Thom Mariner, Movers & Makers Cincinnati, 25th May 2017
Friday, May 26
Elgar: “The Dream of Gerontius”
Michael Francis
The conductor: British-born Michael Francis is currently music director of the Florida Orchestra and San Diego’s Mainly Mozart Festival.
After several years as a tenured double-bass player in the London Symphony Orchestra, he came to prominence as a conductor in […]
Peter Korfmacher, Leipziger Volkszeitung, 10th April 2017
“Under the helm of Francis, by contrast, beauty and truthfulness shine from these movements which show Haydn at the peak of his proficiency. He doesn’t polish, doesn’t impose anything on the MDR sound bodies but lets the meditations unfold their serene perfection all by themselves…
With stylistic confidence […]
Andrew Meacham, Tampa Bay Times, 15th March 2017
The Florida Orchestra has been planning its 50th anniversary season all year and the party is on.
The theme is celebration.
Highlights include a jubilant opening concert, the Carmina Burana (Oct. 6), with the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay; Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet paired with West Side Story, as […]
Andrew Meacham, Tampa Bay Times, 8th March 2017
The young man lifted his hands, one of which held a baton, and brought them down.
A grand piano took off like a racehorse hit with a whip, the pianist slamming chords in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, better known as the Pathétique. It and Jeancarlo Gonzalez, a graduate […]
William E Ford, Bachtrack, 25th February 2017
★★★★
“The ASO performed beautifully, with the strings sounding especially full and warm. Vaughan Williams’ music was turned out beautifully under Maestro Francis’ baton. It was truly a fine performance.”
Mark Gresham, Arts ATL 24th February 2017
“Under Francis’ baton, the ASO gave the sublimely lyrical work an impressive, finely honed performance, bringing closure to a creditable, satisfying evening of surprisingly compatible repertoire.”
Editorial Staff, Tampa Bay Times, 6th January 2017
Thanks to a state grant, the Florida Orchestra is embarking on new outreach efforts that will extend its reach across the state and bring its music to underserved audiences. Florida’s largest professional orchestra is a longtime cultural asset in Tampa Bay. By embracing a mission of service […]
Suzanne Hirt, Daytona Beach News-Journal, 5th January 2017
The Florida Orchestra is on a mission to make symphony concerts accessible to everyone, not just people of means.
The reason is simple: “When people come who haven’t been before, they leave transformed,” said Michael Francis, the state orchestra’s music director.
But discounted ticket prices don’t coincide with a […]
Andrew Meacham,Tampa Bay Times, 5th January 2017
The Florida Orchestra will take on an expanded presence throughout Florida, thanks to new funding that will send musicians to cities around the state.
Orchestra leaders stood before the St. Petersburg City Council Thursday and spoke of an ambitious state residency program funded by more than $700,000 in […]
Mannheimer Morgen, 10th December 2016
“Conductor Michael Francis led the orchestra with thoughtfully flowing gestures. After the 52 timpani strokes, the orchestra threw itself with determination into the dramatic developments.
Oboes and clarinets produced soft lyricisms during the second movement. Horns and flutes gave the pathos of the fourth movement a festive glance, and the […]
