounded, cleanly articulated, Mendelssohn’s splendor was captured with aplomb by the musicians…
Elsewhere, they evinced enviable lightness or gorgeous lyricism.”
Ron Bierman, Broadway World San Diego, 20th June 2017
“‘Mozart in a party mood,’ conductor Michael Francis announced as he introduced the composer’s Contra Dances to begin the concert. And the same party mood prevailed throughout much of the evening. The first and third movements of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 owe a lot to […]
Garrett Harris, San Diego Reader, 20th June 2017
“Pianist Jorge Federico Osorio all but disappeared while playing the Beethoven. The level of his technique and musicianship removed all barriers between us and the ambitious young Beethoven. Nay, his abilities removed all barriers between us and the divine muse which whispered into Beethoven’s ear and compelled […]
Marcus Overton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11th June 2017
“…And the performances were as marvelous as the music.
Francis and his ensemble of concertmasters and first chair players from all over the country — and Canada, too — have reached a collaborative level that has everything: a warm shimmering blend with a spinning string sound that never […]
Martina Schimitschek, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27th May 2017
When Laura Morefield, daughter of San Diego poet and theater critic Charlene Baldridge, was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer, she wrote poetry reflecting on the tumultuous journey of her battle with the disease. After her death in 2011, composer and family friend Jake Heggie set one of […]
Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27th May 2017
“Edward Elgar’s “The Dream of Gerontius” is regarded as a monument in the United Kingdom, but rarely heard in the United States. On Friday, the Cincinnati May Festival revisited Elgar’s spiritual masterpiece for the first time since 1981. The result was revelatory…
Friday’s performance in the Taft Theatre was […]
