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.”
Die Rheinpfalz, 9th September 2022
“Using sound samples played by the orchestra under the direction of its chief conductor Michael Francis, the allocation of instruments and motifs to figures and actions became understandable.”
Karl George Berg, Die Rheinpfalz, 4th July 2022
“As with the “Eroica” a few days earlier, Michael Francis once again offered a Beethoven interpretation of exciting high tension and great eloquence in expression. He made it clear very convincingly that Beethoven composed a very passionate and compelling music here, beyond the somewhat special text and […]
Karl George Berg, Die Rheinpfalz, 30th June 2022
“Beethoven is original – and in more ways than one. Admittedly not with old instruments, but with the tempo intended by Beethoven and a clear sound without much vibrato. Above all, chief conductor Michael Francis and his orchestra, which was brilliantly arranged across all registers, gave the […]
Christian Hertzog, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 20th June 2022
“What was noticeable at Saturday’s concert was the engaging performance of the San Diego Master Chorale, soprano Tasha Koontz, mezzo Guadalupe Paz, tenor John K. Russell, and bass Steve Pence and tight, gripping playing by the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra under Francis’ direction.”
Garrett Harris San Diego Reader June 17, 2022
“Now we come to the easiest and most difficult articles I write each year, the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra articles. These are easy because the orchestra is nigh unto flawless. These are difficult because I quickly run out of superlatives. Finding fault is so much easier than […]
Lukas Schulze, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 13th June 2022
“Francis and group were effortless and energetic, both here and even more so in the rushing and vigorous final Allegro (whose “ma non troppo,” or “not too much,” was taken with a welcome grain of salt). Mainly Mozart’s All-Star Orchestra is literally that — a group […]
